Not a day goes by it seems without a different player seemingly being linked to joining the club or departing it. Here is an at the glance overview of some of the additional names that have been mentioned in various quarters of the media over the last few days at varying levels of credibility, as being likely arrivals, take that with a pinch of salt as you wish.
These are in addition to the previously covered likes of Joe Cole and Rafael Van Der Vaart to name but a few, whose stories continue only to grow in intensity and make a daily appearance in the sports press around the world.
Bryan Ruiz (FC Twente)
The 24 year old Costa Rican FC Twente hitman continues to grab column space in the media after being linked with a £13m transfer to the club. Ruiz, currently being mentored by Steve McClaren in the Dutch Eredivisie has to date hit 24 goals in 34 appearances for the club since his arrival from Gent in 2009, including a 4minute hat-trick. The player has also returned 9 goals from 33 caps at International level to date.
Steven Taylor (Newcastle Utd)
The former England U21 captain and centre half has apparently become disillusioned with the lack of ambition being shown by the Newcastle management to improving the squad that arrived back in the Premier League after winning last season’s Championship. It is not the first time that the young defender has been linked with the club, back in 2007 he was cited in many areas as the replacement Liverpool had in mind for Sami Hyypia. A player that made good progress through the England ranks from U16 level but one that has also been credited with lacking a yard of pace.
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
Speculation continues to rise that Roy Hodgson will use the money gained from Chelsea from the sale of Yossi Benayoun to bring the £6m rated Honduran to Anfield as his first choice left back. Emiliano Insua is presently the only recognised established left back at the club afer Fabio Aurelio rejected a new contract at the end of the season and left the club but his own future remains in doubt as Fiorentina are believed to continue to circle for the signature of the £3.7m rated young Argentinian.
Julio Baptista (Roma)
The former Arsenal man, known as “The Beast” and also for once scoring four goals against the club is reportedly an interest of Roy Hodgson. The Brazil international has been frozen out at Roma after his move from Real Madrid two years ago. The player has notched 13 goals in 42 outings for the Italians and is also believed to be a primary target of Olympiacos.
It is not just additions that are making the headlines at the moment, departures from the club even more so. Here are some of the interest that is said to being shown in some of the existing stars of the Kop.
Fernando Torres (Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard (Real Madrid, Inter Milan)
Dirk Kuyt (Inter Milan)
Javier Mascherano (Inter Milan, Barcelona)
Glen Johnson (Inter Milan)
Ryan Babel (Birmingham City, Arsenal)
Emiliano Insua (Fiorentina)
Albert Riera (Juventus, Real Mallorca)
Daniel Ayala (Valladolid)
Diego Cavalieri (Benfica)
Alberto Aquilani (Juventus)
With new names appearing pretty much every day at present this summer of change at Anfield is set to seem a lot longer than the just over 7 weeks that remain in the existing transfer window for many a Reds fan.
Why Lucas is not sold?
no one wants Lucas! Bryan Ruiz wouldn’t be a bad addition…
Your right that this (like everything associated with the Reds at present) will drag on.However, whatever Torres will decide to do is CRITICAL because if you really listen to what he is saying it is that he stays only if the Board have a credible buyer offer in about 2 weeks time – otherwise he is off and this will be the trigger for Stevie G to leave as well. Mash will leave anyway BUT lets not get too disheartened whatever happens – ROY IS THE BOY and we will be o k in the short term and great in the long.
I think that all our main players should give Liverpool one more season to see how it works out. Broughton himself has said he expects the club to be sold. We will get the investment we need to bring in the players we need. We have a great spine to the team but have too much dead wood. It will be interesting to see how much the new manager can get out of the likes of Ryan babel and Lucas whom have both showed an amount of quality during there time at anfield. I do believe yossi leaving is a major blow but I wish him luck
sell in
marcherano 30 van der vaart 12
aquilani 20 suarez 20
insua 4 ruiz 12
degen 2 joe cole 12
nabil 1.5 amoo ( reserve team )
ngog 3 jovanovic ( free )
benayoun 6
total 66.5 mil 56 mil
more quality???
Ravi says:
Why Lucas is not sold?
Reports from Italy that Rafa is going to come in with a £30m bid for his lovechild!
I still believe the bones of the side are good, just the tactics that were shite. Defensive purile negative football with our history of a glorious passing game consigned to the trophy room – this must change under Hodgson.
We need a quality right back so we can push Johnson up onto right wing.
Lucas must be sold he is shite, how come Rafa doesnt want him now – he played him every game thought he would have been carrying Rafas bag. On left side we need a new left back but I think we still Insua as back up even though I dont rate him that highly we must have cover.
In middlefield surely Van der Vaart can be acquired fairly cheaply. Dare I say it we need a passionate engine room like the Toffees, Arteta and Cahill give their club 110% all the time. Gerard needs to find his spark for the club that loves him – we need him back and only he can do that for himself !!
My big question is why when we sold Alonso didnt we acquire Robben, he moved for less than we have contracted to pay for Aquilani.
I think Babel needs to be given a string of games to prove whether hes got it or not.
My biggest disappointment was losing Benayoun – this was criminal and it sucks beyond belief.
Up front Ngog must be got rid of and quick as well as El Zhar.
How can these players be out there in a red shirt its beyond embarrassing.
As far as a second striker I would like to see us chase Darren Bent big time.His scoring record last season for an average team was outstanding. We need someone who can be premier league resilient.
So therefore sell
Lucas 8m
Ngog 4m
El Zhar 2m
Riera 6m
That 20m plus a supposed budget of 20m thats 40m for
Bent 15m
Van der Vaart 8m
Figueroa 6m
Right back 8m
With a tight budget thats about as good as it gets. What we must get are Liverpool players – people who want to be part of this wonderful unique family. I guess its hard to attract this type of loyalty when you look at who owns us, but come what May we must all still be there because this club will Never Walk Alone.
Oh yes, why are you not selling Lucas !!!!!!????….
He’s such a crap player !!…please oh please buy quality midfielders !!…Gerard is good, but lack creativity. Also need fast wingers.
What the heck, pool all the money and try and buy Iniesta and Xavi !!!!
Get Endo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You people are all insane.
If Lucas keeps progressing at the rate he is now he will be worth more than 15mill in a few years. He had one of the highest tackle and passing rates in the league. Not bad for a 23 year old backup and Brazil international, would probably be a decent in-house replacement for Masch if he leaves.
Also WE HAVE NO MONEY, NO EUROPE, A SMALL TIME MANAGER AND EVIL OWNERS. We’d be lucky to hang on to stay at the level we’re at. Very lucky.
We need a leftback and a sub goalie. And 8 homegrown squad players. And in the name of all that’s holy to hang on to the staff/setup and youth that Rafa left behind.
just pray tit and tat leave
“Also WE HAVE NO MONEY, NO EUROPE, A SMALL TIME MANAGER AND EVIL OWNERS. We’d be lucky to hang on to stay at the level we’re at. Very lucky.”
So f****** true
If Masch, Gerard and Torres go we are going to fight HARD to be in the top 10. If they go and Johnson and Reina leave us as well then god bless us all.
lucas only have a small money… so i think he a good passer but not good for attacking… i want lucas stay behind gerrard.. and he must go to deffending reina..and the other liverpool deffender.. he can run.. he can do some dirty tackle.. its very important.. he can tackle drogba..rooney..van persie ( the manager must give special case for him to tackle every player want go true in the box )- a tackle must do over 10 meters from the panalties box… who can do.. only march.. skertel.. and him… he knows how to play a liverpoolian style..
he must play like Van Bommel .. strong,run and make dirty tackle at center of field.. so the diffender can get ready for a counter strike.. if he get a yellow card.. it must skertel come to replace.. simon kjaer its good too.. so agger must bring him to anfield..
wee need no 7 jersey – elia ( left winger )
wee need no 10 jersey – podolski (role model off hamman / alonso)
wee need no 11 jersey – david amoo (promotion from reserve team)
wee need no 6 jersey – simon kjaer (sweet pass/solid deffender )
The difficulty with all these rumours is we just don’t know.
What we DO know is that Roy himself said 2 things: 1) He will give all players (including from the academy) a fair chance to impress; 2) He wants to buy British
That tells me 2 things, first, that players like Pacheco, Kelly, Darby, Spearing and others, will have their chance; second, Roy will look at players in their preferred positions, such as Babel as striker – we have never seen him in a sustained run as striker! And Third, foreign acquisitions, despite rumours, are low priority