Liverpool FC Forum

by **anfieldadorer** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:53 am

i'm not normally very easy to get too excited about particular rumor, never mind make such a thread, so, bash me if you want for this, but i'm really mad about his coming, and i believe he is now almost being here with us

BENITEZ LANDS £6MPENNANT

By David Maddock
JERMAINE PENNANT will join Liver pool after Birmingham last night accepted a £6million bid for the England Under-21 winger.

Anfield boss Rafael Benitez conceded he had been priced out of the race to sign Daniel Alves, his No.1 target to play wide on the right, after Sevilla refused to budge on their inflated £12m asking price for the Brazilian.

Benitez admitted Liverpool simply could not afford to buy Alves and instead switched his sights to 23-year-old former Arsenal midfielder Pennant.

Liverpool had an initial bid of £3m turned down by City manager Steve Bruce, but last night Benitez went back with double that amount and Birmingham - relegated from the Premiership last season - had little option but to reluctantly accept.

Pennant is expected to complete contract talks with Liverpool today and, if he passes a medical, the deal should go through in time for him to join his new team-mates when they fly out this week for a pre-season training camp in Austria.

It is a dramatic about-turn for Benitez, who felt certain of landing Alves, and even travelled to Spain last week in an attempt to hurry through a deal.

"You can say the price is the price, but you also have to consider the market, and we cannot pay a fee over the market price," said Benitez.

"Some clubs may pay more than the player is worth, but we can't do that at Liverpool. We can't pay over the market price.

"I am not the kind of manager who will pay £20m if the value is only £10million." Benitez eventually lost patience with Sevilla, who refused to budge on the £12m they wanted for Alves.

But Benitez had little room for manoeuvre as Alves would use up all his transfer kitty, leaving him nothing to bring in the forward he also wants.

He has been chasing Holland striker Dirk Kuyt all summer, but with a price tag close to a prohibitive £12m the switch to Pennant instead of Alves still leaves him with a chance of landing the Feyenoord player.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has dismissed suggestions he is a £20m target for Real Madrid.

Benitez was adamant the Spain midfielder would not be leaving Anfield and Alonso said: "I've heard the rumours but that's all they are.

"I'm focused on my job here at Liverpool and as far as I am concerned there is no truth in the story at all."

by **Rafa D** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:03 am

Annie Adorer this aint like you so I read it believing it mate.

I hope your right I want more English lads playing for the club, and like Robbie and Bellamy, Pennant supported us as a kid. I hope this is true as we are crying out for a right winger and I think this could be a very good move for both Pennant and Liverpool. He will give us options.

Where did you get this report mate.

by **Hotrod** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:33 am

Still not 100% convinced, last week they said Kuyt was a done deal and that has'nt happened. But I hope it is, he would give us alot more balance and he does his fair share of tracking back and helping out his full-back. An added bounus is that he is English, and people forget he takes a wicked free kick as well. I'm sure his off the field problems are behind him and if he does would be a quality siging and unlike Alvez would not have to adjust to the lifestyle and all that junk.

by **Judge** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:35 am

whos david maddock ?

by **ste123lfc** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:39 am

Judge wrote:whos david maddock ?

He's a nob jockey of a journalist in the daily mail

by **Judge** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:01 am

ste123lfc wrote:
Judge wrote:whos david maddock ?

He's a nob jockey of a journalist in the daily mail

so, by that statement he's involved in gay pride marches

is that a rumour ?

blinking chutney ferrets :angry:

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:04 am

Speculation, these stories are the same every year. Nowadays i'll only believe a rumour if either there has been a direct quote from Rafa or the board or if the story is backed up with sightings at Anfield.

by **kazza** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:24 am

Maybe this is a rumour to help the Alves deal through.The reason his price is inflated is because they know we want him and he wants us. I still hope we get him.

by **supersub** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:45 am

ste123lfc wrote:
Judge wrote:whos david maddock ?

He's a nob jockey of a journalist in the daily mail

Actually the mirror........and he's not a bad journalist.

by **Redman in wales** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:04 am

kazza wrote:Maybe this is a rumour to help the Alves deal through.The reason his price is inflated is because they know we want him and he wants us. I still hope we get him.

no. i doubt it will.

Unfortunately for us, we are going after 2 players (pennant and Alves) that their clubs want to keep. They can put whatever price they want on the player. - if we pay it, good for them. If we dont, good for them. There's no point in them lowering their valuation if they dont want to get rid of him

by **BOODIDDY** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:07 am

David maddock. Probably one of te better repoerters out there for liverpool. From the mirror he was purely just liverpool and everton but now does a bit on the scum.

Its a very reliable source, maddock brought this to our attention some months ago and said that pennant would be rafa's back up signing. Personally, i'll be delighted with pennant he has had a carrer very similar to joe cole. The pressure when he was a kid was too much for him. But now he looks like he could cut it.

I have changed my mind from a previous thread were i slated pennant. Bit looked at it a bit more and can see a lot of positives even though there are risks.

by **tubby** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:09 am

BOODIDDY wrote:Its a very reliable source, maddock brought this to our attention some months ago and said that pennant would be rafa's back up signing.

I read this also. I think personall they both have just as good ability as each other, In Pennant case though he has just got to improve his off field behaviour.

But if Craig Bellamy can turn it around then so can Jermaine Pennant.

by **anfieldadorer** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:59 am

Rafa-Dodd wrote:Annie Adorer this aint like you so I read it believing it mate.

I hope your right I want more English lads playing for the club, and like Robbie and Bellamy, Pennant supported us as a kid. I hope this is true as we are crying out for a right winger and I think this could be a very good move for both Pennant and Liverpool. He will give us options.

Where did you get this report mate.

sorry forgotten the link

here it is

by **stmichael** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:38 am

IMO We have just purchased another option to back Stevie up. And on that basis it is money well spent. Pennant is fast, tricky, and is the best crosser of a ball from the right hand side in the Premiership. He obviously has a question mark over his temperament, but I feel this move will be the making of him. To be honest I don't see the difference between the past records of Pennant with that of Bellamy.

We also have £6M more than we would have had if we'd signed Alves (despite the fact he looked class), so another striker may well be coming in. My guess is Kuyt, but I wouldn't rule out Klose at this stage either. Should Van Horseface go to Bayern, then Roy Makaay will be on the market aswell.

This is a good day for me, and I don't really understand the deflation in many of the posts.

by **el_stinger** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:00 pm

Hit and miss unfortunately

Blues confirm Pennant bid
By Graeme Bailey

Birmingham have confirmed that they have rejected an offer from Liverpool for Jermaine Pennant.

The Reds are keen to land the former Arsenal winger, but Blues are standing firm over their valuation - believed to be over £5 million.

Birmingham chief Steve Bruce confirmed Liverpool had only bid £3.5 million for Pennant.

"We had an offer from Liverpool which we rejected and, until they meet our valuation of Jermaine Pennant, they will get the same answer," said Bruce.

"There's only been one bid, of around £3.5million. We paid £3 million for Jermaine plus we owe Arsenal 25% of any sell-on fee.

"We don't want to sell him for £3.5million, that's for sure.

"Now it's a question of how far Liverpool are prepared to go in meeting our valuation. If they don't then they will move on, I suppose."

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