Rafa to launch £15m bid for D.Bent

[Johnny]

He would be a big gamble after being out injured over a year.

Just like saint Michael...................

[greystoneslfc]

He would be a big gamble after being out injured over a year.

[AFII]

And Owen...?

I have already said that and I agree.

I wouldn't sign only Owen or Ashton. If we signed any of them then we would need to sign another striker. To big risk signing just one of them.

[greystoneslfc]

He would be a big gamble after being out injured over a year.

So was Morientes, a 'world class' striker. Ashton is, what, 22/23? If he doesn't work out he can always be sold.

[Abro100]

Being honest, when West Ham go down, they wont keep Teves. Ashton wont go i dont think, not after them investing so much money on him. No other club will pay big money after that injury, he will be well short of fitness and West Ham will probably come back up. Championship will be good for him to get his touch back, if he does do well there is always January for him.
He is only young he wont be jumping ship too many times just yet, he has no need to.

[theriotact]

This is a good thread. I agree that a big money european signing is a risk but big risks are what we need to take. There is no point having a sack full of cash and spreading it thinly on people like Bent. He is good. Does he excite anyone? Not I. Tevez? We need people that frighten the opposition. When we line up they need to think, ****...he can hurt us.

If we want to win the league we need to think BIG. Not medium sized. Cisse was an example of us thinking big and it didn't work out but it didn't bankrupt us so we pick ourselves up and start again. As was Morientes.

We have a good squad and a good team already so splashing loads of cash on maybe three world class players can not make us worse. I think the Bent rumours are made up specualtion. I hope so because it is a step in the wrong direction.

[SouthAfricaRed]

are we after an exciting striker though??

i was under the impression that people want a pure goal poacher, someone who puts anything that comes his way into the back of the net ona regular basis. IMO Bent could well be this player. He is fast, can head the ball well, and has a good shot on him.

We need the excitment on the wings IMO

Agree Bent can do a job at Anfield. He would compliment Crouch, Kuijt and Bellamy.

He seems a bit injury prone though?

I'd rather spend money on Alves and a Good Left Winger. All our strikers need is service from wide positions

[dirty_sanchez]

He is the fourth best english striker after Owen, Rooney and Crouch so I wouldn't be disappointed if we signed him but if we signed him then we would need to sign another striker because Bent as the only big striker signing would be to much of a gamble.

Scott Carson is the "fourth best English goalkeeper" and he's not good enough for us. I don't get how it would be a gamble to be honest. He's proven that he can play in the Premiership, so he'd be less of a gamble than Villa or Eto'o.

[burntyoungster]

So was Morientes, a 'world class' striker. Ashton is, what, 22/23? If he doesn't work out he can always be sold.

problem is he'd cost a fortune as will anybody because we've telegraphed the fact that we've got big money to spend. west ham supporters seem to single handidly lay the blame for their position on the fact that ashston has been injured(this is bollocks but i've heard it said so often) so that means they think hes a 12 million plus type of player because they bought him for 9, and would value him at more now. he was slow enough to begin with but after the injury i cant see him even getting back to anywhere near the pace we need from a striker. i think crouchie can do what ashton does.
if we did buy ashton and he flopped we'd be lucky to get 5 mill for him, which is far too big a risk as the yanks aren't gonna give us fortunes every summer.
i agree with everyone who says we need a proven premiership player instead of gambling on top talent from other leagues ahich is why, as i said earlier, i think tevez would be great value. i know hes not proven completely yet but i think hes shown enough to suggest he can get better and better.

[DeeTheDog]

The question is:do we buy ready made stars? Darren Bent may become a revelation, playing with better players. Shearer before moving to Blackburn had an average strike rate at Southampton, yet both Ferguson and Dalglish seen enough in him to break the transfer record.

There is a degree of snobbery when it comes to potential signings, I remember when we were linked to Eto'o under Houllier's reign; many posted that they did not want a Real Madrid reject. Many of the world's best players start at mid table teams before a big team takes a gamble on them. Villa was a promising prospect a Zaragoza before Valencia took a risk. Luca Toni was another player we were linked with under Houllier's reign; however, as he had only been scoring goals at lowly Brescia it was routinely dismissed.

Bent is not currently the marquee name we are all hoping for but that does not mean at 23, he could not become a Liverpool legend.

[Reece]

But he has a gay name

[dww]

Bent's a good Premiership player. You'll notice I put "Premiership" in bold. We need more players who can perform in this league. Bent can. Is he worth £15m? No, not for me, but be honest every one, the reason you don't want him is primarily to do with him not being an overhyped big name.

He wouldn't be my first choice I'll admit, but if he's signed I wouldn't be disappointed either, far from it.

I think he would be a good signing if combined with two good attacking, creative midfield players who present a goal threat. He is a very good Premiership player, with in my opinion the potential to improve.

I think we have to look in terms of the combinations of players we will be able to bring in. Bent could work in partnership with all of our existing forwards and up front on his own which makes him potentially an excellent addition to the team/squad.

[SB]

I don't like the look of Bent to be honest. He seems gangly and awkward and we should aim for better players, even if it means splashing £ 25 million on Villa or Eto'o. These players win you championships, Darren Bent is more suited to the Nationwide League than the premiership.

I couldn't agree more Fredo

I've never liked Bent and shudder at the thought of him leading the line for us in the future. I really think that the pressure of playing for a big club would be too much for him to bear TBH. It's just a gut feeling but I can't get past it.

The comments made earlier about Darroono Benato (sp?) are also laughable. Crap is crap in any language I'm affraid.

Not good enough IMO.

[burntyoungster]

I couldn't agree more Fredo

I've never liked Bent and shudder at the thought of him leading the line for us in the future. I really think that the pressure of playing for a big club would be too much for him to bear TBH. It's just a gut feeling but I can't get past it.

The comments made earlier about Darroono Benato (sp?) are also laughable. Crap is crap in any language I'm affraid.

Not good enough IMO.

i agree to, 100%. hes a 6 million pound player at the very most, and if we put a few bob to the fee being asked for bent then we could get 18 goal berbatov from spurs. now thats the kind of signing we should be looking for in the premiership.