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Reports today claim that Rafael Benitez is set to battle it out with Martin O’Neill for a second Summer running.
Ashley Young is reportedly the target of a £20m bid from Benitez – who has also been linked with Valencia’s David Silva.
Benitez and O’Neill clashed last Summer of Liverpool’s attempted move for Gareth Barry, who has since signed for cash-rich Manchester City, with Benitez being denied the £18m he needed to complete the deal by his board.
O’Neill stood firm over Barry’s pricetag last Summer and now looks set to demand £30m for Young.
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Xabi Alonso has arrived in Austria to join the rest of the squad for tonight’s preseason friendly in Vienna.
Alonso was given extra time off this Summer with Fernando Torres, Albert Riera, Alvaro Arbeloa and Jose Reina after they appeared in the Confederations Cup for Spain.
It was believed that he would not join up with the squad and instead be in Madrid tying up the details on a move to Real.
He looks set to travel to Bangkok with the squad, which would put a move in serious doubt.
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Reports today claim that Rafael Benitez has stepped up his interest in Valencia attacker David Silva, with Xabi Alonso looking likely to join Real Madrid this week.
The Spanish international would cost around £20m, which would easily be covered by Alonso’s proposed switch to Madrid.
Benitez has been linked with the diminutive wideman several times this year and could be set to beat off competition from several other sides for his signature.
Filed under: Transfer Gossip | Tags: Alberto Aquilani, Luciano Spalletti, Rafael Benitez, Xabi Alonso
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Reports are emerging that claim Liverpool representatives are locked in talks with Italian giants Roma over the transfer of midfielder Albert Aquilani.
Luciano Spalletti, Roma’s coach, has previously admitted he needs to shift some players to bring in funds for new faces – and he has an abundance of midfielders at his disposal.
Having recently signed a new deal with Roma, Aquilani looked unlikely to leave the Italian capital, but the fee he could command would allow them to bring in a few new players.
Reports claim Rafael Benitez has offered £18m for the Italian international that he sees as the ideal replacement for Real Madrid bound Xabi Alonso, but Roma are holding out for £22m.
“We will certainly evaluate any firm offers that come in for Aquilani and consider them carefully,” said Spalletti from Roma’s pre-season training camp.
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The Daily Mail is reporting that Xabi Alonso’s future will be resolved after discussions with Rafael Benitez.
The squad is due to fly to Bangkok from Austria after the friendly with Austria Vienna. If Alonso is on that flight, Real Madrid’s chances of securing his signature will look slim.
A figure of £26m is claimed to be Real Madrid’s final offer as they believe Alonso’s poor relationship with Benitez will be enough to see them secure the midfielder.
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It has been reported today that Rafael Benitez has turned down four massive bids for Fernando Torres – and has also declared the striker not for sale at any price.
Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are all reportedly ready to pay upwards of £60m for the striker.
Benitez was told by the club’s American owners that the decision was entirely down to him to make.
“We have had some very big offers for some of our key players this summer – and that includes Fernando Torres.” Benitez is quoted as saying in the Sunday Mirror.
“Clubs wanted Fernando and we were contacted by agents working for those clubs. But we always knew that when a bid came in we would say ‘no.’ The main thing was that Torres wanted to stay here. People knew the player wanted to stay, but it did not stop clubs trying.” he said.
“Football has changed and there is big, big money around. But we still have the same idea to keep the spine of the team and work hard for next season.”
“In football and life you cannot guarantee anything, that is a fact.”
“I don’t want to speak about United selling Ronaldo to Real Madrid because he is not my player and they are not my team.”
“But what I will say is that we wanted to send out a message that Liverpool are a strong team and that we want to improve. You don’t improve by selling your best players.”
Torres, who was signed from Atletico Madrid, who not entertain the idea of moving back to Spain to play for his former club’s rivals. Nor would he countenance the idea of playing for Manchester United, given their status as Liverpool’s number one rivals.
Manchester City had two bids for the frontman turned down last season and Torres is unlikely to make it third time lucky for the cash rich club.
Chelsea have been strongly linked with Torres on several occasions in the past and would be the most likely winners in a battle for his signature – should he be made available.
Torres had been reported as unhappy with life in Liverpool, but he has moved to dismiss those claims – especially as they said he wished to live in London.
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Rafael Benitez has admitted that he did consider bringing former Anfield favourite Michael Owen back to the club before the 29 year old agreed to join Manchester United.
But Benitez said he didn’t believe that competing with Manchester United for former Anfield favourite Michael Owen would have worked.
“We had some contact about Owen and we were analysing the situation.” he said.
“But we have a World Cup coming up and the top players want to play every week.”
“It would have been hard for Owen to play every week at Liverpool.” he finished.
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Rafael Benitez has moved quickly to end speculation that Frenchman Franck Ribery is set to move to Anfield from Bayern Munich.
Odds on the player moving to Merseyside plummeted on Friday after a spate of bets were placed on the transfer going ahead.
“I don’t think we will be signing anyone else for big, big money – just maybe the ones who can fit into our team.” he said.
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French left-back Chris Mavinga yesterday completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 18 year old defender has flown out to Switzerland to join his new team-mates in pre-season training.
The youngster never made a first-team breakthrough with the Ligue 1 club, but he did represent France at under-18 level.
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Wrexham have made a bid to take Dean Bouzanis on loan – which has been accepted by Rafael Benitez.
Bouzanis was a member of the youth side that reached the FA Youth Cup final last season and will compete with Chris Maxwell for the number spot at The Racecourse.
“We’ve agreed with Liverpool to take goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis on loan, although we have yet to finalise the length of the deal and the figures, but the boy has agreed to come and the two clubs have given it the go-ahead.” said Wrexham boss and former Reds striker Dean Saunders.
“That’s ongoing so it might be a bit of a rush to get anything sorted by tomorrow, but we have two games next week and the quicker we get him in the better. There are a few things to tie up because he is eligible to play for both Australia and Greece and he has been asked to play in an international tournament so that’s another issue to sort out.”
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Xabi Alonso married his girlfriend Nagore Aramburu in his home town of San Sebastian yesterday.
The Spanish international midfielder has been linked with a move back home with Real Madrid, but remains a Red.
Unlike most footballer weddings, Alonso’s was a low-key day with around 200 guests, including Luis Garcia and Mikel Arteta.
LFC Talk wishes Xabi and Nagore all the best and our congratulations.
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Sky Sports is reporting that Rafael Benitez is lining up Inter Milan’s Esteban Cambiasso as a potential replacement for Javier Mascherano, who looks set to join Barcelona this Summer.
Benitez is fighting to keep hold of both Mascherano and Xabi Alonso with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid targetting each.
Real Madrid have been very public in their pursuit of Xabi Alonso, who is believed to want the move to go through. Mascherano has been publicly courted by triple-winning Barcelona also.
Benitez yesterday insisted that the players would not be leaving Anfield as they owed the club for how well they’ve been treated, but has been drawing up a list of potential replacements in case either or both depart.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Cambiasso has established himself as key performer in the Italian champions side since arriving in 2004. At 29 years old he could be subject to an offer José Mourinho cannot refuse.
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Rafael Benitez yesterday admitted that he tried to sign Gareth Barry before the midfielder moved to Manchester City – on a £120,000 per week deal.
“City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. But it will be interesting to see what happens next season,” said Benitez.
“Things have changed. You have to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs in Europe are spending big money, so the market has changed and we have to work harder.”
“We had to pay big money, the market is now crazy. It is all money, money, money now. But we were signing a good player, an England player, and that is very positive.”
“He has a good mentality, and when I spoke to him first it was clear he wanted to come here.”
“Things have changed. You have to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs in Europe are spending big money, so the market has changed and we have to work harder.”
“You have to do that to stay at the level we are at because of the big money being spent here and abroad.”
City also wanted Johnson, and Benitez said: “It was difficult, some clubs are offering big money. But he wanted to come here, that was the difference.”
“We did go back again for Barry, but as I said. it is all about money, money, money. It is as simple as that.”
On City’s influence on the market and their prospects for next term, Benitez added: “City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. But it will be interesting to see what happens next season.”
“But whatever happens, experience is more important and we feel that we have that to be in the top positions.”
“If you spend big it is always easier to perform well. But when you have a good understanding between players that is also important. If they are together, they work hard, that is just as important.”
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Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has completed a move to Spanish side Real Zaragoza after passing a medical and agreeing terms.
The former Notts County, Arsenal, Leeds, Birmingham and Portsmouth winger has agreed a three year deal with the recently promoted side.
“I wanted to come to Spain and I had offers from important teams in Europe but joined Real Zaragoza,” he told realzaragoza.com.
“I really want to get started and do well in the league.”
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The odds on Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery moving to Anfield dropped from 66-1 to 8-13 on yesterday.
A small group of punters betting on the Frenchman moving to Merseyside has seen Skybet slash their odds in a similar fashion to Michael Owen’s shock move to Manchester United last week.
Dale Tempest of Skybet is quoted on oddspreview.com as saying: “Every price we have put up has been taken on Ribery moving to Liverpool, which has left us stumped as in recent weeks he has been liked with every other club but the Reds!”
“After seeing money for him to join Man United and Real Madrid at the same time that Bayern Munich say he’s going nowhere, we’ve now seen a flood of bets on him to join Liverpool.”
“8/13 may seem a very short price but after the losses we made last week on Michael Owen, who was gambled down from 20/1 to move to Manchester United, we are taking no chances.”
