Summer 2011

[Kevin D]

I never thought I'd see the day when the number of pages listed in a thread were actually the number of pages in the thread.

 

Edit: Problem solved. Was getting really worried there.

[Kopite Pete]

 

Got excited then until I realised it was a Buxton 'article'

 

The word thief.

[Red Nick]

I will stick to my Guess in that were waiting on Ashley Young before competing any transfer targets.

[Anubis]

Agreed. Downing is ok but I would prefer Jeffers as his pace alone would cause problems.

 

Fox in the box.

[Brownie]

It's standard practice to line up several targets and then prioritise based on budgets, how other deals go etc.

 

The summer that we signed Riera, we were telling Downing that we'd bid for him etc and then we got Riera instead - Downing was gutted. It's different this time though I think ;-)

[Seemann]

It's standard practice to line up several targets and then prioritise based on budgets, how other deals go etc.

 

The summer that we signed Riera, we were telling Downing that we'd bid for him etc and then we got Riera instead - Downing was gutted. It's different this time though I think ;-)

 

Not much talk of Mata these days - it seems to be more Downing now, but I think a lot of people are put of by the rumoured fee?

[Skully]

Intersting if on the money

 

Tony Barrett, George Caulkin 1 minute ago

Liverpool are set to renew their longstanding interest in Charlie Adam, the Blackpool midfield player, after they moved closer to an agreement with Sunderland over Jordan Henderson’s proposed move to Anfield.

 

The determination of Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), to restore the club to English football’s elite will be made apparent with the sanctioning of a series of transfers, starting with proposed deals for both Henderson — whose signing would see David Ngog, the forward, move to Sunderland in part-exchange — and Adam.

 

It had been mooted that Liverpool’s attempts to snare Henderson would result in them dropping their interest in Adam as both players operate in central midfield, a position in which they already have a number of options. But the 25-year-old remains a key target for Kenny Dalglish, with the Liverpool manager keen to bolster his alternatives in midfield for the coming season.

 

Dalglish attempted to sign Adam during the January transfer window only to see an offer in the region of £7 million initially rejected and subsequently dismissed as “unrealistic” and “unacceptable” by Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager.

 

But Blackpool’s bargaining position has been damaged by their relegation from the Barclays Premier League to the npower Championship and also by Adam entering the final year of his contract. Having had a transfer request rejected amid Liverpool’s interest in January, the Scotland international is unlikely to be passive when the Merseyside club return with another offer.

 

Holloway continues to maintain that he would rather lose his captain for nothing at the end of next season than allow him to leave for a knockdown price this summer, but Liverpool will look for a negotiated settlement that will suit all parties rather than allow the saga to rumble on.

 

In what promises to be a summer of high activity at Anfield, Liverpool are also ready to step up their interest in Stewart Downing, the Aston Villa wide midfield player, and Connor Wickham, the Ipswich Town forward.

 

Downing’s recent admission that his career is “at a crossroads” has raised the possibility of the England international leaving Villa Park this summer and Liverpool are ready to offer the 26-year-old an opportunity to fulfil his ambitions with them should he signal an intent to move.

 

Wickham is seen as a player of potential who already has the talent to compete for a place in Dalglish’s squad, despite being just 18 years old. Jeffrén Suárez, the Barcelona forward, has also come into the spotlight after giving an interview to Spanish radio in which he claimed to be aware of interest from Liverpool.

 

But tying up a deal to sign Henderson remains their immediate priority, with discussions with Sunderland now at an advanced stage and focusing on their respective valuations of Ngog, the France Under-21 striker.

 

Sunderland value Henderson, who has informed his boyhood club of his desire to move, at a minimum of £20 million, but were willing to accept £13 million plus Ngog, the 22-year-old.

 

Liverpool had been prepared to offer £11 million in cash plus the player and were seeking add-ons to cover appearances, an arrangement that Sunderland indicated they would not accept.

 

Ngog’s arrival would be welcome given the lack of fit strikers at the disposal of Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, who retains an interest in Peter Crouch, of Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Sunderland believe they are close to signing Keiren Westwood, the Coventry City goalkeeper, who becomes a free agent this summer, and are also eager to add Sebastian Larsson, who is out of contract at Birmingham City, to their squad.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Barrett has me frowning.

[Liverpool lad]

I don't want Charlie Adam anywhere near a red shirt, he will be a fucking disaster

[Brownie]

Tony finally realising that it's Downing and not Young, we're after.

[Lee909]

Sunderland value Henderson, who has informed his boyhood club of his desire to move, at a minimum of £20 million, but were willing to accept £13 million plus Ngog, the 22-year-old.

13ml and Ngog sounds a great deal to me

[ngogswilly]

I don't want Charlie Adam anywhere near a red shirt, he will be a fucking disaster

 

haha I dont know why but that made me laugh.

[Beantown Red]

Guardian running an Adam/Liverpool story also

[Brownie]

 

Not much talk of Mata these days - it seems to be more Downing now, but I think a lot of people are put of by the rumoured fee?

 

Put yourself in Aston Villa's shoes for a sec (don't worry you can take them straight off!). They bought him a couple of years ago for £12M, he's improved a lot, is more of a factor in the national team squad than ever before, still has 2 years left and they don't need to sell - what would you be asking for?

 

I'm surprised that people are so shocked it could potentially cost between £15M and £20M.

[usernameunknown]

Tony finally realising that it's Downing and not Young, we're after.

 

He's been saying we want Downing for weeks.

[BenR_]

It was only a matter of time before yet another overpriced, overrated British player would join, or rather re-join, our depressing summer shortlist. Adam is right on cue.

 

Oh how I pray it is all speculation and smokescreens.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Smoke and mirrors and all that.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It was only a matter of time before yet another overpriced, overrated British player would join, or rather re-join, our depressing summer shortlist. Adam is right on cue.

 

Oh how I pray it is all speculation and smokescreens.

 

It's worth the moan, in my opinion. I'm not confident we're going to have a good summer. I can see loads of money going out for players that are likely to be worth significantly less in terms of quality. Hope it works out.

[Brownie]

 

He's been saying we want Downing for weeks.

 

Fair enough, someone told me that he was saying that we wanted Young so I took it as face value. Unless he said both?

[Mathewbet1]

11m + Ngog =

 

<a href="http://www.gifbin.com/981992"><img src="http://www.gifbin.com/bin/1232550815_bush doing the happy dance.gif" alt="funny gifs" /></a>

[Seemann]

Sunderland value Henderson, who has informed his boyhood club of his desire to move, at a minimum of £20 million, but were willing to accept £13 million plus Ngog, the 22-year-old.

13ml and Ngog sounds a great deal to me

 

Almost an epic swindle.

[usernameunknown]

Fair enough, someone told me that he was saying that we wanted Young so I took it as face value. Unless he said both?

 

Yeah he said about 4 weeks ago we were in pole position for Young but wanted Downing aswell.

[Red Nick]

if we sign Adam and Henderson its clear we will be playing 4-3-3 next season which mean the winger will be a player more like Ashley Young or Hazzard rather than an out and out winger like downing IMO.

 

Be really interesting to see what happens with Lucas if we buy both players

[Skully]

£8m for somone who'd be boss at home & we may actually score from a corner / freekick...doesn't sound too bad to me. Likewise £13m +Ngog for Henderson sounds a lot better than £20m

[Brownie]

 

Yeah he said about 4 weeks ago we were in pole position for Young but wanted Downing aswell.

 

Ah right that's it then. It's always only been Downing though so maybe he's now come around to that way of thinking. ;-)