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Posts Tagged ‘george-gillett’

• Raul Meireles arrives at Liverpool in £11.5m switch
• Roy Hodgson ‘key’ to move to England from Porto

Raul Meireles has insisted he is not a Javier Mascherano clone after completing his move to Liverpool from Porto.

The 27-year-old has joined Roy Hodgson’s side for £11.5m, the Premier League club have announced on their official website.

The Portugal international Meireles has signed a four-year contract and will add weight to a Liverpool midfield which was looking short on numbers following the departures of Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani.

And, quoted in the Sunday Express, he said: “Roy Hodgson was key to me coming here because he worked so hard to sign me.

“I am Meireles and not Mascherano and that will be clear to the fans. I hope one day the Liverpool fans will remember me for being successful.”

Meireles has won four titles with Porto and been capped 38 times by Portugal, playing in all four of his country’s games at this summer’s World Cup.

Liverpool agreed a deal on Friday to allow Mascherano to move to Barcelona after the midfielder, whose family could not settle on Merseyside, was reportedly unprepared to play for the club.

Aquilani also departed for Juventus in a loan deal which brought to an end, at least temporarily, an under-whelming and injury-hit spell in the city in which he failed adequately to replace Xabi Alonso.

With Liverpool financially constrained as their owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, attempt to sell the club, fans have had to make do with limited arrivals this summer – Christian Poulsen from Juventus and Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea being the headline names.

On the pitch Liverpool have started the season in uninspiring fashion under their new manager, Roy Hodgson, with last week’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City particularly dispiriting.

They at least have a Europa League campaign to look forward to after overcoming Trabzonspor this week.

Meireles, at home in the centre of midfield, scored in Portugal’s 7-0 win over South Korea in South Africa this summer.

LiverpoolFC PortoTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

• Fans already incensed with owners hit by increase
• Liverpool were third-highest paying club for wages in 2008-09

Liverpool have announced the ticket prices for next season, with an increase of 7% hitting supporters who are already incensed with the club’s American owners. There had been fears the new ticket prices would be higher as the announcement was late but even so an increase is not going to be well-received with the team finishing seventh in the league and missing out on Champions League football.

Supporters will also argue that an increase could have been avoided althogether if the co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, had not loaded the club with debts of £350m. Kop seats will be £680 online (£732 at window), with the Main Stand, Paddock and Centenary Stands £732 online (£785 at window) and the Anfield Road end, £722 (£774 at window), according to the club’s official website.

The long-awaited details came as a new report showed Liverpool are the third highest paying club for player wages in the Premier League, up 18% in 2008/9, according to the Liverpool Echo. The season ticket prices are understood to be based on purchases being made before June 25.

Liverpool are currently looking for a new manager after Rafael Benítez left the club by mutual consent. Roy Hodgson appears to be the front-runner but there have been no confirmation of talks between Liverpool and his club Fulham or the manager himself.

LiverpoolPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

• Manager meets Martin Broughton to discuss transfer funds
• Spaniard seeking guarantees before making decision

Rafael Benitez has held a second round of talks with the Liverpool chairman, Martin Broughton, as he seeks assurances that money will be available to revitalise the squad and challenge for a Champions League place next season.

The Liverpool manager met the British Airways chairman, who has been installed to sell the club on behalf of its co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, at Anfield today.

Both parties have agreed to keep their discussions confidential, although Benítez has said he wishes to continue as Liverpool manager providing the club can compete in the transfer market this summer. He wants guarantees that any money raised through player sales will be reinvested in the squad, even if those sums are inflated by the potential loss of their prize asset Fernando Torres.

Juventus are still awaiting a definitive answer from Benítez having courted the Spaniard all year and have now turned their attentions towards Luigi Del Neri of Sampdoria and the Fiorentina coach, Cesare Prandelli.

Rafael BenítezLiverpoolPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk