Summer Transfers ... fact or fiction

[Matt Clark]

That time of year again ... the close-season speculation begins to hot up. Who's on their way out, what targets have you heard about for the summer shopping spree?

With the race for Europe reaching some form of climax, there are still many immutables to consider with regard to our likely moves over the summer, but that's never stopped the grapevine before!

I'll start us off, courtesy of the Official site:


News Item - 22 April 2003:_by Paul Eaton

Reds hand trial to Argentinian youngster

Liverpool will give Argentinian youngster Jonas Manuel Gutierrez the chance to earn himself a permanent Anfield move during a one week trial at Melwood.

The 20 year old midfielder has been linked with a £2 million summer move from Velez Sarsfield to Liverpool as Gerard Houllier goes about strengthening his squad before the start of next season.

Gutierrez attended yesterday's 2-1 victory over Charlton at Anfield and will now train with the first team squad for the rest of this week in an attempt
to persuade the Liverpool staff to press ahead with a long term deal.

[liverbird]

I watch a fair amount of Argentine football and I must admit that this name does not stand out. Could have missed him though. The player who stands out down there is a 20 year old striker named Cavennaghi with River Plate. He'd be a lot more expensive though. River also has a cocky little left footed central midfielder named D'Allesandro who is also young and good.

[Bjornebye]

Posted by Bjornebye, 30 May 1999
I wouldn't be suprised if we were to finally sign Litmanen.

Stig

???

Stig

[liverbird]

From Today's Guardian:

PSV winger Arjen Robben could be the very man to dislodge Emile Heskey / El Hadji Diouf / Anyone Else Bought As A Striker And Used As A Winger In A Desperate Attempt To Cover Up The Fact They Don't Score Any Goals from Liverpool's left wing. Although according to footballtransfers.info, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also interested, so there goes that.

[Bjornebye]

Kluivert's name never seems to go away.

Stig

[kopiteinkc]

Tonge of Sheff Utd was rumoured earlier this season and watching his creativity recently I think he would be a good buy.

Whether he could step up and be a premiership level player is a doubt. Also, Sheff Utd may get promoted so he might not want to leave. If they don't then we have a chance to get him.

Another reason to support Reading in the promotion play offs ;)

[655321]

It would be nice to pick up one or two established players in their mid-20s. Let them add some immediate impact to our game and rotate them around with the youngun's.

[zpjohnstone]

On the Auxerre front, Roux recently said Fadiga is available for 2 million pounds, which is a good deal in my estimation. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is the Auxerre player who could benefit Liverpool the most. As for Cisse, there is allegedly an 18 million pound offer for him by Spurs.

Also Liverpool were rumored to be taking a look at Leverkusen's Basturk, who was a bit of a pain to LFC a while ago . . .

Has anyone heard this "Liverpool to sell Hyypia and replace him with Gallas" crap. Not buying it.

And Teamtalk says "Bolton's on-loan France Under-21 international Bernard Mendy has claimed Liverpool are interested in signing him."

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by Bjornebye
Kluivert's name never seems to go away.

Stig
I wish it would.

I hate that guy after his whining two years ago.

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by kopiteinkc
Another reason to support Reading in the promotion play offs ;)
I'll support Reading in the playoffs because of Hahnemann.

[Lanky134]

Mendy wants to come over, too:

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030422/21/dya56.html

Mendy - Liverpool keen to sign me

Bolton's on-loan France Under-21 international Bernard Mendy has claimed Liverpool are interested in signing him.
The pacy attacking full-back, who has been playing as a winger for Bolton, had been due to return to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but now says Reds manager Gerard Houllier has been in touch.

Mendy told the Bolton Evening News: "There has been contact with Liverpool and obviously the pull of a big club like that would have to make me think.

"But I don't know any more at the moment. I am just trying to do my best for Bolton.''

[kopiteinkc]

Originally posted by Lanky134
I'll support Reading in the playoffs because of Hahnemann.

Forgot about him for a minute.

My brother has lived there for about 20 years and has been a Reading season ticket holder for a while. Part of that Maggie get on yer bike for jobs thing :(

[Matt Clark]

Kicker reporting that we are back in for Johan Micoud, now with Werder Bremen (we enquired about him when he was at Parma last year).

And here's the first of the "my mate works with .... who knows ..... who does Phil Thompson's garden rumours:

We will swap Djimi Traore and cash for Damien Duff, Finnan is a done deal (£6m) and we are going in for Joe Cole if the Hammers go down.

[jayemery]

It's been reported that Houllier said today that he has no interest in PSG's attacking full-back Bernard Mendy. The kid has done well at Bolton, but it seems he has more interest in Liverpool then the club does in him.

Also, Gutierrez made some comments today about being at Liverpool and to be honest, he doesn't sound like someone I would want to see on the squad. He wants to play in Spain, not England, but views playing for the Reds as a stepping stone to Spain. He also admits that his family are all Everton fans, but he would be able to be a professional and play for a team he doesn't support. Not exactly the kind of comments you'd expect someone to make during the first week of his trial.

[SuperElf]

Originally posted by zpjohnstone
On the Auxerre front, Roux recently said Fadiga is available for 2 million pounds, which is a good deal in my estimation.
Not meaning to drag this thread OT, but this is just a brief discussion of grand strategy:

I'm really growing weary of these nickel-and-dime transfers. Spending 2 million pounds each on 4 or 5 youngsters and hoping one of them will pan out is fine and dandy . . . for a team like Leeds who needs to buy on the cheap and rebuild. Now, I hope some of these young guns (Diao, Cheyrou, Traore, etc.) turn into something really special, but if we don't get the CL money, I think we should make NO more than one solid 7 million pound-ish sigining, if even that. Especially for next season, we need a solid contributor than can help us win the league, not a project for five years down the road.

[Lanky134]

Let's not forget that we're getting Le Tallec and Sinama Pognolle.

[Matt Clark]

The point, he am good. Forgot about those two.

Mind you, expect both to be reserve fodder for most of next season and possibly beyond.

[zpjohnstone]

Originally posted by SuperElf
I'm really growing weary of these nickel-and-dime transfers. Spending 2 million pounds each on 4 or 5 youngsters and hoping one of them will pan out is fine and dandy . . . for a team like Leeds who needs to buy on the cheap and rebuild.

. . . .

Especially for next season, we need a solid contributor than can help us win the league, not a project for five years down the road.

Just so you know, Fadiga is 27 or 28. He certainly fits into the 'solid contributor next season' hopper- Or at least, he's certainly not a project. He hasn't gotten the headlines that Mwaruwari & Cisse have, but has been the true driving force of their offense. Not that I think he is a serious transfer target of Liverpool.

Anyway, I would rather see an established player come in this close season rather than a project, as well.

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
The point, he am good. Forgot about those two.

Mind you, expect both to be reserve fodder for most of next season and possibly beyond.
I wouldn't be surprised if, like Diarra this year, one or both of them go back to Le Havre on loan for the year if Mellor has a great pre-season.

[Matt Clark]

Hm - not sure I agree, to be honest Dave. I get the feeling Houllier really thinks he's pulled one out of the bag with these two lads. Especially with Sinama-Pongolle, who is his kind of player.

Do you not think - especially given the "bedding in" problems that Diao and Diouf and Cheyrou have had - that he will seek to integrate them as much as possible into the culture and training and (hopefully) lesser games at first team level?