Liverpool have strongly refuted claims made by the agent of exciting youngster Bobby Duncan.
Saif Rubie is the representative of Duncan and outlined a catalogue of issues regarding Duncan, with one of the startling claims stating that he had been kept at the Reds against his will.
The Dubai-based Rubie who has looked after Kolo Toure and former Chelsea and West Ham manager Avram Grant in the past, claimed in a long statement on Twitter that the striker would never play for Liverpool again and was suffering from mental health issues.
Rubie strongly criticised the sporting director Michael Edwards and was angry that the club refused loan moves to Fiorentina and Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.
“For a player with zero first team experience, no clubs were prepared to pay an outright reasonable fee for a player they got for £200,000 last summer.
“With that in mind we have been able to find clubs that were ready to take Bobby on a season-long loan with a option to buy for amounts of £1.5million upwards which is a great return for the club on a player who will never play for the Liverpool first team and who doesn’t want to be there.
“The club and Michael Edwards specifically made it clear that that kind of deal wouldn’t work.
“So then myself and my team worked even harder and managed to get a deal on the table for a loan with an obligation to buy after five starts with a higher transfer fee than before and a sell-on to Liverpool.
“Putting all of that aside, the real reason Bobby missed the Under-23 game (against Southampton) on Monday is because he has suffered some deep mental health issues with all the stress the club has put him under.
“Stress of being told he can leave but then going out of their way to force him to stay against his will.
“Not only is he on a very small salary but he also has one season left on his contract after this one and Liverpool have flatly said he will not get a new one.
“Bobby has not left his room for four days because of this and will never go back to Liverpool again and my only concern now is his mental health and well being.
“This is not really dignified behaviour from a club with the rich history of Liverpool and one who one of their greatest ever players Steven Gerrard happens to be Bobby’s cousin.
“It’s a sad state of afford that a club such as a Liverpool can be allowed to get away with destroying the life of a young man such as Bobby.”
Understandably the club came out with all guns blazing and put out this statement as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
“Liverpool Football Club is aware of and disappointed by the unattributed comments and unfounded allegations that have been made in the media regarding one of our players.
“As the interests of the player in question are not best served by either inaccurate speculation, inflammatory statements or public discourse, we will be making no further comment.
“ We will, however, continue our efforts to work privately with the player to find resolution in the best interests of all involved."
Duncan is a supreme poacher at the under age level where he scored 32 goals for the U/18s in all competitions last season, and previously broke many records when on the books of former club Man City.
is just a sad and sorry situation all round and let us hope it has a satisfactory conclusion.
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