LIVERPOOL FC’s worst fears are this week on the brink of being realised as Premier League Champions Manchester City and Spanish giants Barcelona have attempted to unsettle the Reds Danish central defender, Daniel Agger.
More fuel was added to this particular fire, when Agger was left out of the squad to face FC Gomel in the Europa League qualifier; the club’s first competitive fixture of the new season. Agger’s agent, Per Steffensen, then stoked the fire further by stated he had no idea why Agger was left at home, and that it was a club decision – but he wasn’t injured:
“He’s not injured at all, I can’t tell you why he isn’t in the squad, only the club or the manager can. I can tell you he’s not asked for a transfer – that’s nonsense. Daniel is happy at Liverpool.”
Agger 27, is regarded as one of Europe’s finest defenders and was expected to be key to Brendan Rodgers’s new look Liverpool side. His ability to bring the ball out from defence and his classy style has caught the attention of the Champions League giants and could force Liverpool to part with one of their prized assets.
With a reported £20 million deal on the table from Barcelona, £15 million up front and £5 million based on appearances, the deal could be too good to turn down for the Reds as Rodgers attempts to strengthen his war chest in preparation of his summer recruitment process.
Despite Agger’s importance to Liverpool it is certainly worth taking into account that the Dane has only made 119 appearances in 7 injury hit seasons, with last season being his highest total since joining the Reds from Brondby in 2005 for a fee of £5.75 million.
The facts tell their own story and a somewhat surprising fact is that Agger has only appeared in 35% of all competitive games since his Anfield debut against Birmingham in 2006. Despite last season’s Liverpool career high of 27 appearances Agger still missed 24 competitive games for the Reds in what has become an all too familiar story.
To describe Agger as injury prone doesn’t come close to telling the full story, with a plethora of persistent niggles plaguing the gifted Dane throughout his Liverpool career. Agger himself has constantly voiced his frustration at his lack of fitness and raised concerns last season when, whilst nursing a broken rib, he told Danish journalists “my body might not have been built to play football”.
Liverpool would certainly have to use a good proportion of the sum of any potential sale to replace Agger, but with Carragher, Skrtel, Kelly, Coates at the club along with youngsters Wilson, Sama and Wisdom then without being blessed with huge numbers the Reds certainly aren’t light on the defensive front.
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The difficulty will almost certainly be the message that the sale of Agger sends out to both the fans and the senior players at Anfield. The likes of Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina and Luis Suarez will definitely not want to see Agger leave and will be concerned about any sign of Liverpool becoming a selling club.
Despite those concerns any deal that sees the Reds make 4 times the transfer fee that they paid for a player could and should involve serious consideration. With Barcelona prepared to pay the reported £20 million required to prize Agger away from Anfield, things could move fairly quickly and the Danish international could complete any move to La Liga within the next week or so.
Any potential sale would accelerate Liverpool’s efforts to keep Slovakian international Martin Skrtel at the club. The Reds must go all out to keep Skrtel if Agger does depart, or risk the possibility of losing both first choice central defenders.
The waiting game has begun in relation to Agger’s departure but with the start of the season less than 3 weeks away, time is ticking to complete any deal and bring in any potential replacements. If the Reds do decide to accept an offer, Rodgers must move quickly to avoid any serious disruption to the start of his first season in charge of Liverpool Football Club. YNWA!
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I kind of agree, Agger is a great player at times but he’s is constantly injured or not fully fit. Has he ever played any more than 10 convective fully fit matches for Liverpool ? I doubt it.
Although I think they should only sell for £25 to £30 million
yes sell agger,if he wants to go for 20m.buy a defender with 10m and another player for 5m
Sell for £25M. Good article, it makes complete sense.
To sell Agger for 25 mill, we need to find an equal player in quality. Who they maybe and would they cost less than 20 mill? Do we want to sell a key player who had been great and loyal? What kind of message would we send to other players?
Sell Agger now, it makes sense. I like him and his style of play but there’s no guarantee his injuries won’t increase. We should cash in on his best season and look to Coates and Kelly taking over.
I’d sell Skrtel next season. The money being suggested (about £15m) is too good to turn down for a player who is not fit to lick Henchoz’s never mind big Sami’s boots.
Dagger happy being a red,we need to keep his kind with comitment to Liverpool,sure we can use the £s but loyalty is rare in football,he’s an example to others & one hell of a player,should be at the club for career!
Could not agree more
Only a good deal if we sign another quality central defender because the other young players are not ready just yet. If Rodgers thinks Carragher can do the job then I’m not very impressed, and we are in big trouble. Sadly everything Rafa built is being gradually dismantled, and I think we might be in a position never to recover.
I like Agger but £20-£25 mill for him is a no brainer, only plays half a season, but only abroad, not shitty. If he goes must act fast for replacement.
When did u ever see a defender go for more than 20 mill. Plus we dont seem to be reinvesting well whit the flops KD bought last year for big bucks and fu@ked us up for the next fue years tryn to get them off the books, not to mention wroy hod players still honting our wage bill. I mean of we get 20 mil can we trust BR to reinvest it well????
Henry should thank Rafa for spotting and buying Agger in first place!
We are now officially a mid table team, and that is how it will stay. The destruction process was began by 2 texans crooks will be ended by 2 east coast idiots.
Different yanks same rubbish, no knowledge or ambition!
how are they idiots? what have they done ? They saved the club from being in debt or better yet – bankruptcy. dont say stupid comments – agger is injury prone and if he leaves will be paid quite well for him. its the name of the game.
I for one would want him to stay but this rafa team that you are talking about…. that was 4 years ago. let it go.
YNWA
YOU HEARD
You took the words right out of my mouth!!! Back your team!!
If we apply your logic, the first to go would be Carra and Stevie. What did you say again? YNWA? What a joke
Sell Agger this instant! Who needs him when the Reds have the best CB in the world in Jamie Hoofer Carragher. Do not understand what the fuss is all about concerning midfielders especially Joe Allen. With the technically-deprived Jamie in the team, who needs midfielders.
If we kept him who’s to say it won’t be another injury season for him? Also, I would not add game time to a sale agreement! But Liverpool never has, recently, been able to do good negotiating for any of our buys or sales so they will probably blow it once again with somebody they should make mega bucks with!
20 ?? We have been buying the likes of Downing and Henderson for 20 and Carroll for 35 and you would sell someone who is actually good for the team for 20 ??
He is ball playing center back, those don’t come very often and world class player.
If Everton was able to get 25 for Lescott why the hell Liverpool would settle for less when they clearly have better player, never mind injury record.
Sorry i disagree, if we sell Agger our defence will suffer,think about it last season we had one of the best, if not the best central defensive parering in the premeier league, and how long might it take, a new central defender too adapt within this position? why try fix something that isin`t broken? I just dont see why, we would want too brake up, a great partnership of Agger and Skrtel? we need too consintrate on getting a couple of decent wingers in,and another centre forward, never mind given our best players away too these clubs, who have no morals what so ever.
we have coates as back up,, also young wilson who was said to be the new agger, personally,, for 20mil we can replace him with a top defender who is less injury prone..i just hope they dont sell him then replace him with williams from swansea.. i really want BR 2b a success at anfield but at 42yrs of age i really fear we have got the wrong man. he just seems to buy players he has previously work with,, swansea, reading and watford at manager level,,,we had the chance to get moses adam johnson gaston ramirez and what has he got,, borini,,again i hope i’m wrong but i dont think i will be,, our years of chasing c/l places are now over shaddowed by chasing to stay in the top half of the league YNWA JFT96
b4 people start saying BR is not 42,, i,m saying i am 42 and born n bred scouser and this is the 1st time i’m worried about liverpool descending into the depths of the league for years to come
Hear,hear
Skrtel is atrocious without Agger alongside him. Sell Agger and prepare to lose the title of the 3rd best defence in the league, and be ready for a defence that’s as bad as our midfield and attack.
The transition to mid-table club will be complete, and expect to see any other key players with any decent years left in them to jump this sinking ship.
On the plus side, John W. Henry will be loaded and be able to buy his mrs a new mink coat! 😀
Err Red, hate to dissappoint you, but we ARE a mid table team now, thanks to the Cowboys, RN and the last but definitely not least, supposedly Kop hero KD.