Rafa's shopping list?

[Red Chilli]

Topic people TOPIC!

How could i forget?

9. Topics


Rafa likes a good topic

[Tee]

Topic people TOPIC!

Nah, I prefer Maltesers or Milky Way.

[AFII]

Alves, Villa and Mascherano and maybe a left winger if Kewell can't get back to full fitness, maybe Van der Vaart.

[Morph]

How could i forget?

9. Topics


Rafa likes a good topic

didn't see that one coming

[Joe Le Toff]

Okay so what does everyobody should be on Rafa's shopping list to set us up for a title challengeat the start of next season

I think we need:

1 striker in for the outgoing Fowler - Unfortunately it looks like Robbie's time has passed, replacing him with a Villa type player could give us one of the strongest selection of strikers in the Prem.
1 CM in for the outgoing Bolo Zenden - I think we are all agreed that Zenden isn't good enough for us, but it depends on what everyone wants from a 4th choice midfielder, but I think injuries and form have highlighted the importance of having 4 midfield players, plus we probably already have the best collection of CM's in the Prem.
1 Right Winger - Pennant may eventually be showing us what he can do, so by the end of the season this might not be so important, especially if we sign...
1 Right Back - Finnan has had some of his best games in a red shirt recently, but we need cover for him, and he's not getting any younger. Someone who can play RB and RW would be ideal.
1 Left Back - Riise's form on the other hand has been worrying and he needs some decent competition - i.e not Aurelio. Also this can pave the way for Warnocks exit.

They're my picks, what does everyone else think?

I would agree with your choice of positions in the squad that need strengthening - dependent on budget my personal choices would be:

Striker - The new one coming in simply has to be IMO an out and out goalscorer who can get us 20 goals in the prem. I would love to see Defoe in a red shirt as ive always rated him and think hes tailor made for us. Villa is quality also but it means another long settling in period and a will-he-wont-he saga if he doesnt score enough in his first season and after the Morientes debacle theres still a nagging doubt for me that he wouldnt acclimatise to our game. Money no object = look no further than Torres.

CM - If the Mascherano rumours are true then i would take him in an instant at the quoted 6mill as its a steal.

RW - SWP i would like to see but highly unlikely. If we had the money id love to see us test Tottenhams resolve for Aaron Lennon.

RB - Deffo need cover here, seems highly likely that Lucas Neil is the preferred choice of the manager but I would go for Sabri, the right back for Galatasaray who tore us a new one when we beat them 3-2 at home. Looked a top draw player that night.

LB - I dont see a better LB in the prem than JAR so we may be looking at a squad player better than Aurelio. If Upson can play left back as well then he may be worth a shout as a back up who could also cover the CB's if neccesary.

[Shaggy]

Dodgy rumours eh...who needs em.

I hear some crap spouted on here. some real looney tunes stuff. still cracking website! ;-) Liverpool: Neill is the only January incomer, with Warnock departing the club, possibly to Blacburn as part of the deal. All the action will happen in the Summer, once DIC have taken over, and the plans laid out. a mass departure will ensure. Carson, Hyypia, Finnan, Kewell, Mannix, Diao, Zenden, Potter, Fowler(retire), Cisse, Le Tallec, Sinama.

In will come: Gonzolo Rodriguez (CB-Villarreal), Lahm(LB-B.Munich), Miguel(RB-Valencia), Vincente(LW-Valencia), Bodmer(def.CM-Lille), Maxi Rodriguez(RW-Atl.Madrid) and a striker. heard rumours of Poldokski coming.



Liverpool!!
Neill-2m
only january transfer
Then when Sheikh Mohammed takes over Liverpool will sign
Villa-18m
Maxi Rodriguez 7m
Vicente - 12m
Rafa will only sign these as the squad doesn't need strengthning too much!

Liverpool's January transfers- IN: Jamie McCarthy from Raith Rovers 1.5million Lucas Neill 2 million + Steve Warnock and Ricardo Quaresma from FC Porto £5m OUTS: James Smith to Raith (loan) COMFIRMED Steve Warnock to B'burn + Neill swap. =DX=



Liverpool news - LFC will make only one first team signing during the January window. The player will be Blackburn's defender Lucas Neill. The Aussie defender will sign for around £1m.

Young scottish midfield James McCarthy could sign. Liverpool and Man Utd are after the highly rated 16 year old but after a sucessful 2 week trail at Liverpool it is thought he wants tos ign for Liverpool. The deal is most likey to be done in the Summer but if possible Rafa will do it now.

Peter Crouch with NOT be leaving the club. Newcatle and Portsmouth both want the England striker but Rafa won't let him leave. If the Dubia takeover goes through early in the new year Rafa will look to sign a world class centre forward and will sell Peter Crouch, probably to Newcastle.

I cannot reveal any information on the takeover (I don't know any) but what I do know is the talks are on going and things look OK.

If the deal goes through, in the Summer Rafa will look for a striker and his number 1 target is David Villa. Rafa invited him over to Liverpool this weekend and he watched the 3-0 win over Bolton in the directers box. I didn't speak with Villa, however I can reveal he was with his girlfriend and Luis Garcia's wife.

I know all this as I work at Anfield and I'm close friends with Rick Parry. For ovious reasons I cannot reveal my name. But I can ensure this is all true.

Stephen Warnock may leave the club in January, with Sunderland keen on the tough tackling scouser but he could also be used in the Neill deal.



To those suggesting Liverpool will buy every foreign player under the sun, you need to think again! New champions league rules state that each team has to have a number of homegrown players in their squad with this number increasing each year (arsenal are screwed!) Which is why chelsea are buying foreingers at 14 and 15 years old so they can put them through their accadamy and class them as homegrown. So expect Benitez to sign atleast 1 more english player (like he did with pennant), possibly Upson and maybe Young, and expect more reserve team players like guthrie and anderson to get a chance. The only foreign players will be right back cover for finnan and right wing competition for pennant. Hopefully these will be Alves and Ribery, but only if we get investment in time. As for Crouch, he definitly won't leave in january, Rafa sees him as a specialist player, using him against teams like Bolton and in the champions league because of his ability to hold the ball up. Don't expect major changes to the squad in the summer, a couple of additions to replace the leaving fringe player like Zenden and Fowler. Trust me, i'm a doctor!

Yes this is true rafael van de vaart to sign for Liverpool in the summer when the takeover has been completed the fee as i understand will be high but wages to be fair, as i know at this stage it will be 12 million to land the 23 year old dutch playmaker. you can see kewell, dudek, warnock, cisse and fowler also diao and pongolla getting lost as well, which is paying for van de vaart. i have good money on this, so don't bother not thinking this isn't going to happen, .

LFC News:
Rafa has a transfer budget of 20 million for the January transfer window. As the DIC takeover hasn't been fully completed Rafa has less than he would have had. Nonetheless, 20 million is quite a significan't budget for january as LFC can afford to give him that kind of money with the takeover on the way. The real changes will be made in the summer but for now expect only two or three transfers, maybe four. The young left back, Insua, has already joinded. Lucas Neill deal will be done for around 1.5 million. LFC offered 2 million during the summer but now that Neill's contract is runing out LFC can get him cheaper or simply offer him a pre-contract to sign in 6 months at the end of the season. There will be one center midfielder coming in in january. The young prodigy Bodmer or Javier Mascherano, despite his poor form this season. One of which will be purchased for a figure of around 5-8 million pounds. Also, expect an offer for a winger, most likely a right winger because of Pennant's lacklustre form this season. Expect a offer to Vicente too and Paul Anderson will get more and more first team games after January.
=RC=

[Red Chilli]

Who wrote that Shaggy?

[Shaggy]

Nabbed it from www.football-rumours.com

[tomasjj]

Who wrote that Shaggy?

AFII and the Milkman, sitting on top of each other.

[Shaggy]

AFII and the Milkman, sitting on top of each other.

[Red_Polo]

AFII and the Milkman, sitting on top of each other.

ROFL what a thought

[keniget]

Hmmm...

I'd see it in this order:

1. Goalscorer
2. Backup RB
3. RW
4. Backup CM

I don't think we need to be shopping around for a LB just yet.

[Red Chilli]

AFII and the Milkman, sitting on top of each other.

You laugh, but I read a post by AFII today suggesting Van der Vaart might be a target

Not even kurtangle would believe that lot.

[tomasjj]

ROFL what a thought

Your simultaneous act earlier inspired me.

[Morph]

Wouldn't mind maxi rodriguez, but it's all pie in the sky until we know whats going to happen by the summer.