Liverpool FC face £4.4million bill for Alberto Aquilani

[Parr_Zee]

Two points:

1/ I remain sceptical that the box-to-box role exists in any meaningful way in top teams. To me it implies the desperate tactical ineptitude and helter skelter brilliance of the likes of Jimmy Bullard. Fine for a relegation scrap but less impressive if you intend to win things.

2/ I tend to agree with Lecter that any midfield we could field with Meireles and Aquilani would look to lack strength on the ball and tackling proficiency. Neither of them strike me as great pressers of the ball either - although that could be wrong. Also neither have shown themselves capable of directing the flow of a PL game - something I think we really lake.

I think one of the lessons of recent PL seasons has been that you need, at least the option of, a physically strong central unit to get through the weight of games. So far no team has succeeded in implementing a purely pressing based strategy (such as the Barcelona model). To me it would be a big risk going into a season looking to make a midfield from Lucas, Aquilani and Meireles for a lot of PL games - even if I can theoretically see how it might work.

In answer to your points:

1) Michael Essien
2) I'm not advocating a midfeild of Mereiles AND Aquilani, i'm suggesting that it would be either or.

[Fernandinho]

Lucas, Gerrard and Aquilani at home I can see. Lucas as the main ball winner, Gerrard can get stuck in too. We would need to dominate possession but.

[dww]

In answer to your points:

1) Michael Essien
2) I'm not advocating a midfeild of Mereiles AND Aquilani, i'm suggesting that it would be either or.

1) I'm not sure Essien really played in that way. He had qualities at both ends of the pitch but tended to either have a holding midfielder behind him or play as a holding midfield player in my recollections.

2) That could work - although it seems to be two similar options which require balancing in the rest of the team. It also wouldn't really fit with Adam being a target.

[Mostar]

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

That was almost the same argument last year as we had also J. Cole in rotation and given the injuries we had he could have played over 20+ games if he wasn't loaned.

Personally I would like to see him back as I don't think he ever was given the proper chance and I would like to see more competition for each and every position.

That said, realistically I don't think he is coming back.

I read yesterday that his agent now openly invited Milan to sign him and Aqua man expressed the desire to stay so everything points that he'll stay in Italy.

Also there are rumours that we could potentially extend his loan with Juve for one more year and in the process avoid paying him 4.4m salary next year and force Juve to sign guaranteed buyout agreement for 12m euros a year after.

[Exiled_red]

When it looks like we could only be getting £6-10m for Aquilani and spending close to £20m on Henderson or McCarthy I think there is perhaps something to be said for re-considering the future of Aquilani...

As people have said he couldn't really play with Meireles in midfield as that would leave us light weight in there but IMO I'd rather have Adam, Aquilani and £15m extra to spend than sell Aquilani and buying both Adam and Henderson/McCarthy

[Lee]

When it looks like we could only be getting £6-10m for Aquilani and spending close to £20m on Henderson or McCarthy I think there is perhaps something to be said for re-considering the future of Aquilani...

As people have said he couldn't really play with Meireles in midfield as that would leave us light weight in there but IMO I'd rather have Adam, Aquilani and £15m extra to spend than sell Aquilani and buying both Adam and Henderson/McCarthy

Definitely.

[Nick77]

What a stupid ****en deal if true - he hasn't played for us for a whole season, we didn't win anything & didn't qualify for Europe - so why the hell would another instalment be triggered?! Whoever did this deal should never be allowed near a football club again imo ffs!

[Alex]

What a stupid ****en deal if true - he hasn't played for us for a whole season, we didn't win anything & didn't qualify for Europe - so why the hell would another instalment be triggered?! Whoever did this deal should never be allowed a football club again imo ffs!

Cristiannnnnnnnnnnnn Purrrrrrrrrsssssslowwwwwwwww

[dww]

Surely many/most deals are paid out over time like this? I tend to think that people analyse this sort of detail in the few cases when it becomes public knowledge and of interest to your team.

[Exiled_red]

What a stupid ****en deal if true - he hasn't played for us for a whole season, we didn't win anything & didn't qualify for Europe - so why the hell would another instalment be triggered?! Whoever did this deal should never be allowed near a football club again imo ffs!

We agreed to pay the full fee over a couple of years, the payment wasn't triggered as such it's just a 'buy now pay later deal' really. The deal should have been more performance related but the people running the club at the time were stupid

[Yozza]

As well as the utter insanity of letting him go out on loan for nothing, and essentially swapping him for Poulsen, we replaced him with Meireles who is pretty much the same type of player. Bit harder, less skillful.

Cheers you scratchy faced old cunt

Agreed but corrected your one error

[Mostar]

Surely many/most deals are paid out over time like this? I tend to think that people analyse this sort of detail in the few cases when it becomes public knowledge and of interest to your team.

Really nothing unusual here.

[Mostar]

http://forums.lfconline.com/showthread.php?t=134663

Juve will only offer £6million for Kop flop Aquilani

Liverpool have been told by Juventus that they are only prepared to offer £6million for Kop flop Alberto Aquilani.

The Reds are keen to cut their losses on Aquilani after farming him out on loan to Juve last season and were hoping the Turin club would take up the option of buying the Italian midfielder for £14million before the May 15 deadline.

However Juve failed to activate this clause and say they will only pay £6million to make Aquilani's move permanent, even though he still has three years left on his £80,000-a-week Anfield contract.

Liverpool are in a weak bargaining position and they do not want Aquilani back at Anfield as they close in on Sunderland's Jordan Henderson to rebuild their midfield.

They are also due to pay Roma the final £4.4million instalment of Aquilani's fee on June 30, taking his price to £17.6million.

Rafa Benitez's most expensive mistake has made just 28 appearances for Liverpool - the last coming in August - costing the Reds a staggering £630,000 per game.

Aqulani's agent, Franco Zavaglia, is hopeful a compromise deal can be reached with Juve and the former Azzurri star is keen to return to Turin.

Zavaglia also tried to talk up interest from AC Milan, although Liverpool are not sure if it is genuine.

"All season Juventus have always given me the necessary guarantees that they want to keep Alberto," he said.

"The next 24 hours will be decisive. Any eventual economic agreements will follow after Juventus make their decision.

"If Juventus can't do a deal for Alberto and he has to return to Liverpool, then Milan would certainly be a destination that he would accept."

[Vermilion]

Tell em to **** right off, bring him back here.

[Assassin]

At the end of the day, if we do not want him back. £6 mill is better than nothing. The money is already spent, so the losses are taken accounted for