More 'exciting' Liverpool signings to come, says Rodgers
19 Jul 2013 22:29
Liverpool FC manager reassures fans over next round of deals as transfer team flies in
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Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool FC staffBrendan Rodgers and his Liverpool FC staff
Brendan Rodgers has reassured supporters that there will be some “exciting” additions to his Liverpool FC squad over the coming weeks as he looks to “complete the jigsaw” ahead of the new season.
The Reds boss was delighted to get plenty of business done early this summer as he wrapped up deals for Kolo Toure, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas and Simon Mignolet.
However, Rodgers admits he needs a greater injection of quality if Liverpool are going to compete for a Champions League spot.
Read More: Ian Ayre says distance not hindering LFC transfer talks
The club's recruitment team are flying into Melbourne tomorrow to provide an update on a number of targets the Reds are currently pursuing.
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Liverpool FC in training ahead of Indonesia All-Stars XI match
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“Nothing is close but plenty of work is going on,” Rodgers said.
“How near or far we are, I will find out in Melbourne. There is daily dialogue going on but I am confident that we will get the one or two players who will really excite and complete the jigsaw.
“It was great to make the four signings so early on but we have still got some more work to do to strengthen the team.”
Liverpool have had to reassess their options after the setback of missing out to Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Armenian opted to make a £21.5million switch to Germany – highlighting the problem of trying to compete with Champions League clubs when you are operating outside Europe's elite.
“If you are not in the Champions League, that naturally makes it tougher,” Rodgers added.
“We all have the same objective. We all want to be there. If you are a manager or player, you want to be at that level.
“That is always the case when you are going for good players. But I'm sure good players still want to come to this club.
“There has been lots of players linked but the fact is we really only had one (top target) and unfortunately we didn't get the chance to speak to that player before he moved from Shakhtar.
“We had spoken to Shakhtar, we had got permission to speak to him but unfortunately I didn't get the chance to sit down in front of him. It was already in place with Dortmund so that was disappointing.
“I always feel that if I can get in front of the player, I can sell the club and what our project is here.
“Hopefully that is exciting for the players. So (missing out on Mkhitaryan) is the only disappointment. I believe there will be others.”
At £9million, Mignolet is Liverpool's most expensive purchase of the summer so far. Many fans want a statement of intent with a 'marquee signing' but Rodgers insists you don't need to break the bank to land real class.
“Simon Mignolet has been outstanding in his early time here,” he said.
“You watch his game in training and you think that he was named North East Player of the Year.
“You think about the players he was up against, not just goalkeepers like Tim Krul, but outfield players as well.
“He is young and fits the profile that I am looking for. I am not necessarily looking for stars. I am looking for players who are hungry to become stars and he is one of them.
“We are looking for good players. We just need a couple more that can come into the team and give us that quality.
“I am really happy where the squad is at. If we can add just one or two more, we will have a small, tight-knit group that will really be able to push forward from the first whistle next season.”
Rodgers believes Liverpool are in much better shape than on the tour of North America a year ago. Not only are the players more accustomed to his way of working but the manager himself is more comfortable with his surroundings.
“I feel a lot more relaxed with it all,” he said.
“I think last year was about finding out about the team, the players that I had and finding out where we needed to strengthen if we were going to go forward.
“It was a case of putting the building blocks in place and just getting to grips with the whole status and size of the club.
“I knew it was a big club and it was a big move. I understood the expectations but you don't fully understand it until you are in pole position.
“Having had one year as working as the manager, I feel I understand the club much better and we are well placed to move forward.”
The vast majority of Rodgers' 24-man squad will play some part in today's game against an Indonesia XI in Jakarta.
It's the first of the Reds' three tour matches as they look to build on last weekend's emphatic 4-0 win at Preston.
Rodgers said: “I've been really enthused by the quality of the work and the mentality of the players during our time here.
“We came out here to step up our preparations and I'm very happy with how things are going."
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by mart » Fri Jul 12, 2013 3:49 pm 
