Liverpool FC Forum

by **andy_g** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:48 pm

according to this story from todays footie guardian benitez will have 10 million to spend in january, and also that simao will remain his number one target.

now obviously this is just another article from the (increasingly favourable) media so we don't know how much truth there is in it. however i'd have expected us to spend between 10 and 15 million in january for the right one or two players. this is going to really disappoint all those demanding we sign the shevchenkos, ronaldinhos and adrianos we can get our hands on, and also those wanting joaquin this season.

i'm still not convinced that simao is the player for us and definitely not at the 12 million or so that benfica are asking, whether jerzy goes as part of the deal or not. i'd rather hang tough and try for joaquin in the summer.

the problem is though, what do you with 10 million? do you spend it all on one player? and if so who? or do we try some wheeling and dealing, part exchanging or loaning? in my opinion what we really need this season is a striker in the Cisse mould but who can actually play, as i think we are showing enough width at the moment. the system seems solid, the team know the formation, and despite the fact that gerrard is often playing away from where he can do the most damage there is enough movement, quality and flexibility to make the most of the system. what we're lacking is goals. maybe if we'd had a different striker on the pitch on sunday we'd have bagged a couple of those chances.

anyway, before i ramble off irreparably... if we DO have only 10 million, what do we do with it?

by **stmichael** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:53 pm

this is pure speculation. how the hell do the media know how much we've got to spend?

by **115-1073096938** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:56 pm

We have more than 10million.

We'll probably sign a centre half and a right winger. Thats what we lack more than anything. We can wait till summer for a striker.

The team is very very strong at the moment and the changes to personel have to be minimal and gradual otherwise we'll disrupt the rhythm and balance.

by **JC_81** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:07 pm

Gradual change is the key here as Stu says, I don't want us to 'do a Spurs'

It will have to be more than 10 mil. The Gonzalez deal is still on isn't it? Well that's 4 million already. Then probably 4-5 mil on a youngish centre half.

After that I'm not sure to be honest. The Simao rumours won't go away but to be honest I have my reservations about that one. A striker will only come in if Cisse goes, but Benitez might wait til the end of the season for that one because we are unlikely to find a suitable replacement who is eligible to play in Europe.

It will be interesting to see what happens, Benitez is pretty unpredictable in the transfer market. The Sissoko deal came from nowhere and I'd have laughed this time last year if someone told me Crouch would be signing.

by **greenred** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:29 pm

The two or three players we need will cost more than 10million.Winger and quality cb will be 15million at least.That is unless Rafa is planning to cash in on Cisse without buying a replacement.

by **zarababe** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:31 pm

15 mill is what I heard.. honestly another thread down tha pan

by **wee_boi888** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:56 pm

According to this its 20 Mil - it also sums up half to three quaters of the rumour thread :laugh:

Parry urges Benitez to take his time in transfer market

Rick Parry has vowed Liverpool will not make the same mistakes in the transfer market which saw former manager Gerard Houllier waste the opportunity to take the club to a new level after their 2001 treble success.

The Anfield chief executive sees similarities between the position Liverpool were in four years ago and now after current boss Rafael Benitez guided them to Champions League glory and his side put in a hugely impressive performance in the Club World Championship in Japan.

Benitez has vowed to bring in new faces during the January transfer window, and could have as much as £20million to spend.

Parry recalls the last time Liverpool were in this position, having finished second in the Premiership in 2002 and won the FA Cup, Worthington Cup and UEFA Cup in the previous season.

Houllier's mistakes in the transfer market then ruined any chance of serious future progress and eventually cost him his job before Benitez took over 20 months ago.

Parry said: 'In 2002 it was also looking good. Just like then, the foundations are there for us and now it's about kicking on and taking the next step.

'We've just got to keep on doing what we're doing, keep on improving and make sure the players we acquire are of the right quality.

'That's the key; not to buy the wrong players and make rushed decisions.'

At the end of the 2001-02 season, Houllier spent over £20million on El-Hadji Diouf, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao. None of them was successful at Anfield and the 2002-03 season saw Liverpool finish fifth, fail to get past the Champions League group stages and then fail in the UEFA Cup.

The experience cost Liverpool dearly just at the time when Chelsea were transforming themselves from a club on the brink of financial ruin to that now dominating the Premiership as well as the worldwide transfer market.

Parry, though, can sense Benitez is on the right track to make Liverpool genuine contenders again.

'I've been optimistic about our future before, but not more optimistic than now,' he added.

'I expect to be very busy this Christmas.'

Following Sunday's defeat by Sao Paulo, Liverpool have already let it be known they harbour ambitions to return to Japan next season to go one better and win the world crown.

To do that, of course, they will have to retain the European Cup.

A tall order perhaps but Parry added: 'We're already thinking of doing what we can to return to Japan next year.

'You have to take a lot of pride out of the performance of the boys. Sometimes it makes it harder to bear when you're the better team.'

He added: 'You can't say it was only worth going to Japan if we had won. It was worth going because we wanted to win.

'We'll just have to go back and win next year. We were very professional in our preparation and that was vindicated in the way we performed. Sometimes you have games like the final when you are just not going to score.'

Benitez and his squad returned to Merseyside last night and the Spanish manager immediately returned to his homeland to be with his family following the death of his father last week.

Liverpool face a tough four-game holiday programme, which includes Michael Owen's return to Anfield with Newcastle on Boxing Day.

But by then Benitez could well have new acquisitions already on their way to the club for Parry to tie up when the transfer window opens.

The Reds have been linked with Portuguese winger Simao Sabrosa, although the fact the Champions League holders must face the player's club, Benfica, in the last 16 of the tournament in February could complicate a deal with the Lisbon giants wanting £10million plus.

Benitez has also been linked with Tottenham defender Ledley King, a player it is believed he had watched on several occasions last season, before the centre-half broke into the England squad.

Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic, currently with Spartak Moscow, and Danish defender Daniel Agger are on his shopping list along with Anderlecht's Christian Wilhelmsson, who made a big impact on Benitez in their Champions League group matches.

Benitez does not have to sell to buy and with the heavy 2006 workload for his squad he may not be keen to sell Djibril Cisse despite further interest from Marseille.

But he would be prepared to allow Chris Kirkland to complete a permanent move to West Brom, while reserve striker Neil Mellor could also leave now he is back to fitness after two operations this season.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=352821&cc=3436

by **teamleader1** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:10 pm

Id have expected at least 15mil - have madrid paid the balance on the owen deal yet?
I think a natural striker is still a top priority and I would be suprised if rafa wasnte tempted in jan if the right man becomes availible, saying that I doubt cissie will be going anywhere in jan whatever happens.
We all agree that decent cover in CD is a must.
I feel we have enough talent in MF to make do untill summer
SG is doing a good job on the right and if the Gonzalez deal comes off and hes fit for the final third of the season, he can operate on either wing going by some reports
I cant see the Simao deal being done in jan now that their still in the CL
So for me its another striker and a central defender in jan
its also worth remembering that any striker who does well in the summer will triple their asking price overnight

by **El Nino_#9** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:08 pm

it doesnt matter how much money you have in my opinion. it matters how you use it.
for example 19million was spent on diao, cheyrou and diouf!!
we can get a quality centre back for 2.5m if you look in the right places. (hyypia is a good example)

by **Reina From Spaina** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:01 am

Taking all above comments into account, I doubt Rick Parry would start mouthing to the press the exact figures he will give Benitez to spend, as this is unheard of, and may I add...CONFIDENTIAL!

No one in here or the press knows what sort of money he has.
One thing I will say, if at this years accounts, we were 20 million in DEBT, but in the summer bring in crouch, sissoko, Pepe Reina, and a lot of youngsters and others, then it is still possible to run a business, when you are paralyzed by Debt it seems.!

Rafa will only buy the right players when he sees fit Im sure, but although i can see a right winger and a CB coming, we do need a striker, and a Cisse going the other way. he is surplus to requirements.

I think Sabrosa signing for us will not strenthen us neccessarily, he is an overrated midget. it would be a bit like us signing Zenden. same thing, gaining not much.

Why dont we put all eggs in one basket, after the defence thing is sorted, and go or a top draw striker?

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:08 am

It’s not really a case of money, because a club like Liverpool will always have transfer funds available, funding is only an issue for the stadium.

Priority must be a quality right winger and then a centre back to compliment Carragher and Hyypia.

If we can find a cash buyer for Cisse (no loan) and a quality replacement then that would be a bonus, but that is more likely to happen in the summer.

No hurry, like someone said above, gradual change is needed no flash in the pan quick fixes, and no overloading the squad.

by **L-type** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:10 am

I don't see why everyone is complaining about the 10 million stat! if teams think we only have 10 mill they won't try and squeeze us out of every penny like benifica did during the summer?? Am I right or is this just positive thinking?

by **TheoRacle** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:27 am

Agreed Cool Hand Luke, the priority must be on a backup CD and a right winger. I reckon Rafa's in no hurry to get rid of Cisse as he'll be happy to see if Cisse does well for France at the World Cup therefore putting his asking price up. With the additon of a specialist right winger, Gerrard will be free to move back in to the centre of the park. With Alonso/Hamann/Sissoko/Kewell all playing well at the moment I seriously wonder if Rafa might consider pushing SG forward in support of a lone stiker/holding player up front be it Crouch or Morientes. Depending on the opposition, Rafa will still have the flexibility to put Gerrad back in the midfield proper and play Cisse/Garcia/Pongolle up front if circumstances dictate. Either way with the right wing and centre back positions sorted in the January window we will have a very strong squad indeed.

by **stmichael** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:47 am

L-type wrote:I don't see why everyone is complaining about the 10 million stat!

Because it doesn't make sense. The numbers don't add up.

In the summer we were supposedly in for Owen for more than £10m, Simao for around 10M and we were also still in the market for a Centre Half. Now we've qualified for the CL knockout stages and we supposedly only have £10m to spend.

I'm baffled.

by **L-type** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:52 am

stmichael wrote:
L-type wrote:I don't see why everyone is complaining about the 10 million stat!

Because it doesn't make sense. The numbers don't add up.

In the summer we were supposedly in for Owen for more than £10m, Simao for around 10M and we were also still in the market for a Centre Half. Now we've qualified for the CL knockout stages and we supposedly only have £10m to spend.

EXACTLY !! You obviously didn't read my whole post! Why would we want to show everyone our cards? Just keep how much money we have to ourselves (which we all STRONGLY believe to be more than 10 million) and make other teams think we don't have much money to spend so they can't dick around with us like Real Madrid and Benifica did!! common sense !

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