Liverpool FC face £4.4million bill for Alberto Aquilani

[Bender]

LIVERPOOL are facing a hefty loss on Alberto Aquilani as they prepare to pay Roma the final instalment of his transfer fee.

The Reds have a deadline of June 30 to hand over 5million euros (£4.4milllion) to the Serie A oufit.

That will take the total outlay for Aquilani, who was signed by Rafa Benitez in August 2009, to 20million euros (£17.6million).

Aquilani hasn’t pulled on a Liverpool shirt since the Europa League qualifier against FK Rabotnicki last August and the Italy international is unlikely to play for the club again.

The 26-year-old spent the season on loan at Juventus after an injury-plagued first year at Anfield.

The Reds hoped Juventus would sign Aquilani on a permanent basis but they have so far been unable to agree a deal.

Juve failed to take up their option to buy him for £14million and the ECHO understands they were only willing to offer around £6million.

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[Craig_H]

What a dire signing

[Alex]

You cannot judge a player on the 6months he had for us fit. He was getting better and better. I think he would have proven to be decent signing.

We clearly paid over the odds. But he is no means dire. Dundee was dire, Cheryou was dire. Not Aquilani

[Kenneth]

The player wasn't dire, but considering the cost, it was a dire signing. A panic signing.

[Lee]

What a mess.

Shame, because there's a good player in Aquilani.

[Exiled_red]

This is a non-story for me, we knew this ages ago (that the fee was to be paid in installments and that we'd pay 20m euros), I don't see the point in the Echo raking it up again.

Yes the £17.6m we paid is over the odds but Juventus offer of £6m is a joke the £13-14m proposed fee is probably about right.

[Craig_H]

The player wasn't dire, but considering the cost, it was a dire signing. A panic signing.

Exactly what i said

[Mattshark]

What a mess.

Shame, because there's a good player in Aquilani.

Yes, but thanks to Purslow and Hodgson we will probably never see it.

[Vermilion]

You cannot judge a player on the 6months he had for us fit. He was getting better and better. I think he would have proven to be decent signing.

We clearly paid over the odds. But he is no means dire. Dundee was dire, Cheryou was dire. Not Aquilani

iirc it took Modric nearly a season to settle in at Spurs, a change of manager and some time and look at him now. Very hard to make a true judgement imo.

[Exiled_red]

I think that you could argue that not choosing to charge Juventus a loan fee for the season he was there was as much of a cock up as the fee we paid in the first place. The whole saga has been a shambles from start to finish.

[Kenneth]

I remember when we bought him that I said it could make or break Rafa's tenure. It probably did have a big influence. From the moment it was clear we were spending big on an injured player it was a questionable decision.

[Kenneth]

This is a non-story for me, we knew this ages ago (that the fee was to be paid in installments and that we'd pay 20m euros), I don't see the point in the Echo raking it up again.

Yes the £17.6m we paid is over the odds but Juventus offer of £6m is a joke the £13-14m proposed fee is probably about right.

Well we'll see. If your right we should get offers from other clubs at that price.

[Lecter]

You cannot judge a player on the 6months he had for us fit. He was getting better and better. I think he would have proven to be decent signing.

We clearly paid over the odds. But he is no means dire. Dundee was dire, Cheryou was dire. Not Aquilani

I'd agree in part but I just dont see how he fits into the squad

We already have two attacking midfield players Gerrard & Meirekes

Add in Aquilani that makes 3 how the hell we gonna keep them happy?

Theres no way you can play all 3 and even if you played Aquilani & Meireles who is going to win you possession - because those two wont

The lads a talented player but I'm not convinced hes a fit in our league or with us at this moment

If he hadnt gone last summer things might have been different but he did and I think if he comes back it will be to our / his detriment

[Kenneth]

This is a non-story for me, we knew this ages ago (that the fee was to be paid in installments and that we'd pay 20m euros), I don't see the point in the Echo raking it up again.

Yes the £17.6m we paid is over the odds but Juventus offer of £6m is a joke the £13-14m proposed fee is probably about right.

Well it was posted by Bender

[Neil Young]

I remember when we bought him that I said it could make or break Rafa's tenure. It probably did have a big influence. From the moment it was clear we were spending big on an injured player it was a questionable decision.

Yeah, lucky we haven't done that again.

The point is that sometimes you have to take a risk and risks don't always pay off. To me the error of judgement here is nothing to do with taking a gamble on an injured player nor is it to do with the fee, since if it had worked out he could have been well worth it. The thing is, by the end, even Benitez was appearing to question Aquilani's 'mentality' and that's the kind of thing a proper investigation of a player should suggest, if not show unequivocally.