CONFUSION reigned for Reds fans yesterday when NESN, a regional sports news broadcaster owned by current Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, published the news on their website that Fulham forward and USA star, Clint Dempsey, had signed for Liverpool.
The report was later taken down and it emerged that it had been posted by accident, by a member of staff who had failed to distinguish the rumours in the UK from the confirmed news.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was at pains to set the record straight as regards the club’s interest in Dempsey, who scored 23 goals for the Cottagers last term, by admitting that enquiries have been made but stating that no bid has yet been tabled. Reports in the US and in the British media suggest that Dempsey is chomping at the bit for a move to the Merseyside club, however, Fulham’s reported £10million asking price is thought to be a major hurdle given Dempsey’s age (29).
“We made a couple of enquiries to Fulham about him. Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is and that is where we’re at. There has been nothing more than that,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
The capture of Fabio Borini from Roma for a fee that will reach £11million with add-ons was Rodgers first new signing of his Liverpool tenure, however the Northern Irishman is confident of adding at least a couple more new faces before the end of the window, after discussions with John Henry and Tom Werner during the club’s visit to the States.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
“I wanted to come out here and present to the owners in terms of where we’re at as a club,” he said. “I needed that wee bit of time to evaluate the players we have and assess the squad.
“Hopefully we can get a number of players in who can fit into the group and add some freshness. The most important objective is to get them in by the start of the season.
“When players are coming to a club as prestigious as Liverpool it’s never straightforward. There are always difficulties in the way. At this time there are ongoing negotiations on a few targets.
“We hope between now and the beginning of the season we can close one or two of them out.”
You can catch up with Neil on Twitter @Neil1980 and on his blog http://itsallinthegameblog.wordpress.com/
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook
This is going to be a very interesting season for Liverpool, if we can just get 4th place the good players will stay and then maybe the top players would be willing to join us , thus giving us a chance to challenge for title over next few years
I would love to have him but 10 million is absurb. I would pay 5 million with add ons reaching maybe 7 million.
YNWA
You Heard
100 % AGREE WITH ABOVE COMMENT – Understant Man City keen on Carroll
Get Dempsey, Joe Allen and Gaston Ramirez/Afelley
To me I think we don’t need shorge a old player but we need to add another stricker,we,re too sloow in the market pls buy and let them start blending,please give our young player playing time this season or help them with a loan
The owners need to back B Rodgers Haevily with £85-£90M this summer.
On eight players:
Three Defensive players:
1: S Kjaer Of Wolfburg should be brought for £8-£11M to compete and cover Agger, Coates and Skrtel. CB
2: A Cissokho Of Lyon should be brought for £4-£9M to cover and compete with Enrique. LB
3: B Matuidi Of PSG Or J Allen Of Swansea should be brought for £8-£14M to cover and compete with Lucas. DM
Five attacking/creative exciting class/quality players:
4: I Munian Of A Bilbao should be brought for £14-£18M to compete with Aquilani and Shelvey for the AM position.
5: T Walcott Of Arsenal should be brought for £12-£15M to play on the right hand side as right winger or right wing forward. RW/RWF
6: S Sinclair Of Swansea should be brought for £4-£7M to compete and cover Downing. LW / LWF
7: J Hoillet Of Blackburn should be brought for £3-£5M to compete for Right wing position. RW / RWF
8: C Dempsey should be brought for 5-£7M no more than that to compete with Suarez, Bellamy and Borini for forward position.
Our club needs some serious investment spent on class,quality players: The five creative players mentioned above club should bring to club would cost club: £52M, that is the same amount it will/would cost chelsea to bring in E hazard(£32M) and Hulk Of Porto Or Oscar, either player will cost £25 to £37M. So our club should bring those five attacking players to club and change dimension of squad/club.