Transfers - Gossip Shop: Liverpool to spend

Eurosport - Fri, 20 Mar 16:51:00 2009

Rafa Benitez will have at least £32 million in the summer to build a Premier League-winning squad.

FOOTBALL Barry Aston Villa - 0

Having convinced Liverpool's American owners that he needs more moolah to bring the Premier League title to Anfield, he has been given £20m plus the £12m from Robbie Keane's sale back to Tottenham - AND the proceeds of any future sales. Ker-ching indeed.

So who is he going to buy? Well, he is going to have another crack at Aaron Lennon, Gareth Barry and Stewart Downing , then turn his misguided attention to Hull's Michael Turner.

Plus it wouldn't be Rafa Benitez without a Spaniard or two - Atletico Madrid's Antonio Lopez is reportedly on the radar as he looks to replace the useless-at-everything-but-comedy-lobs Andrea Dossena.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are feeling flush after announcing a £40m annual profit yesterday, and will fight Liverpool to the death for Downing, who is actually better than people give him credit for.

The Italian press are in mischievous mood, what with their lack of representation at the business end of the European competition (well, they have Udinese, but that's it).

Instead they devote their column inches to scurrilous rumours suggesting Carlo Ancelotti will leave Milan if he is not allowed to sign Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Chelsea's Alex.

Gossip Shop gets the feeling that if he does manage to sign the pair he could be leaving Milan shortly afterwards anyway.

Also in Italy, Juventus' interest in Franck Ribery and Luca Toni has forced Bayern Munich to hang a 'not for sale' sign around both men's necks, while Juve Nicola Legrottaglie has suggested that the Old Lady tries to sign Kaka instead.

Nemanja Vidic's best Titus Bramble impression against Liverpool took more than a little gloss of his previously flawless season.

Now he is facing claims that he will be shipped out of Old Trafford at the end of the season. Not so, says his agent.

"He plays for Manchester United and is not on the market. He is an unquestionable starter for the Red Devils," said Silvano Martina.

"There's no way an Italian club could sign him. They don't have the means, and he is happy at Manchester."

Following Aston Villa's rather embarrassing limp out of the UEFA Cup, Martin O'Neill is intent on bulking up his squad in the summer.

Not only will he extend the contract of slow-burning success story Stiliyan Petrov, he will splash £13m on Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour.

And O'Neill has even rebuffed a Derby bid for the way-down-the-pecking-order Marlon Harewood. The perfect preparation for a season of possible Champions League football.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 45 - 64 of 64

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  1. you were right about the side.Liverpool need to buy now­ Daivd Silva while he is on the transfer market because­ they are weak on the left side, or they can play Ryan­ Babel on the left and buy Aaron Lennon from­ Tottenham.He is realy fast and agile player.

    From branebrane23, on Sun 22 Mar 10:57AM

  2. sory...
    i mean kim kallstrom and yoan gourcuff...
    not­ yoan gouffran...
    im just confused...

    From izo86, on Sat 21 Mar 9:46PM

  3. liverpool need to improve side attacking...
    i think­ rafa should look on kim kallstrom or yoan gouffran...
    i­ hope liverpool can be more fast next season...

    From izo86, on Sat 21 Mar 9:41PM

  4. we have all the number one players and all young best­ squed ever come on liverpool

    From Kimm, on Sat 21 Mar 7:19PM

  5. i think Rafa Benitez should buy Sergio Ramos(real­ madrid), Per Mertesacker(werder bremen), Bastian­ Schweinsteiger(bayern munich), David­ Silva(valencia)&Sergio Agüero(atletico madrid) or­ Lionel Messi(barcelona).

    GK;Pepe Reina.
    DF;Sergio­ Ramos,Jamie Carragher,Martin Škrteľ,Fábio­ Aurélio.
    MF;Bastian Schweinsteiger, Steven Gerrard,­ Xabi Alonso or Javier Mascherano, David­ Silva
    FW; Sergio Agüero or Lionel Messi&Fernando­ Torres

    From obiwan_242, on Sat 21 Mar 6:55PM

  6. liverpool need a right winger i rekon arron lennon­ would be our best bet.. he has just signed a new­ contract but you never know
    and even more than that...a­ good striker i sugest we get aguero hes only 20 and­ villa is getting on a bit now, yes hes a good player­ but for how much longer and he keeps saying he wont­ leave spain so why bother.
    i no there may be other­ positions we may need but there our mains i rekon.
    i­ just hope we dont waste another 20M on barry.... hes­ not even close to gerrard or alonso so were will he­ play ??

    From shaunbeeeeeee, on Sat 21 Mar 5:04PM

  7. Just had a right chuckle at these comments, someone­ suggested podolski for liverpool. He's already­ signed for koln, and xavi or iniesta, they love barca­ like gerrard does liverpool, and been as liverpool­ would be a step down they wont be leaving, who else? oh­ yeah, Villa, you don't have 40m for one player!

    From d.papas, on Sat 21 Mar 7:46AM

  8. liverpool shld try to get aaron lennon n david villa

    From capn_charisma16, on Sat 21 Mar 3:46AM

  9. AGUERO please!!!

    From art_a, on Sat 21 Mar 2:57AM

  10. Rafa is already giving up on winning this season? He is­ a wise man. He knows he can win. He should better be­ trying to come second, but I know the blues will not­ allow, let him stay in third and go for play off again

    From chidinma, on Sat 21 Mar 1:38AM

  11. vidic is top drawer but i tell you torres scares­ evryone to death

    From darran64, on Sat 21 Mar 12:53AM

  12. Any 8 million bids for Steven Pieanaar

    From Daniel, on Sat 21 Mar 12:12AM

  13. Liverpool should buy a new left back, right back, right­ wing and striker

    From Naren7, on Fri 20 Mar 11:55PM

  14. wat about quagliarella or di natale?

    From SportsGyrl, on Fri 20 Mar 8:20PM

  15. and liverpool shud realli get a more experienced n more­ technical midfielder than lucas. Somebody like Xavi or­ Iniesta would be very very good. Other than that, a­ good left back and a striker would do.. Cuz we have­ Degen at right back who hardly played a game at­ liverpool since his transfer.. My suggested transfers­ would be
    ( Xavi, Glen Johnson/Raul Albiol,­ Villa/Farfan/Aguero)

    From SportsGyrl, on Fri 20 Mar 8:13PM

  16. united selling vidic?? dis is @#$%~

    From SportsGyrl, on Fri 20 Mar 8:04PM

  17. How much does Rafa need to spend to win the Prem? It­ seems like he spends 30 million every summer. ­ Ridiculous...

    From Spacegh()st, on Fri 20 Mar 7:03PM

  18. Hey Scott S. Villa said he was 'STAYING IN­ SPAIN' to put off Manchester City who are stupid­ because all the big players they wan't are those­ devoted to there club! I

    From Jerome O, on Fri 20 Mar 6:13PM

  19. Please explain to me why we bought Robbie Keane for 20­ million and sold him for 12 million, is this the real­ reason that Parry is going to leave the club, surely­ this had more than a little to do with Rafa, hopefully­ he's taken a pay cut ??!?!!?

    From Ash, on Fri 20 Mar 5:04PM

  20. who wrote this claptrap? biggest pile of rubbish ive­ ever read in here, really bad article

    From paul, on Fri 20 Mar 5:04PM
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