zocoss

18 Jan 11, 08:09

Liverpool step up bid to sign Ajax ace Luis Suarez as Kenny Dalglish's first addition

Kop that: Luis Suarez could be set to become Kenny Dalglish's first signing of the January transfer window

Luis Suarez could become Kenny Dalglish’s first signing since his return to the club with Liverpool set to step up their bid for the Ajax striker.

It is understood the Merseyside club held a transfer meeting on Sunday night following their 2-2 draw with rivals Everton and talks are ongoing to seal the Uruguay international's signature.

Suarez is keen to forge an attacking partnership with Fernando Torres at Anfield and Liverpool submitted an enquiry to the Amsterdam club on Saturday, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

One potential stumbling block could be the optimistic fee Ajax are demanding to sell their captain with the Dutch outfit looking to raise around £28million from his exit.

A bid of around £15million could be enough needed to reach a compromise, however.

Suarez, who was linked with a move to Tottenham last summer, is contracted to Ajax until 2013.

But Suarez, who was suspended by the Dutch league for seven games in November after biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal, has been looking to quit the club since manager Martin Jol left last December.

New Ajax boss Frank De Boer revealed that he has lined-up a replacement, admitting Suarez is keen to move on to a bigger club during the January transfer window.

Target men: Charlie Adam and Eden Hazard are also on Liverpool's transfer agenda

Target men: Charlie Adam and Eden Hazard are also on Liverpool's transfer agenda before the window closes

‘I've had a showdown with Luis,’ he said. ‘I wanted to know what his plans are and what the future will bring. Luis is training hard. He told me that if a big club comes in for him now he is ready to talk to them. I've a back-up scenario ready.’

Liverpool boss Dalglish is keen to recruit some fresh blood to his thin squad as he aims to turn the club’s struggling fortunes of late around.

Blackpool’s Charlie Adam and Lille sensation Eden Hazard are also on the club’s transfer radar.

iceFatboy

21 Jan 11, 12:36

come on, pool get him.. revitalise torres.. come up top 4, and knock out some blues..

zocoss

21 Jan 11, 23:27

LIVERPOOL LOOK FOR `HEADLINE` BUY

Kenny Dalglish says Liverpool are looking for a 'headline' signing to lift the club in the January transfer window.

Dalglish had talks with the club's American owners at the start of the week, which were described as 'positive' by the new manager.

And with just over a week of the transfer window left, Dalglish wants to bring in new players to improve Liverpool's struggling season.

"It's important for us as a football club to give the supporters a lift and the players a lift," he is quoted in The Guardian as saying.

"If we can get someone in who will improve what we have, great. Players themselves want competition and they maybe get a lift when a new player comes in.

"That's what we will try and do but it has got to be someone decent. We are not going to get someone in just for the sake of having them.

If we get a few players in, the first one might not be the headline signing. It might be something we need to help support the squad. Everyone would love to see someone brought in who is really going to whet the appetite and we will try our best to do that."

However, that 'headline' buy might not be Luis Suarez, who was reported to be on the verge of joining Liverpool at the start of the week.

Liverpool's director of football strategy, Damien Comolli, was quoted in on French TV channel Canal Plus as saying: We are looking for an offensive player because the team is lacking in speed. And as far as Suárez is concerned, at the moment there is no dialogue with Ajax. He is one of the players we are interested in. Will he be available in January? This is another story.

Another name mentioned is Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, but while Comolli said he would be of interest to Liverpool, he doubted a move could be possible.

He said: "For Young, if he is on the market then we will be interested. But I don't believe that is the case."

zocoss

22 Jan 11, 00:01

Liverpool Director Of Football Damien Comolli: We Considered Move For Darren Bent; Winning Europa League Is Our Main Goal

Frenchman surprised by number of top players willing to join club

Sporting Director Damien Comolli (Getty Images)

Liverpool's director of football strategy Damien Comolli has revealed that the club discussed a move for Aston Villa's £18 million new signing Darren Bent and are prioritising success in the Europa League this season.

Comolli, who was appointed at Anfield in November, admitted that it was likely to be the club's only way of playing European football next season.

In the same revealing interview with French channel Canal+ Sport where Comolli confirmed the club's interest in Luis Suarez and Ashley Young, he also said: “The Europa League is our main goal for the season.

"We have already won [the UEFA Cup] three times, and it's important for us to win it again. For us it is the shortest route – and perhaps the only route – that takes us back into to Europe next season.”

The Frenchman also admitted that the club had considered a move for Bent, who joined Aston Villa this week from Sunderland in controversial fashion, but Comolli felt that the England striker would struggle to play alongside Fernando Torres.

He said: “We thought of him, but we looked at his profile and thought that he would not be very complementary to Fernando Torres. He is a player who is, as the English say, a lone wolf. He needs to play alone in attack.”

Comolli reiterated the need to sign a number of players this January, after stating that the side were suffering from fatigue following last summer's World Cup in South Africa.

He added: “The match against Everton we deserved to win. This was not the case. Why? In my opinion, the team is still suffering from the accumulated fatigue of our players during the World Cup. And when you see the starting line-up, we see that eight players have gone to at least the last 16, and many have gone further.

“This team has quality. I am convinced that the squad left by Benitez is good, but it's true that we need reinforcements.

“I am surprised in a way, given our results, the number of top level players who want to join us. They say that Liverpool is an attractive club, and most are also telling me that ‘you’ve had a bad season, but you won’t have two’.”

The 38-year-old, who formerly worked at Tottenham and Arsenal, also praised Liverpool's American owners for providing the financial backing to improve the squad.

He said: "There is no more debt. The owners are willing to invest, there is plenty of money. When I first got here, the first question I asked was ‘do I have to lower the payroll?’ They said, ‘No, the important thing is to win.’ It was a great relief for me.”

Comolli remained tight-lipped on the future of Kenny Dalglish, after previously stating that no decision would be made on the caretaker manager's future until the end of the season.

He said: “There is no debate. When he came here, we told him that he had six months and after that we'd see. This does not mean he will leave.”

TIB1167D

22 Jan 11, 00:07

If he's going to liverpool his future is going to be ruined. Simple as that

CKeer

22 Jan 11, 00:19

Originally posted by zocoss:

Liverpool Director Of Football Damien Comolli: We Considered Move For Darren Bent; Winning Europa League Is Our Main Goal

So what if you win the Europa League but fail to qualify next season? Not another time where the wild card is being played where the title holder must defend title and was given a chance to compete despite finishing outside qualification?

Rooney9

23 Jan 11, 01:06

the european model director of what have you, technical director, go fark themselves lar. manager should have a say to what type of footballers they want, not those directors. it is the manager's job on the line, not those directors. if manager is sack, then directors should also be sacked if the players they bring in are flops. fair game.

zocoss

24 Jan 11, 10:31

Wah... Looks like Dalglish is like going players crazy in this Jan window... He is lucky the new owners are willing to give him the money to get some of these players...

Luis Suarez, Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Stephen Warnock, Charlie Adam and Charles N'Zogbia...

Liverpool Negotiate To Recruit Charles N'Zogbia For Reduced Fee From Wigan - Report

Charles N'Zogbia,Wigan Athletic

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Liverpool are reportedly in talks with Wigan Athletic to convince them to hand over winger Charles N’Zogbia for a lower fee.

According to The People, agent Paul Stretford, who is having more and more influence at Anfield, is negotiating to find a compromise with the Latics as Liverpool are willing to pay only half of the £15million asked to seal the transfer.

Together with his business associate former Newcastle chairman, Freddy Shepherd, Stretford has conducted the bid for the Wigan star.

Stretford is a former business partner and close friend of Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish and his agency, Proactive, manage a number of high profile Premier League stars, most notably Wayne Rooney.

Dalglish has had the opportunity to make his own opinion on N’Zogbia during Wigan’s draw with Fulham last weekend.

Since the Scot has been at the helm at Anfield, Stretford and Shepherd have reportedly been closely involved with deals relating to Liverpool’s wishlist of fresh players in the transfer market.

Although Damien Comolli, Liverpool’s director of football strategy, is working with Dalglish on recruiting new talent for the Reds, his role as the club’s main transfer fixer could be in jeopardy in the event that Dalglish lands the job job full-time at the end of the season as Stretford could be appointed to do the Frenchman’s task.

club18

24 Jan 11, 22:58

u realised that dalglish has yet to come out to name anyone who he is chasing this Jan.

it has all been newspapers/ tabloids speculation trying to sensationalise everything...

Rooney9

24 Jan 11, 23:00

I dunno what he should buy, but he should spend sensibly and not like rafa and hodgson, who bought so many players that cannot make it one, what a waste of transfer fee and wages, not to mention wasting of time.

Rock^Star

24 Jan 11, 23:20

that game against wolves was inspiring....a lot of spirit and vigour. I believe it's due to the dalglish effect. But that's wolves man.....bottom club. Let's see next week.