Scott Carson heads for Liverpool exit
Jul 11 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo
SCOTT CARSON is set to depart Anfield as Rafa Benitez attempts to raise the funds he needs to make an offer for top target Robbie Keane.
The England international keeper is likely to follow Danny Guthrie through the exit door after Liverpool accepted an offer from Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle for the midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Bolton.
Guthrie will now hold talks with Keegan and if personal terms can be agreed the deal will give the 21-year-old the first team football he craves but was unable to secure at Anfield.
Liverpool have two offers on the table from rival Premiership clubs for Carson, who is keen to quit the Reds after spending last season on loan at Aston Villa, and Benitez is happy to do business.
New £3m signing Diego Cavalieri will provide back- up to Pepe Reina in the coming season, making Carson surplus to requirements.
Carson joined Liverpool from Leeds for £750,000 in January 2005 after being earmarked as a potential England keeper of the future.
He has since gone on to win international honours for his country but has found his progress at Anfield thwarted by the presence of Reina, who has developed into one of Europe’s most highly rated keepers.
Villa paid a fee in the region of £2m to loan Carson last season, but Martin O’Neill has not followed up his initial interest in making the deal permanent and the 22-year-old will now move elsewhere.
Without having a substantial transfer kitty at his disposal, Benitez knows he must sell a number of fringe players if he is to be able to come up with the kind of offer which would tempt Spurs to do business for Keane.
Spurs boss Juande Ramos is not looking to sell his captain, who is a hero to the White Hart Lane fans, but with Keane looking to make a move to the club he supported as a boy he may have no option but to do a deal if Benitez makes a sizeable offer.
Benitez, though, is not willing to offer the £20m Ramos is believed to be holding out for and has other targets in mind should Keane’s price tag prove prohibitive.
The Reds boss is looking for a traditional “number seven” to provide a link between his midfield and front man Fernando Torres and believes Keane has the game intelligence to fill such a role.
“Keane is clearly a player that has game intelligence,” said Benitez. “We're looking for players with the right quality and I think we'll find some in the next few days, although not necessarily the names that everybody knows.”
Peter Crouch, who partnered Torres on occasion last season, will today complete his £11m move to Portsmouth.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s reserve team ranks have been supplemented by the signing of another youngster from abroad.
Vincent Lucas Weijl, a 17-year-old forward who came through the academy at AZ Alkmaar, has signed a three year contract.
Jul 11 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo
SCOTT CARSON is set to depart Anfield as Rafa Benitez attempts to raise the funds he needs to make an offer for top target Robbie Keane.
The England international keeper is likely to follow Danny Guthrie through the exit door after Liverpool accepted an offer from Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle for the midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Bolton.
Guthrie will now hold talks with Keegan and if personal terms can be agreed the deal will give the 21-year-old the first team football he craves but was unable to secure at Anfield.
Liverpool have two offers on the table from rival Premiership clubs for Carson, who is keen to quit the Reds after spending last season on loan at Aston Villa, and Benitez is happy to do business.
New £3m signing Diego Cavalieri will provide back- up to Pepe Reina in the coming season, making Carson surplus to requirements.
Carson joined Liverpool from Leeds for £750,000 in January 2005 after being earmarked as a potential England keeper of the future.
He has since gone on to win international honours for his country but has found his progress at Anfield thwarted by the presence of Reina, who has developed into one of Europe’s most highly rated keepers.
Villa paid a fee in the region of £2m to loan Carson last season, but Martin O’Neill has not followed up his initial interest in making the deal permanent and the 22-year-old will now move elsewhere.
Without having a substantial transfer kitty at his disposal, Benitez knows he must sell a number of fringe players if he is to be able to come up with the kind of offer which would tempt Spurs to do business for Keane.
Spurs boss Juande Ramos is not looking to sell his captain, who is a hero to the White Hart Lane fans, but with Keane looking to make a move to the club he supported as a boy he may have no option but to do a deal if Benitez makes a sizeable offer.
Benitez, though, is not willing to offer the £20m Ramos is believed to be holding out for and has other targets in mind should Keane’s price tag prove prohibitive.
The Reds boss is looking for a traditional “number seven” to provide a link between his midfield and front man Fernando Torres and believes Keane has the game intelligence to fill such a role.
“Keane is clearly a player that has game intelligence,” said Benitez. “We're looking for players with the right quality and I think we'll find some in the next few days, although not necessarily the names that everybody knows.”
Peter Crouch, who partnered Torres on occasion last season, will today complete his £11m move to Portsmouth.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s reserve team ranks have been supplemented by the signing of another youngster from abroad.
Vincent Lucas Weijl, a 17-year-old forward who came through the academy at AZ Alkmaar, has signed a three year contract.
That makes me think either it's two mid-to-lower ranked teams he might be reluctant to join or we're talking about not getting the kind of money for him we had previously hoped. I'm think we screwed up with Carson, we should have sold him last summer rather than loan him, his value has plummeted in a year thanks to that disastrous England performance. Hindsight eh?
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