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Posts Tagged ‘transfer’

• Liverpool manager expects he will have to rotate his strikers
• He says Babel has not fulfilled his potential at Anfield

Roy Hodgson has challenged Ryan Babel to save Liverpool the expense of signing another striker in January after conceding he must ease the burden on Fernando Torres. Torres returns to Birmingham City on Sunday, where he was withdrawn by Rafael Benítez with Liverpool being held 1-1 last season, as the club’s only fit and proven forward after Dirk Kuyt’s shoulder injury compounded the failure to sign a new striker before the transfer deadline.

Hodgson defended that decision today as he revealed that, despite claims of a £12m transfer budget in place when he arrived, “it was only after the sale of [Javier] Mascherano that it would have been possible for me to have the money available to do a transfer at a high enough level”. He added: “Quite frankly I didn’t see the players out there that really excited me to spend the amount of money those players cost.”

The Liverpool manager must now put his faith in the improving David Ngog, Babel, who Hodgson tried to offload on deadline day, and Daniel Pacheco to provide back-up for Torres until the transfer window reopens. And, despite the furore that followed Benítez’s decision to withdraw the Spain international at St

• Another forward would be icing on cake, says manager
• David Ngog and Ryan Babel will be sufficient if we fail

Roy Hodgson said he would not be pressured into a panic signing by Liverpool’s need for a new striker as he prepares to spend the final day of the transfer window scouring the market for support for Fernando Torres.

Liverpool are exploring several striking options as the transfer deadline approaches and hope to address their weakness at left‑back with the £3.5m signing of Paul Konchesky from Fulham. The 29-year-old has agreed personal terms on a move to Anfield but the transfer has been delayed while Lauri Dalla Valle, the 18-year-old Finnish forward who is a proposed makeweight in the deal, undergoes a medical at Craven Cottage.

Konchesky’s arrival would leave Hodgson requiring a striker to fulfil his transfer wishes for this window, having replaced Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani with Raul Meireles and Christian Poulsen in midfield. Mascherano completed his £20m move to Barcelona last night.

Liverpool’s search has hit complications with PSV Eindhoven’s £13m valuation of Ola Toivonen prohibitive, Bayern Munich insisting Mario Gómez is not available and Hodgson not convinced by Carlton Cole following recent assessments of the West Ham United player. Alternative candidates include Ricky van Wolfswinkel, the Utrecht striker who scored a hat-trick against Celtic in the Europa League play-off last week, and Eidur Gudjohnsen, although the Iceland international is in talks with Stoke City.

Gómez’s agent, Uli Ferber, claimed there was interest in a move to Anfield yesterday when he told Kicker: “When a club like Liverpool enquires, their interest cannot be pushed off the table.” But Bayern, who spent a German record ¤35m (£29m) to sign the 25-year-old from Stuttgart last year, appeared to close that option last night. The club’s sporting director, Christian Nerlinger, responded: “Bayern Munich are not a superstore for other clubs to come and help themselves to players. No player will be leaving and they will certainly not be leaving on loan.”

Hodgson claims to be satisfied with his transfer business so far but, while Torres’s fitness continues to be a matter of concern for the Liverpool manager, the 62-year-old is adamant he will not waste what money is available at Anfield.

“The additions to the squad of Meireles, hopefully Paul Konchesky and possibly another player won’t do us any harm at all,” said Hodgson. “With Meireles coming in and Poulsen I think we have solved the problems that Mascherano and Aquilani leaving have given us because we’ve lost some quality midfield players in Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Aquilani and Mascherano. Meireles and Poulsen are two quality players who will boost our squad and who are much-needed otherwise we would have been short in that area.

“If we could get us a striker who could really take the pressure off Torres from time to time that would be very useful. I think it could be the icing on the cake but I’m anxious not to bring in people who I don’t think are good enough. Just spending money to bring someone in to say we have another player could be a mistake.”

Hodgson also believes the encouraging form of David Ngog, plus Ryan Babel’s desire to remain at Liverpool, will provide sufficient back-up should Liverpool be frustrated in the market today. “Babel has never been given a real chance up front to show what he can do and Ngog is a player who is making progress. I would have to be sure anyone we bring in is clearly better than those two players so they could take a step back. You are not going to bring people to Liverpool who are not playing at the right level.”

The Liverpool manager does not expect to lose any more players before the deadline closes although Lucas Leiva, touted as a possible makeweight in a deal for a striker and of interest to Tony Pulis at Stoke, has admitted his long-term position at Anfield is uncertain. “I don’t know what the situation is,” said the Brazilian midfielder.

“I’m still playing. At the moment, I haven’t had any offers. I don’t know if the club wants to sell me. I just have to wait. I’m going away with the national team (on Thursday) and I can’t say any more than that.

“I spoke with the manager (in pre-season) and he told me I was in his plans. If the club want to sell me, what can I do? I just have to wait and see what will happen. But I want to be playing. I am trying to do my best here. If the club have some offers for me, they will let me know. At the moment I have no idea.”

LiverpoolRoy HodgsonTransfer windowAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Fee believed to be close to Liverpool’s £25m valuation
• Argentina midfielder to sign four-year contract

Javier Mascherano’s long-awaited transfer to Barcelona is set to be completed this weekend after Liverpool accepted a bid from the Catalans.

The midfielder almost joined the La Liga champions 12 months ago only for former manager Rafael Benitez to eventually price him out of a move.

However, with the 26-year-old keen to move for personal reasons – he constantly complained his family had not settled in England – the club came to an agreement with him that if they received an acceptable bid they would allow him to leave.

After rejecting an initial bid of £16m from Barcelona last weekend an offer has now been forthcoming which comes close to their valuation of £25m.

The player was never likely to stay once he became aware of Barcelona’s initial bid and told Hodgson he did not want to play in Monday’s defeat to Manchester City.

But Liverpool were never going to accept anything less than they paid for Mascherano when they rescued him from West Ham’s reserves for £18m three and a half years ago.

“Liverpool Football Club have agreed terms for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to FC Barcelona,” said a Liverpool statement. “The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder.”

This week Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted he was in the market for a defensive midfielder having been thwarted in his attempts to sign primary transfer target Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal.

Reports in the Spanish media earlier this week claimed Mascherano had already agreed a four-year, £85,000-a-week contract and, now Liverpool have accepted a fee, the Argentina captain will travel to Barcelona for a medical this weekend.

A statement from Barcelona appeared to confirm that, with the Catalans even suggesting Mascherano played a part in the final negotiations.

“FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to the club for the next four seasons,” it said.

“The deal was closed after intensive efforts made by the club in the final hours and through the player himself in the negotiations.

“Barcelona will report the details of the operation once the player passes the medical and the transfer is concluded.

“It is hoped Javier Mascherano will arrive in Barcelona this weekend.”

Transfer windowLiverpoolBarcelonaguardian.co.uk