Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez may be able to move forward more confidently in his quest for summer signings after two significant developments.
The first piece of good news came when midfielder Javier Mascherano, whom Benitez put a £50million price tag on to ward off interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid, spoke in glowing terms about the Spaniard.
And it appears the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are on the verge of successfully renegotiating the £350million loan they took out to buy the club two years ago.
With the formalities of the £17million signing of Portsmouth's England right-back Glen Johnson expected to be completed in the next couple of days it appears plans are back on track at Anfield.
The futures of midfielder Xabi Alonso and defender Alvaro Arbeloa - both attracting interest from Real - seem less clear.
Benitez has insisted he does not want to sell Mascherano or Alonso but if Real are reported to be ready to offer £30million for the 27-year-old Spaniard then the Reds boss may be tempted to cash in.
There have been noises from Mascherano's camp complaining about the fact the Argentina captain is not among the highest earners at Anfield but the player himself has spoken of his admiration for Benitez.
"(He is) excellent. He`s a perfectionist, working down to the smallest detail that you can imagine," said Mascherano, who has three years remaining on his Liverpool contract.
"Fortunately he has renewed his contract, meaning his ties to the club continue and this will give more calm to everybody."
On the reported interest from the European champions Mascherano told Spanish magazine Don Balon: "It`s really flattering. For me it means great recognition because we are talking about big clubs. I feel comfortable at Liverpool, but it`s always good to know that teams like Barca and Madrid are interested in you. I feel very grateful."
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wayne i seen your old doll last nite...f.ck me shes ugly..clown
DR ick head
RAT MUNCHER
CHRIS81UK YA CONSTRUCT SENTENCES
YOU"RE SCOUSE NOB HEAD
BIN DIPPER SKIP RAT
GLOOOOOORY GLOOOOOORY MAN UTD
chis81uk, it's you're not your. Also you ought to learn how to construct sentences and paragraphs if you're going to abuse somebody for their poor English.
WAYNEKER!
Wayne - Well done, not only do your "friends" and family know you are mentally retarded now everyone on the internet knows you are. You take the piss out of someone elses spelling and then spell the 3 letter word nil wrong!? its not nile dumbass, think you will find thats a river. Also try switching off caps lock from time to time, it will make you look less like a dribbling incest induced @#$%... though im sure you will still find a way to advertise that pretty easily. Also try some original insults, "spanish fat waiter" has been said so many times that everyone that uses it has no imaginaton at all. Im not going to go and start bad mouthing Man Utd as I know not all Man Utd fans are like you, and they will be ashamed that you support Man Utd, If anyone at the club actually knew you they would ban you from the stadium... if you have ever actually been to Old Trafford. Your the exact sort of little maggot that give football a bad name.
Spot on blue_z_zz!
Most man u fans are plastic anyway... they are just loyal to the fact that they've had a winning streak over the last decade... that's all well and good and they can say we'll never win or whatever but true football fans follow their team through thick and thin so screw them :D
besides we're catching up and gonna get them ;)
I have been a liverpool supporter since i was 11 yrs old,i am now 47 yrs old, and i think its about time,the liverpool managment staff got there act together. Buy someone with a bit of class,and not as beens. they need a good back four and two more, quality strikers,if they want to win major compitions. k davis,worcestershire.
one question way are scum utd fans always in our news boards it seem their f kn scared
you know what as a liverpool faithful i never even bother to read thier news or transfer
this a piece of good news. masch will stay due to the probable tansfer of alonso to madrid. we bought alonso at 10million and to sell him at 30 mill when he is 27 yrs old seems to be a good piece of business. Someone should relook into masch contract on his wages which is a bit low for modern day football. His argie colleague tevez was demanding 110k per week
its pathetic how this attitude of hatred persists between us LFC fans and the Man U fans, gentlemen, its only a game! The childish and industrial strength language used reveals a severe lack of maturity on the part of those that indulge in it. As for transfer prices and wages not one single player is worth the money regardless of how good they are, even Bobby Charlton commented on the price of Ronaldo as being absurd - or words to that effect. LFC's 4-1 win at Old Trafford was a great result, especially as we never broke sweat! This coming season will be more than interesting, and I am looking forward to the season's kick off already!
REMEMBER - its only a game! May the best team win!!!
I think that Mascherano is not receiving enough respect (financial wise), he only gets paid 30k a week, i think welbeck gets more at united, he should get his contract renegotiated.
pauljudd6: The comment I made read "He is one of the top players in his position in the country, if not the world..." Who would you rather have sitting in front of the back four? Are there masses of other defensive midfielders who can break up the oppositions attack the way Mascherano can? There is a reason that Rafa paid what he did for him and that Maradona said that his Argentina team would consist of Mascherano +10. As for Mr. Gerrard's trophy cabinet I believe it contains every club honour he could win with the obvious exceptions of a premier league title and a world club cup.
Is it me or does Mascherano look like a rat? Still it could be worse, at least he wasn't born scouse!
ryandaines045: I don't think nieve is a word. I think you meant 'naive'. Another thick scouse muppet who's brain is as empty as Steven Gerrards trophy cabinet.
dobod123: Mascherano one of the top players in the world! Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! - I think your brain is as empty as Steven Gerrards trophy cabinet.
Thanks alancrosbybath. I'm getting a bit tired of all the sensationalism regarding potential transfers and all of the muck raking going on. It's nice to know that someone out there would prefer more serious debates on the boards than the typical @#$% most people post.
Wayne (Kerr?) why don't you write comments on the UTD articles.... You are a pathetic joke... 5 times!
LIVERSCUM TURDS KEEP ON DREAMING IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN 19 YEARS AND COUNTING
GLOOOOOORY GLOOOOOORY MAN UTD
PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2008/2009 (TOTAL 11 TIMES)
LIVERSCUM PREMIER LEAGUE TITLES NILE ZERO ZILCH
From dobod123, on Tue 23 Jun 10:57PM
I am glad there are people that can post sensible comments (from the above), well done.
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