Player Contracts

[smokinstu]

LA-bound Steven Gerrard would have signed new Liverpool deal last summer

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/06/steven-gerrard-liverpool-la-galaxy-mls

[smokinstu]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-could-leave-anfield-free-8403993

 

 

Steven Gerrard isn’t the only player on the brink of leaving Liverpool as a free agent.

 

Brad Jones, Kolo Toure, Glen Johnson, Suso and Jon Flanagan are also out of contract as another summer of change at Anfield awaits.

 

Jones and Toure have indicated a desire to stay but there have been no discussions with the club over an extension and their hopes are receding.

 

Johnson, who would have had to accept a significant pay cut, appears destined to move on with a move to Italy a strong possibility. Suso has already agreed a four-year deal with AC Milan when his contract expires.

 

Talented Academy graduate Flanagan was a mainstay of the side in the second half of last season but has missed the current campaign due to a knee injury. He’s expected back in action next month.

 

The full-back is desperate to remain at his boyhood club and Brendan Rodgers has previously stated he wants him to be part of the Reds’ future.

 

However, talks over a new deal have dragged on and are yet to reach a successful conclusion.

 

In fact since Daniel Sturridge penned a new five-year deal back in October it’s been all quiet on the contract front at Anfield.

 

The pressing concern has been securing the services of talented youngster Raheem Sterling and vice-captain Jordan Henderson but neither has put pen to paper yet.

 

Anfield officials believe that will change over the next month as they insist discussions are now progressing well.

 

Henderson’s current deal expires in the summer of 2016 and Sterling is under contract until 2017.

 

Last summer the club were keen to reward Philippe Coutinho for his progress with improved terms but that’s another contract issue that has still be be resolved. The little Brazilian is signed up until 2018.

 

If they want to keep him, sorting out Martin Skrtel’s future is arguably more pressing as he’s down to the last 18 months of his deal. Like Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Rickie Lambert, Oussama Assaidi and Sebastian Coates will also be free agents in the summer of 2016.

 

Typically, it’s when a key player gets down to the final two years of an agreement that a club opens talks over an extension.

 

Lucas Leiva, Joe Allen, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli are under contract until 2017, while the list of those players who still have at least three years to run includes Simon Mignolet, Dejan Lovren, Mamadou Sakho, Alberto Moreno, Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Tiago Ilori and Andre Wisdom.

 

Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto, who are out on loan at Sevilla and Malaga respectively, have deals running until 2018 but are unlikely to return to Anfield.

[stringvest]

The whole contract situation is a pig's ear.  LFC permanently asleep at the wheel.  

[kalasoma]

Do we start the 3-year countdown clock now for Iago Aspas and Dejan Lovren?

[smokinstu]

The whole contract situation is a pig's ear.  LFC permanently asleep at the wheel.  

 

It seems to have cost us some decent signings as well. 

[smokinstu]

Liverpool could face a fight on their hands to retain the services of Jordan Henderson – with former star Bruce Grobbelaar claiming a ‘big European club’ are keen to sign the 24-year-old.

The Reds midfielder, who has 18 months left on his current contract, has reportedly rejected a £80,000-a-week deal to stay at Anfield and is believed to want closer to £100,000.

The England star’s unrest has lead to speculation over his future, with Barcelona said to be interested in signing the 24-year-old on a free transfer in the summer of 2016.

And ex-shot stopper Grobbelaar insists the Sunderland man could be on his way out of the club.

“Jordan Henderson has grown massively as a player,” he told Extra Time. “I have heard through that he’s been tapped by one of the big Europeans clubs.”

Read more at http://talksport.com/football/exclusive-liverpool-could-face-fight-keep-henderson-anfield-claims-former-red-150309139059#57IG3YFcwCibLL5t.99

 

 

 

http://talksport.com/football/exclusive-liverpool-could-face-fight-keep-henderson-anfield-claims-former-red-150309139059#xX1whGzbiRqMlciL.99

[RazorBack]

Liverpool is a big European club? That's like saying Milan are not a big side? Hendo will stay here, silly reports.

[Stickman]

Nothing against Henderson who is great for us and could become a great if we win things ...but Barcelona...really?

[smokinstu]

It worries me the owners are so set on an Arsenal style wages/payment structure. Arsenal have watched the team being held back year after year as their best players left for more money. I dread that happening to us. 

[J-V]

It worries me the owners are so set on an Arsenal style wages/payment structure. Arsenal have watched the team being held back year after year as their best players left for more money. I dread that happening to us. 

 

If our owners were set on Arsenal's wage structure Sterling and Henderson would have already signed their contracts.  Arsenal pay huge wages even to their shit players.

[Gym Beglin]

Wenger is the problem at Arsenal, not the financial model.

 

A team with Ozil and Sanchez in it suggests to me that they don't have an upper limit in terms of wages or fees. 

 

I'm sure Henderson will sign his new contract.  If he doesn't then he can fuck off.  After all, if a World Class talent like Coutinho can find an amount he's comfortable with then the rest of the squad can fall into line as far as I'm concerned.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing a bit of decency from Henderson, he stunk the place out for two years and pocketed a fortune.  How about doing the decent thing and not hold the club, and fans, to ransom over wages.  It's not like he's being offered £10k, or even £50k.

 

I understand the rationale though, the TV money will mean that the PL will eat itself.

[Original202]

 

 

I understand the rationale though, the TV money will mean that the PL will eat itself.

 

I'm not one for all this "when the bubble bursts" stuff but the next TV deal surely can't increase again. Clubs shouldn't be handing out bumper contracts and big transfer fees on the back of it and assuming the TV deals will keep getting bigger. They will stabilise at some point and maybe even the next one will see a reduction.

 

It'll be very interesting to see BTs numbers in the next couple of years. They're pumping masses of money into BTSport but I'm not convinced they can keep it up as very few people seem to even have BT. 

[Red Banjo]

BT are on the verge of buying O2 for £8 billion.

 

I'm not sure they are worrying about money at the minute

[TheHowieLama]

If our owners were set on Arsenal's wage structure Sterling and Henderson would have already signed their contracts.  Arsenal pay huge wages even to their shit players.

 

Wilsheres contract offer is said to be 150k a week.

[Original202]

BT are on the verge of buying O2 for £8 billion.

 

I'm not sure they are worrying about money at the minute

 

No, but it'll still be interesting to see what sort of return they're getting from BTSport and whether they're in this for the long run.

 

Setanta, ESPN etc weren't and they soon faded away. BT look quite serious at the minute but to really make moves in football they need to wrestle more of the rights away from Sky which would take mega money.

[Stu Monty]

Wenger is the problem at Arsenal, not the financial model.

 

A team with Ozil and Sanchez in it suggests to me that they don't have an upper limit in terms of wages or fees. 

 

I'm sure Henderson will sign his new contract.  If he doesn't then he can fuck off.  After all, if a World Class talent like Coutinho can find an amount he's comfortable with then the rest of the squad can fall into line as far as I'm concerned.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing a bit of decency from Henderson, he stunk the place out for two years and pocketed a fortune.  How about doing the decent thing and not hold the club, and fans, to ransom over wages.  It's not like he's being offered £10k, or even £50k.

 

I understand the rationale though, the TV money will mean that the PL will eat itself.

 

It's got nothing to do with decency really, has it? Given that if the club didn't think it was in their interests to keep playing him they wouldn't. They'd try and fuck him off elsewhere. The club has no loyalty to Jordan Henderson, he's just an asset.

 

He's not holding the fans to ransom either; you're going to still be getting bummed by the owners regardless of what they pay him.

[Kevin D]

If it was up to me, we wouldn't even have players. The manager would just appear on LFC TV every Saturday at 5pm and announce we'd won 3-0.

[TheHowieLama]

Forget the result.

 

We should just do pre-game press conferences.

[smokinstu]

If our owners were set on Arsenal's wage structure Sterling and Henderson would have already signed their contracts.  Arsenal pay huge wages even to their shit players.

 

I dont think they are that differant to us, granted Wilshit is on £90k, but then Glen Johnson...

 

Szczney £65k

Mignlos £60k

 

Mertesaker £70k

Sakho £75k

 

Flamini £65k

Hedno £55k

 

Cazorla £90k

Sturridge £80k

 

 

They pay a bit more but off set with living in London and i think it very comparable. 

 

Their top earner is  Sanchez on £140k 

our is Gerrard on £140k 

 

 

http://www.thesportbible.com/articles/liverpool-s-2014-2015-squad-wages-leaked-online

 

http://www.tsmplug.com/football/arsenal-players-salary-list-2014/

 

 

 

Then you get onto the massive list of world class players that have left arsenal to get paid

 

Fabregas

Nasri

Van Persie

Cashley

Hleb

Clichy

 

 

I dont see any reason why the same thing wont happen to our best players, their agents can get more money from city or chelsea so they fuck off and we never kick on. 

[Major Tom]

Are people as annoyed at Henderson as they are at Sterling for negotiating his contract?

[smokinstu]

I more annoyed with the clubs low balling of contract offers, Its cost us several times already signing players like Wililan and Eriksen. Looks like its going to cost us established players like sterling and henderson next. 

 

Ill always be annoyed with any player leaving liverpool for a different team and more money, but I doubt id do anything differently in there shoes.  

[smokinstu]

"Vulnerable Liverpool are mediocre - and they know it"

Tony Barrett
Last updated at 10:53AM, May 19 2015

Not since buying Liverpool in October 2010 has Fenway Sports Group (FSG) endured such a chastening 72 hours. On Saturday, supporters at Anfield reacted with derision to the suggestion that the club are heading in the right direction. Then yesterday there was a vicious double whammy as Michel Platini confirmed that the Financial Fair Play rules which attracted John W. Henry to purchase the club are to be relaxed and Raheem Sterling’s camp made it known that the winger wishes to leave.

Liverpool are vulnerable right now. They are mediocre and everyone knows it. The reality is that those at the top end of the football industry have known it for some time, hence senior scouts from Manchester City and Chelsea becoming Anfield regulars this season in the knowledge that Liverpool’s best players are there for the taking in a way that they haven’t been for half a century.

For all the opprobrium – some of it just, some of it not – that will inevitably be showered on Sterling and his representative, Aidy Ward, following yesterday’s events, the reality is that it is Liverpool’s weakness that allows players and agents to act in the way that they are. One of the club’s first and most important responsibilities is to make it a place that players find difficult to leave and it would be absurd to claim that is the case.

With no Champions League football to offer, only one trophy (the League Cup) won in the past nine seasons, just three title challenges since 1991, a transfer policy that prioritises the future over the present and an inability to compete for top players, Liverpool are failing to keep their end of the bargain in terms of how a big club are supposed to behave. Expectations have been lowered, almost dumbed down, and if the supporters can recognise that so too can the players.

Thus far, the strongest argument that Liverpool have been able to muster in their attempts to convince Sterling to remain at the club is that it is the best place for his development at this stage of his career; not that if he remains at Anfield he can fulfil his ambitions, that success is around the corner or that they will pay him as much as others are willing to. It is an argument rooted in weakness and lacking in conviction.

It could also be argued that it is flawed given that Sterling, a creative player, has spent the past 12 months playing in a team without a forward. It is all well and good playing regular first-team football but doing so in a dysfunctional team that stymies your best qualities is hardly developmental.

The reality is that Liverpool’s problems – their failure to finish in the top four, their struggle to hold on to their best players, the lack of supporters’ faith in the club’s direction and the pressure that is building on the Anfield hierarchy – are symptoms of the same cause: a flawed transfer strategy that it is causing untold damage. Signing potential rather than proven talent is undermining everything that Liverpool are supposed to stand for. It has reached the stage where one of their better young players is not prepared to hang around to see if their inferior young players will improve.

For all the accusations that Sterling is going the wrong way about forcing a move (and many of these are wholly legitimate), Liverpool are at the mercy of the ambition of others because they are either unwilling or unable to match their rivals’ ambition. That situation is only likely to become more severe now that FFP is about to be watered down. As Henry himself conceded recently, without FFP it becomes “very difficult” for Liverpool to compete. The established football food chain, ordered according to owners’ wealth, leaves them exposed. Rival clubs, avaricious agents and even their own supporters know this only too well.

FSG’s model is failing. Whether that is because it is fundamentally flawed or poorly executed is a moot point but what is not in question is that Liverpool’s entire football operation is in need of urgent evaluation. Until the things that are going wrong are put right, then Raheem Sterling won’t be the last to believe the grass is greener elsewhere, he’ll just be one of a number in an ever lengthening line who view Liverpool Football Club as a stepping stone rather than a final destination."

[Trumo]

Tony Barratt has pretty much said exactly what I wrote in the Raheem Sterling thread.

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/index.php?/topic/107786-the-official-raheem-sterling-thread-part-412/?p=4167553

 

As much of a twat as his agent no doubt is, this whole issue has its roots in the lack of footballing know-how coursing through the club management from top to bottom. As much as we try to hide it, we reek of inexperience when it comes to dealing with footballing matters and it shows in the lack of pulling power we have for the calibre of players that we need, out inability to keep our better players and our seeming reluctance to resolve the issue. It all presents a picture that the grass is greener elsewhere if any player wants to realise his footballing ambitions, and even the unscrupulous agents (are there really any scrupulous ones out there?) can smell it a mile off. 

 

[smokinstu]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/martin-skrtel-liverpool-fcs-contract-9387462

 

 

Martin Skrtel has reportedly told Slovakian press that Liverpool FC’s contract offer is “unacceptable”.

The 30-year-old defender, who has just one year left on his current deal, has been in negotiations with the club over fresh terms. However he has slammed Liverpool’s offer as one for “older players or players with health problems.”

He is said to have told Slovakian media outlets: “It’s unacceptable for me.

“I think that contracts like this offered to players who are much older than me or the player who had some health problems.

“The contract which has been offered to me is unacceptable, so I did not sign it. I have one year left and there has been some speculation about the interest from other clubs. We will see what happens.”

Skrtel’s is the latest contract offer to drag on for Liverpool with Jordan Henderson, who has since signed a new deal, and Raheem Sterling both rejecting contract offers.

 

The centre-back has been linked with moves to the likes of Wolfsburg and Inter Milan - but only last month he dismissed speculation about his future.

“There is always talk about my position and my future,” said the defender.

“Almost every single transfer window there is always talk about myself leaving Liverpool and interest from other clubs.

“But as it stands, I still have a contract with Liverpool, I have an offer from Liverpool and we’ll see where we finish (with those talks).

“I am fully committed to Liverpool.”

 

[Paco]

Whats kolo toure on?