Liverpool FC Forum

by **tubby** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:32 pm

Just found this, thought id drop it in.

4 February 2007
£120M: RAFA WILL HAVE CASH TO BURN
Football: LIVERPOOL TO JOIN THE BIG SPENDERS Rafa will have cash to burn after takeover
By Paul Smith
LIVERPOOL boss Rafa Benitez will be handed an astonishing £120MILLION transfer budget if the proposed American takeover goes through this week.

US tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks are set to take control at Anfield. Under formal proposals of a projected £480m takeover, additional funding will be made available to Benitez to ensure Liverpool can match their free-spending rivals in the transfer market and compete for honours.

Gillett, who owns National Hockey side Montreal Canadiens, and Hicks, who owns NHL franchise Dallas Stars as well as the Texas Rangers baseball team, will split the £700m costs, which include funding for a new stadium.

Liverpool's decision to accept the American offer in preference to doing a deal with Dubai International Capital is widely thought to have come about after Gillett and Hicks put a far more lucrative package together.

Shareholders including chairman David Moores will profit from the deal, debts will be immediately addressed and proposals over a new stadium accelerated.

But it's the activity in the transfer market that will be of primary interest to fans and should delight Benitez, who has publicly voiced his frustrations at buying within a limited budget compared with the clubs Liverpool are supposed to be challenging.

Since Roman Abramovich arrived Chelsea have monopolised the top end of the market.

But while arch-rivals Manchester United have spent £28m on Rio Ferdinand and £21m on Wayne Rooney, Liverpool's record signing remains the £14m invested in recruiting Djibril Cisse from Auxerre 30 months ago.

Most of Benitez's buys have been in the £6m-£10m price range. And he admits that some of them have been found wanting.

Both Gillett and Hicks have earned reputations for spending big to achieve their goals and Benitez will now have a license and cash to target the key players in European and world football.

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This is a good thing right? Making money available for Rafa to build the team on.

by **tubby** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:39 pm

Also just out of Curiosity is Parry or Moores likely to come out to the fans and say why the Gilette bid is better for LFC than DIC?

by **metalhead** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 1:30 pm

120m quid!! wow thats alot!!! Well it would make it easier for Rafa to get his top transfer target, and not going to get his 2nd or 3rd option.

It will also help build the youth with that money, we can get additional youngsters that are really good like the ones in arsenal

by **metalhead** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 1:48 pm

bavlondon wrote:Also just out of Curiosity is Parry or Moores likely to come out to the fans and say why the Gilette bid is better for LFC than DIC?

They have to mate, some fans are really confused right now, and I think when the takeover is completed they will have a say in why they picked the americans over my fellow arabs!

by **destro** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:58 pm

Reports today claim it will be 150 million he gets to spend ! Lennon,Villa,Alves and Lahm all as cover

by **Elchris** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:09 pm

Itz scarry to have 120m quid to spend.... 15m for simao...15m for alves...20 for a top striker...10 for bale....

the posiblities is endless

by **metalhead** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:41 pm

Elchris wrote:Itz scarry to have 120m quid to spend.... 15m for simao...15m for alves...20 for a top striker...10 for bale.... the posiblities is endless

we can even get ronaldinho for 80m!! and still have 70m to spend!

by **skipper** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:47 pm

destro wrote:Reports today claim it will be 150 million he gets to spend ! Lennon,Villa,Alves and Lahm all as cover

You forgot Kaka.

by **Forever_Red** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:59 am

It all sounds good to me, but after last time I don't wanna get my hopes up just yet

But £150M sounds good to me! :buttrock

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:39 am

This is a qoute from someone who posted it on tribalfootball.com, and he is right.
"I follow the NHL and I have noticed many times that before the salary cap rule Habs owner Gillett was very stingy penny-pincher and did not want to get best players available, instead he brought in just some lame French Canadian playas just to maintain the age old traditional Canadiens image. Liverpool is lucky that Hicks decided to team up with Gillett. Hicks has much more ambition and he is ready to spend lot of cash to get success. "

The amount of money he has spent in Montreal for players(I don't know exactly how much) But he has not given the team
the amount for players, as the guy said gillett loves to be cheap. The have been crying out for a big superstar in montreal for a couple of years now, and when he finally agreed they bought a guy that was at the end of his career. He doesnt like to spend money.

I know all of us want to see the team give rafa the money to buy players, but the other guy likes to spend like abromavich. The owner of the texas rangers loves to spend stupid money for over inflated players. Yes the Rangers did have the best infields in baseball at one time, but that was due to making smart deals and drafting good prospects. The outfield and short positions were paid for by stupid amounts of money.

I dont feel they would be the greatest for the club, I have watched both hockey and baseball and seen that these owners have two greatly different ways to run their teams. I feel their would be situations were the owners wouldnt be under the best of terms with each other over certain operations with the club. Especially with the transfer windows.

This is not a good idea.

by **matrix** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:25 am

i just want to talk about tom hicks, without him i think the deal would not have happened, liverpool insiders say he made all the difference, known in america as the NEGOTIATOR, he turned this deal on its head, hicks has this reputation for winning and a great driving force for success, the real clincher was the transfer funds available to rafa benitez, but until the deal is done take nothing for granted...

DAVID VILLA, DANIEL ALVES, LENNON, KAKA, RICHARDS,

LIVERPOOL FC. LIVERPOOL FC. LIVERPOOL FC. LIVERPOOL FC.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:23 am

IF this deal goes through, and IF Rafa DOES get £120-150m to spend on players, expect Torres to be a primary target.

When Rafa signed for us, he mentioned in an interview that he rated Torres as the best player in Spain, and one he would love to sign.

Should the money become available, I personally would like to see the following team:

Reina
JC King Agger

Alves Alonso Mascherano Aurelio

Gerrard

Villa Kuyt.

I have a feeling we'd be more likely to see:

Reina

Alves JC New CB* New leftback**

Alonso Mascherano

Gerrard New left winger/Kewell
Kuyt

Villa/Torres.

* Aerially dominant, and lighting quick.
** Someone who can defend and attack with equal aplomb.

Either way, I can't see Rafa wasting all that dosh.

by **crazyhorse** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:34 am

I will be very happy for the injection of capital for transfers. However it would be dangerous for the club to spend heavily on a number of players in a short time period - remember before Chelski began to win the PL they had a couple of seasons with Ranieri spending money like it had gone out of fashion and the squad was quickly accused of having no cohesion or team spirit.

To my mind we are not very far away from having a side capable of challenging; but it will have to be a patient process with the capital being invested over two or even three seasons to allow for players to bed into the squad and Rafa to get the balance right.

Also - to have the money is one thing, but we have to be able to attract these players to the club in the first place - and there has to be continued investment for the serious imbalance this will cause in our wage structure.

by **Elchris** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:12 am

Mayb we should welsh wizard down here and list down the transfer target.... i'm sure even 120m quid would'nt be enough

hehehhehehe

by **woof woof !** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:10 am

Noticed at the weekend lots of reports/rumours that Arsenals board had a "secret" meeting and have decided that for the right price they're prepared to sell Henry come the summer .

Given his recent complimentary statements about Steven Gerrard ("would like to play alongside him") and the Liverpools fans ("they are fantastic") Could we lure him to Anfield and would we want to ?

My immediate reaction is yes but on reflection , he's 30 this summer , i'd still take him but the price would have to be right .

Thoughts ?

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