Liverpool FC Forum

by **adamnbarrett** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:36 am

Liverpool prepare to sell Crouch to fund Villa move

By Jason Burt
The Independent

Liverpool are understood to be preparing to sell Peter Crouch - and want to sign Valencia's David Villa as the England striker's replacement. The moves, which would cost a combined total of more than £40m, could come as part of what is being predicted as the busiest January transfer window since the system was introduced four years ago.

There is a number of stumbling blocks to any deal, however. Although Crouch is wanted by Newcastle United, they may not be prepared to meet Liverpool's £12m valuation. Instead they would like to pay around half that amount for the 25-year-old, who moved to Anfield for £7m in the summer of 2005 from Southampton.

Liverpool need to generate a bigger fee for Crouch to help to pay for Villa, also 25, who would cost around £25m from Valencia and who has long been tipped for a move to the Premiership and is believed to favour joining Liverpool.

Villa, who scored 25 goals in 35 League games last season, but just eight so far this term, has long been admired by the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, who has made attempts to sign the Spanish international. Villa would not be eligible for Liverpool's European Cup tie against Barcelona, having already played in the competition this season and with Valencia still involved it will make his transfer even harder to secure.

Crouch has fallen out of favour and in recent weeks has fallen further behind Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy. He got his chance against Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day but was singled out for criticism by Benitez after missing three headed chances.

That defeat meant Liverpool slipped out of the Champions' League places and, with the takeover by Dubai International Capital still to be completed, they need to add fresh impetus to their season. Blackburn's Lucas Neill is also expected to sign next month.

With Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi injured, the Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has targeted a striker as his main January signing. He is considering Lyon's John Carew, who has been told he can leave the French champions and could arrive initially on loan, as a cheaper alternative should Newcastle fail to land Crouch.

As he attempts to add more physical presence to his attack Roeder also knows that Charlton are unlikely to sell another of his targets, Darren Bent.

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Would love this to happen. But I doubt it as we don't have alot of money. Maybe the DIC takeover will help fund it? This source is reputable as the independant talk alot of sense and most often than not get their stories correct.

by **red37** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:59 pm

Rafa: No interest in Villa: Eurosport 29/12/06

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has quashed speculation suggesting he will sell Peter Crouch if he can land David Villa in January.

Villa is a key part of the Valencia side striving for UEFA Champions League glory and has a fabulous reputation after his exploits at the World Cup finals.

It was claimed that Benitez would give the green light to a sale of Crouch to Newcastle United for £12 million if he can secure a replacement.

"I have seen the stories in the press saying that we need to sell Crouch to raise the money to sign Villa," he told Liverpool's official website.

"I can tell you now we are not interested in Villa.

"I think he is a fantastic player but at this moment we are not thinking about signing him and that means we are not thinking about selling Crouch."

*************************************************

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/179203768?-11194

end of speculation.

by **66-1120597113** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:08 pm

Load of cr@p!!

by **The Magician** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:59 pm

Would love to see David Villa at Anfield but it is never going to happen

by **dia- mond** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:10 pm

If its true that Bellamy,s asked for a transfere, I can,t see crouch going.

by **dward** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:51 pm

dia- mond wrote:If its true that Bellamy,s asked for a transfere, I can,t see crouch going.

Source?

by **A.B.** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:27 pm

There's no source because it's rubbish.

by **Sabre** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:42 pm

Universal truths about the football market

1) The winter marker is more expensive than the summer market, and this is because the teams in real need of reinforcement pay more money due to that urgent need.

2) Big teams do not let go key players in the middle of the season.

Sometimes it's not necessary to look at the sources to say something is very unlikely.

Paying 40 Million pounds, letting go an important player, and bring a Spaniard with no adaptation and no preseason and more expensive, would be wasting money, not spending it.

by **Ciggy** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:22 am

Given Valencia’s David Villa was watching in the Directors Box – and no, that doesn’t mean he’s about to sign

Liverpool echo last night.

by **red37** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:46 pm

Ciggy wrote:Given Valencia’s David Villa was watching in the Directors Box – and no, that doesn’t mean he’s about to sign

Liverpool echo last night.

i know...Kr@ptalk distorting the facts yet again, for another 'world exclusive' :glare:

(thing is....why was he here?

by **ConnO'var** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:54 pm

red37 wrote:
Ciggy wrote:Given Valencia’s David Villa was watching in the Directors Box – and no, that doesn’t mean he’s about to sign

Liverpool echo last night.

i know...Kr@ptalk distorting the facts yet again, for another 'world exclusive' (thing is....why was he here?

who knows?.... maybe he's good mates with one of our spanish lads...

Would love to see him here but I think that this ones a long shot.... especially as Rafa and Crouchie have both expressed to the press that Crouchie is staying.....

Be nice if it happened though....

by **Sabre** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:07 pm

thing is....why was he here?

Because of the same reason Raul and half the Real Madrid squad were in Anfield, to see their mates. English football has something magic in the atmosphere and Anfield is the most famous crowd in Spain.

by **red37** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:26 pm

Sabre wrote:
thing is....why was he here?

Because of the same reason Raul and half the Real Madrid squad were in Anfield, to see their mates. English football has something magic in the atmosphere and Anfield is the most famous crowd in Spain.

Silly ar5e me!

of course - they get a break over Christmas...carry on!

by **shanks** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:55 am

poor Crouchie he is been going to newcastle,juve, any were but staying at lfc can you imagine how the guy must feel been shot from pillow to post..

by **destro** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:07 pm

ive read that villa would cost at least 100 million ( some sort of clause in his contract ) or is that aston villa

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