All new transfer speculation 09

[Captain]

Babel will not make it in England. And you can take that to the bank.

[Fugitive]

Skysports.com understands Birmingham have made a move to sign Ryan Babel from Liverpool.

 

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has targeted a move for Babel as he looks to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

 

Blues owner Carson Yeung is ready to make money available to McLeish to make some big-name signings this month and McLeish has earmarked some of the funds to bring Babel to St Andrews.

 

Birmingham are understood to have firmed up their interest in the Dutchman with a bid for Babel and they are now waiting to see if Liverpool will accept their offer.

 

Liverpool are thought to be willing to cash-in on Babel as he has failed to hold down a regular place in Rafa Benitez's side since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2007.

 

Benitez is prepared to listen to offers for the 23-year-old as he looks to raise funds for his own transfer plans in January.

 

Birmingham are hoping the chance of regular first-team football will convince Babel to make the switch to St Andrews as he looks to secure his place in the Holland squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

 

Sky Sports | Football News | Championship | Birmingham City | Blues move for Babel

[RazorBack]

Gago/Moutinho, Vdv, Maxi Rodriguez and a decent Right Back in January, please and we will make it. Top 4 I mean!

[Guest LFD]

Gago?

 

I hope not.

[Funkasy]

Gago is the biggest crap i have ever seen on a football pitch, if its the one from Real Madrid you mean.

[AmerScouse]

sell babel for the 8 million but insert a sell on clause. he's bound to leave birmingham after the world cup or soon thereafter and is young enough that the "potential" tag will ensure another sale or two.

[Lucky Pierre]

Kuyt>Petrov.

[Troubadour]

Cracking player, Petrov. Quite old now, though, and he'd want massive wages if he's on a free.

 

Funnily enough, there's an article in As today saying there are 87 players in La Liga whose contracts are up in the summer. Sergio Canales and Raul Tamudo for two, both of whom we could do worse than. There's a fair few here, too - Petrov, Adam Johnson, that sort of thing. Assuming Rafa or whoever takes over if he goes gets a decent crack at wages, the vast nuclear abortion that is our financial outlook may not stop us adding a bit more quality in depth this summer.

[Chinandeler Bong]

Skysports.com understands Birmingham have made a move to sign Ryan Babel from Liverpool.

 

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has targeted a move for Babel as he looks to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

 

Blues owner Carson Yeung is ready to make money available to McLeish to make some big-name signings this month and McLeish has earmarked some of the funds to bring Babel to St Andrews.

 

Birmingham are understood to have firmed up their interest in the Dutchman with a bid for Babel and they are now waiting to see if Liverpool will accept their offer.

 

Liverpool are thought to be willing to cash-in on Babel as he has failed to hold down a regular place in Rafa Benitez's side since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2007.

 

Benitez is prepared to listen to offers for the 23-year-old as he looks to raise funds for his own transfer plans in January.

 

Birmingham are hoping the chance of regular first-team football will convince Babel to make the switch to St Andrews as he looks to secure his place in the Holland squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

 

Sky Sports | Football News | Championship | Birmingham City | Blues move for Babel

 

HaHa. I love the Championship bit. Dickheads at Sky.

[NandoTheKid9]

Gago is buffalo shit

[Iantn]

I'd try and buy Petrov if we get good money for Babel. Petrov £2.5m with 6 months left?

 

Not sure we'd get him for that given the number of games he's played at City.

 

Also I reckon City would rather lose the money than risk him helping in this '4th place race'.

 

Would be a good option for us though.

[mht1892]

Kuyt>Petrov.

 

Cant be compared, kuyt couldnt lace petrov fucking boots mate, far better player.

 

I havent seen a worst first touch by a red since Heskey, his control is appaling.

[TheHowieLama]

Petrov is a fine player but not sure he has the "Rafa mentality". I could see that being a trainwreck.

[StevieH]

£8M for Babel would represent a loss, but would probably be the most that we could hope to get for him. I presume that at least half of that fee would go towards offering Pepe Reina a new and improved contract.

[Troubadour]

Petrov would do us for 2 years though, its more about now for me. Raul Tamudo has been around for years it seem's,how old? its bad enough having Balague around at the min, he wont leave us if his hero arrives.

 

You'd get a good couple of years out of him, definitely, but - if we're really honest - he probably isn't much of an upgrade on Riera. Quicker, but just as inconsistent.

 

Tamudo's 31 or 32. Wikipedia has the answer. He's not great, and he wouldn't leave Spain, but if he did, he'd do us as back-up.

 

Canales is a good player, though. Centre mid or centre back. That one would not surprise me at all, though Real are in for him.

[StevieH]

Funds-free January on the cards for Rafael Benitez | Liverpool - Times Online

 

Rafael Benítez is unlikely to be given any of the proceeds from player sales during the January transfer window to reinvest in new signings this month once the arrival of Maxi Rodríguez is confirmed.

 

The Atlético Madrid and Argentina winger is expected to cost £1.5 million and join on an 18-month deal. Benítez is also looking for a loan recruit in defence after Glen Johnson, the right back, was ruled out for at least a month with a knee injury.

 

Four fringe members of the Liverpool squad could leave the club in the coming weeks: Andrea Dossena, Philipp Degen and Andriy Voronin have been earmarked for the exit door and Ryan Babel is the subject of serious interest from Birmingham City. The money recouped from their potential sales could total in excess of £15 million.

 

Napoli have agreed a £4.4 million fee for Dossena, the defender, who is set to complete the move back to his native Italy once personal terms have been agreed; Voronin, the forward, is on the brink of signing for Dynamo Moscow in a deal worth about £2 million; and Degen is the subject of interest from several clubs in Germany, with Stuttgart leading the race for the defender’s services.

 

Birmingham have offered £9 million for Babel but that bid is likely to be rebuffed because the Holland forward is keen to hold out for a move to the Continent. Galatasaray, who are coached by Frank Rijkaard, Babel’s countryman, are one of a number of clubs ready to enter the race for his services.

 

Although the Liverpool manager is working without a transfer war chest, club insiders insist that that policy has not been forced on him by Liverpool’s estimated £250 million debts and resultant interest payments, believed to be in the region of £30 million a year.

 

However, critics of George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, the co-owners, may dispute that assessment. And should Liverpool not make any significant investment in their playing squad it will serve only to reinforce Benítez’s recent assertion that the club’s priority has shifted from trophy gathering to debt reduction.

 

In August, Benítez broke even on incomings and outgoings in August and in the previous transfer window, last January, the sale of Robbie Keane to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £15 million was the only significant activity involving Liverpool.

Should Liverpool go a third transfer window without making any significant investment in their squad it will serve only to reinforce Benítez’s recent assertion that the club’s priority has shifted from trophy gathering to debt reduction.

 

Speaking last month, the Spaniard conceded that Liverpool’s hopes of challenging for the title this season were undermined by the need for the club to reduce their outstanding debts. Well off the pace set by Chelsea, the Premier League leaders, Liverpool’s main aim for the campaign is to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but even that aspiration is far from being a foregone conclusion because they languish in seventh place behind Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa, their fellow contenders to finish in the top four.

 

Any hopes that the purse strings would be loosened in an attempt to fund a drive to guarantee their top-four status have been dashed and Benítez will be faced with the prospect of improving the fortunes of a squad that has struggled desperately at times this season without recourse to even a limited spending spree.

[Chinandeler Bong]

Funds-free January on the cards for Rafael Benitez | Liverpool - Times Online

 

Rafael Benítez is unlikely to be given any of the proceeds from player sales during the January transfer window to reinvest in new signings this month once the arrival of Maxi Rodríguez is confirmed.

 

The Atlético Madrid and Argentina winger is expected to cost £1.5 million and join on an 18-month deal. Benítez is also looking for a loan recruit in defence after Glen Johnson, the right back, was ruled out for at least a month with a knee injury.

 

Four fringe members of the Liverpool squad could leave the club in the coming weeks: Andrea Dossena, Philipp Degen and Andriy Voronin have been earmarked for the exit door and Ryan Babel is the subject of serious interest from Birmingham City. The money recouped from their potential sales could total in excess of £15 million.

 

Napoli have agreed a £4.4 million fee for Dossena, the defender, who is set to complete the move back to his native Italy once personal terms have been agreed; Voronin, the forward, is on the brink of signing for Dynamo Moscow in a deal worth about £2 million; and Degen is the subject of interest from several clubs in Germany, with Stuttgart leading the race for the defender’s services.

 

Birmingham have offered £9 million for Babel but that bid is likely to be rebuffed because the Holland forward is keen to hold out for a move to the Continent. Galatasaray, who are coached by Frank Rijkaard, Babel’s countryman, are one of a number of clubs ready to enter the race for his services.

 

Although the Liverpool manager is working without a transfer war chest, club insiders insist that that policy has not been forced on him by Liverpool’s estimated £250 million debts and resultant interest payments, believed to be in the region of £30 million a year.

 

However, critics of George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, the co-owners, may dispute that assessment. And should Liverpool not make any significant investment in their playing squad it will serve only to reinforce Benítez’s recent assertion that the club’s priority has shifted from trophy gathering to debt reduction.

 

In August, Benítez broke even on incomings and outgoings in August and in the previous transfer window, last January, the sale of Robbie Keane to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £15 million was the only significant activity involving Liverpool.

Should Liverpool go a third transfer window without making any significant investment in their squad it will serve only to reinforce Benítez’s recent assertion that the club’s priority has shifted from trophy gathering to debt reduction.

 

Speaking last month, the Spaniard conceded that Liverpool’s hopes of challenging for the title this season were undermined by the need for the club to reduce their outstanding debts. Well off the pace set by Chelsea, the Premier League leaders, Liverpool’s main aim for the campaign is to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but even that aspiration is far from being a foregone conclusion because they languish in seventh place behind Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa, their fellow contenders to finish in the top four.

 

Any hopes that the purse strings would be loosened in an attempt to fund a drive to guarantee their top-four status have been dashed and Benítez will be faced with the prospect of improving the fortunes of a squad that has struggled desperately at times this season without recourse to even a limited spending spree.

 

There are no words.

[hamstrung]

That article makes me sad.

 

And a bit cross.

[StevieH]

I will surprised if Rafa sells Babel if he isn't given the money to re-invest.

[hamstrung]

I will surprised if Rafa sells Babel if he isn't given the money to re-invest.

 

I won't.

[redfromtubebar]

Rafa should not sell Babel if that's the case.

[StevieH]

Rafa should not sell Babel if that's the case.

 

Agreed. I can't see Rafa letting Babel go unless he has been instructed to sell players to reduce the debts.

[pr1tpal]

I think he's selling players because he needs the cash to offer Pepe and Masch new contracts.

[Unrighteous]

He should just try to clear the wage bill of Babel and try to get a youth player to play there... at least the fucking kid would try.

[Chinandeler Bong]

Liverpool hold talks with Marouane Chamakh as Atletico Madrid's Maxi Rodriguez edges closer to Anfield deal | Mail Online

 

True about the pre contract one.

 

I was just gonna post that , Infact I will as posters will want to read the article.

So we want Chamakh , for now or the summer ?

 

Liverpool hold talks with Marouane Chamakh as Atletico Madrid's Maxi Rodriguez edges closer to Anfield deal

 

The Greek side have offered around £5million and wages of £40,000 a week tax free for Israeli Benayoun but Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez will not sell. He may be swayed on Riera, who has failed to capitalise on a good first season at Anfield.

 

Andrea Dossena is on the verge of completing his £4.5m transfer to Napoli but his agent says the four-and-a-half-year deal has been held up by the weather.

 

‘He can’t leave Liverpool because of the snow,’ said Roberto La Floria.

 

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh’s representatives held talks with Liverpool yesterday over signing a pre-contract agreement.

 

Atletico Madrid’s Maxi Rodriguez is expected to agree terms with Liverpool over the next 24 hours.

 

 

Read more: Liverpool hold talks with Marouane Chamakh as Atletico Madrid's Maxi Rodriguez edges closer to Anfield deal | Mail Online