I have noticed a story doing the rounds today that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson will not have a great deal of money to spend in the January transfer window. John W Henry was quoted as saying:
“We have to be smart. We have to be more efficient. When we spend a dollar, it has to be wisely. We cannot afford player contracts that do not make long-term sense. We have to be smart, bold, aggressive. It’s a great challenge.“
Firstly, the comments quoted by both the Independent and the Daily Telegraph were made on Monday 18th October (written evidence from BBC website here) only three days after the sale to NESV, and it can also be assumed that at this point that John Henry would have had no idea what money the Reds would have to spend in January. Both broadsheets are trying to make out a story when none exists; currently there is really no telling what the manager will have to spend. I was planning to write an article on potential transfer targets anyway so I am endeavouring to continue writing it on the assumption that no budget has been agreed on yet. In any event, we all know the January market is inflated, and so the Reds would have to identify the right targets for the right price, and most importantly they will have to prioritise certain areas of the team. There are four important areas of the team in my opinion that need strengthening, but it would be very unlikely we could get all the required targets:
1) Winger – This should be top of the priority list come January. Three wingers that have been speculated to be interesting Liverpool are Ibrahim Afellay, Ashley Young and Juan Mata. Out of the three, only one would be a likely target for according to Guillem Balague Juan Mata is on the verge of signing a new deal with Valencia and will be unavailable for a transfer while Ashley Young has been touted as costing £14m which would be a large sum on a player who still has a lot to prove. Ibrahim Afellay on the other hand has a contract that is expiring soon and he has stated himself he will be leaving in January. With only six months remaining on his contract, he will be available for significantly less than either Mata or Young, and is a capable player in his own right.
2) Striker – Second on the list must be a striker to take the burden off Fernando Torres. Although David Ngog has helped in contributing 7 goals already this season, there is no denying that Liverpool need more firepower. In recent days, speculation has grown about both Fernando Llorente and Diego Forlan being on the Reds wanted list. Forlan and Llorente are at different stages of their careers and both are also totally different style of strikers. While Llorente is an up and coming star who is best utilised as a target man, Forlan is now 31 years of age but has a fantastic goal scoring record at the top of the European game. In addition, it also depends on the importance the Reds put on getting another striker for Llorente’s fee is sky-rocketing, especially with reported interest from Man City, United and Real Madrid while Forlan’s fee is diminishing with age. Are the Reds looking for a star for the foreseeable future or do they want a goalscorer who can score goals for the next two or three years? With my priority being a winger, I would have to buy the older but cheaper Forlan.
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STELLA ARTOIS WORLD DRAUGHT MASTERS
Forlan is too old for the owners who are looking for youth to stay with the team for a long term investment????? Affelay as well as Turan would be wise buys and a striker is needed but who is a very good question at this point in time. How much money will be available in Jan. and who will be the manager as well as who makes the transfer decision! Lots of questions now…
hazard 15mill affelay 5mill contreau 12mill diarra 10mill llorente 12mill. sell a few players to recoup 15-20mill.
Llorente 12m???
what planet you on?
Many of these are well over-rated. You seem to still be in the age of “splash out the cash” – get real and bargain more succinctly . Cash is hard come by and needless waste is not required.
The new owners will not waste a penny, they are a 17 man strong tight nit team and all the money comes from creditable sources so theur investment all round has to be key and on targett.
But lfc can not spend any more money on bad attitude, risking injury prone over rated players that are their just to collect the trappings of what a modern day footballer can!
Liverpool need younger top quality and i think much of the headline ” liverpool will not be buying in jan is total crap to be fair, its the media taking one word and then making it two!.
as you have said above, we need 3 – 4 roles in the first team never mind the squad sorted out and asap! winger is a must, a striker a must, and for me a fast strong left back who can defend.
Lfc have wasted millions, rafa was to blame for that as well, every manager makes mistakes in todays over priced market but it sounds like the owners are going to be as one when talking over;
1, the lenght of a players deal- contract
2, the age at which we pay what type of price for,
3, the tyoe of player for which type of player and his ability as well his attitude,
kets get the club back to buying less but better quality.
I would hope to see a striker first and then a winger but for me,
mata looks like staying in spain or moving to another club in spain,
affelay is good but well over rated when you can get a young who already knows the prem league so again the investment is not as risky! turan and forlan are probably non starters, but others such as defour and llorente are possible because of their age and ability and possible fit for the club because of where they are in their careers.
ynwa
Now this is what we need more of. Someone who lives in the real and progressive world!
I don’t believe this story about limited funds being made available. It’s just the media trying to stir up trouble. I think there will be money but they’ll want it invested wisely (Roy brought in too many old and ordinary players in the summer).
The absolute priority must be a striker- no doubt about that. I think Babel will be sold in this transfer window and I still remain to be convinced about N’Gog.
I’d be very surprised if we brought in Dufour- even though he would be a great replacement for Poulsen who now seems to have been relegated to the bench for the key matches. I just don’t think we’ll buy another player in that position since we’re already well equipped in central midfield. But if Poulsen can find a buyer……
With the money left over from the summer and a bit of wise selling we should have a reasonable amount to play with. Why when players like Turan and Affellay come out say they want toplay for liverpool are we not there straight away tying them to deals? You know that other teams such as Arsenal, Man U and Spurs do it – how often have they signed players on the first day of teh transfer window for prices that semm incredibly cheap while we are left at the end scrabbling around for the likes of Carlton Cole. It was the same when Rick Parry was brokering deals, the same with H&G – if NESV want to change the nature of the club, it is this that would make me sit up and take notice. If when the jan window opens we have signed two or three quality players in the first few days I will start to believe they know what they are doing. We supposedly have some of the best scouts going thanks, largely, to Rafa bringing them to the attention of the club.
I was amazed when Roy took over and said he needed time to evaluate what players we may need, ignored all the suggestions from pro’s that had been working behind the scenes all season to pick out talent, then when we failed to sign a single winger or striker blamed the lack of time on the job. Anyone watching liverpool for the last year or so, especially someone as ‘knowledgable of the game’ as Woy, should have known we needed pacey wingers and a goal scorer??? Get out there, sign the players we need asap, get them playing as early as possible and hopefully we can get back up the table. If we’re still fishing around for under par players, dragging our feet, then frantically sending faxes to every club going for their dross come the last weekend of the transfer window again we deserve to be exactly where we are. And next time we get offered a player of Van der Vaart’s quality for a fraction of his value, snap their fucking hand off Roy!!!!!
Quality comment, especially the bit about VdV, makes me sick that we missed out on him.
I think the new owners have looked at what Hodgson has spent already on two 30 year old players and thought what a waste of money.
Rafa had the same mentality as the new owners, buy young players with potential and if they fail to meet the grade then sell them for a small profit. Unfortunately Hodgson looks for older experienced steady players as he is only familiar with steady results and mediocre success.
I am sure the new owners will be monitoring Hodgsons transfer policy and be saying NO to any older players, just a shame they weren’t able to stop the signings of Poulsen & Konchesky.
i agree wid u pal…we shud really buy young players…and we should really consider buying sum1 like turan who has passion about liverpool and our tradition…we really need such commited players..
im afraid roy mite try to buy sum1 like carlton cole…:(
I dont understand why people are saying that we wont have much money, from what he said, i read it totally different, i think he was saying that we have to be bold and do deals that make financial sense, he is saying that he wont spend alot on older players, no more buying 7 players for 6-8m but rather we need to be bold and spend big but only on young players, that will have a sell on value in the future.
It is clear that Hodgson is a defensive minded manager. He will prioritise the left back position above a winger and hopefully buy coentrao.
He will probably also buy a new striker. I dont think Forlan fits the criteria set up by NESV according to this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8088587/Liverpool-to-stay-clear-of-big-money-signings-in-January-transfer-window.html
I’d rather think Llorente will be bought because LFC now do have the money to spend.
I would like to know the motives from these journalists today putting up these crap stories. Taking quetes from J. Henry’s first interviews and then mixing them with one sided lies about us spending too much money for players the past years etc. Henry officially said he thinks we have too small wagebill and it should increase, even this these journalist’s twisted other way around and said it’s too big in Henry’s opinion. Even mentioning Roy’s £25m splash on players this summer was pathetic. We know the truth about the figures, the Purslow’s player account, the Alonso money, Keane money, having to sell before buying the last four transfer windows etc.
Fact is if NESV are serious they should invest heavily this january whether it’s good time or bad, it’s only time to do it anymore because of the effect of the fairplay rules. They know it also. I hope they do it otherwise fans will be asking certain questions and motives from them. For now they have said all the right things, need for investment, need for increasing the payroll and wanting to win and fight for titles. Now we wait actions. Well you can’t do that if all there is, is £20-30m which in effect get’s you one of silva, adebayor, balotelli or other one from city or chelski. I still believe they will give enough money (meaning atleast £40-60m) to strenghten. But im getting worried when these journalist’s start putting these stories and people like Balague are telling that Mata’s value is out of our reach anyway. How is that Guillem? Out of our reach?? What? are we Fulham now? Have we not got new owners now with proven record of investing in the team? Have they not got the second biggest payroll in Baseball for a couple of years in a row now? (Oh, i forgot that was also twisted by todays Independent and Telegraph people and it read: they have one of smallest payrolls and found a way of investing on bargain signings). Is someone briefing journalist now to sort of making fans expectations lower before the eventuality of NESV’s intentions come to light..? Do we really have to sell again before buying, has’nt we been there allready with former cowboys?
And we need to get rid of Hodgson(for reasons all know)and also before we give him the money to spend on average players. And more spesifically: Average British players like Konchesky. Why on earth we are heavily connected in the media to players like Brunt, Harper, Doley, C.Cole, S.Dann etc. One word: Hodgson. You are not at Fulham Roy, get it??
Thruth is also that we have enough of these average players allready and especially in defense. Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Aurelio, Lucas et all wouldn’t get near to our top rivals squads, not to even mention startin eleven.
Anyway i hope we could get some of the following (should be realistic targets)players:
Lukaku, Hazard, Hulk, Llorente, Suarez,
A.Sanchez, Hamsik, Pastore, J.Martinez,
Contreao, Luisao, Shawcross, D.Luiz………
Striker, Forward, Winger, Left Back, Centre Back
and we are fine the NESV,,,
uNDER uefa’S ‘fAIR pLAY’ RULES, IT’S JUST AS WELL WE ARE LEARNING TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS – tHS WILL HIT mAN cITY AND cHELSKI HARDEST BUT MAY EFFECT mAN uRE AS WELL.
Hodgson signed 3 30 year olds for 10million this summer, and let a 21 year old international who qualified as home grown leave for nothing and whilst trading two high profile youngsters for a 30 year old journey man.
Brad Jones for 3mil? Surely there is a young keeper in our ranks?
Konchesky? Insua was better than him and can improve.
Poulsen? My grandma moves more in 90 minutes.
I also heard that Roy turned down Van der Vaart, because he didn’t know who he was.
No Forlan.
We need to strengthen the following areas – this needs massive investment:
* Left Back (Coentrao)…£10-12m
* Center Back (Gary Cahill)…£15-17.5m
* Left wing (Ashley Young / Turan )…£12-17m
* Right Wing (Jesus Navas)….£15-17m
* Defensive Midfield (Diarra / Defour)…£9-12m
* Shadow striker / Attacking Mid – bring back Aquilani
* Striker – Target man (Llorente)…£15-25m
But this would need massive investment…
Imagine the options in each position:
Goal
Reina
B Jones
RB
G Johnson
M Kelly
J Carragher
CB
Gary Cahill
Agger
Skrtel
Carra
Kyrgiakos (can sell him if we get Cahill)
Ayala
LB
Coentrao
Aurelio
Konckesky
RM
Navas
J Cole
Maxi
CM
Defour / Diarra
Meireles
Gerrard
Lucas
Spearing
Shelvey
LM
Turan / A Young
Maxi
J Cole
Main Striker
Torres
Llorente
Ngog
Shadow striker / Creative Attacking Midfielder
Gerrard
Aquilani
J Cole
Pacheco
SELL
1. Babel – £9-11m
2. Kuyt (getting on – now would be good time to cash in)- £12-14m
3. Kyrgiakos – £1-2m
4. Poulsen £2-3m
thats approx £25m plus investment from NESV…for a squad that has youth, experience and players who can play…creativity from the likes of G Johnson & Navas on the right, Coentrao and Turan / Young on the left, Aquilani, Gerrard, Cole in the centre….
Stop putting the information over 2 or more pages just to improve your analytics! Put it on one page
Cobblers!
By the start of next season I would like to see Ashley Young£20m,Fernando Llorente£15m,Fabio Coentrao£15m,Lassana Diarra£8m and Gary Cahill£12m because we need a new centre half ,granted this is £70m spent but we can raise quite a bit of cash by selling Babel£8m,Krygiakos£4m,Aurelio£2m,Itandje£1m,Poulsen£3.5m,Degen£1.5m,Aquilani£13.5m,Insua£4.5m,Ayala£2m,El Zhar£1m these players could generate between £30-40m so if reports are true that NESV are willing to give Hodgson a budget of £30m+sales this might just be doable and we would fill the 5 voids in the team with top quality players without losing any key players
Get real!
Maybe John W. Henry is saying these things so Liverpool do not have to pay extortionate prices like Manchester City for example if he came out and said we are going to buy loads of players all of the clubs would charge much bigger fees
I just pray Roy is the 1st casualty of.NESV
tully stop writing pointless stories
I can’t stand these people who do the maths of what we should spend and then when they show how we can recoup it they completely over inflate our players worth ( check out the comment by JJ earlier) when any decent LFC fan knows we always sell players on the cheap, like many big clubs do, just to get them off the wage bill. Think before we comment.