I thought it would be neater putting the comments in one place rather than scatter them in old ones, so here goes:
INCE:
The Ince situation has quietened down significantly since January. The feeling there was that a deal which would have cost Liverpool around £4m (given the well-documented sell-on clause) would have made sound business sense. But Blackpool were unwilling to deal at that price, and with Sterling prominent, Ibe developing and Coutinho available, the deal was deemed dead. Nothing I have heard since suggests it will be revived. Though that can change, of course.
TOURE:
I think Rodgers' thoughts behind this signing is to provide an experienced player who can cover in two positions. Toure's age is a little overstated, in my opinion. He is only 32. Younger than Jamie Carragher. He did well for Manchester City last season, has good physical attributes and a strong character. I think it's a smart signing, though I'd be surprised if he was first choice.
MKHITARYAN
The info we have is that Mkhitaryan is more likely to be a replacement for Suarez, rather than a supplement. Liverpool see the Armenian is an "ambitious" target, and know that they will face quite a fight to get him. I think a team with both Suarez and Mkhitaryan would be very interesting, but I have doubts whether it will actually happen.
INS vs OUTS
Are signings dependent on sales? I wouldn't say dependant, as Liverpool have long aimed to be busy this summer. But of course an extra X amount of millions will help a club to strengthen its squad. That figure could be as high as £70m, remember. You can do a lot with £70m.
LUIS ALBERTO
The deal for Luis Alberto has been mooted for some time, and it is true that Liverpool are very keen to sign the player. They don't envisage any problems now Barcelona have dropped out of the running (that was the only delay to a deal) and a deal could go through this week.
SHELVEY & DOWNING
No 'news' as such on those two, but I think it's pretty clear that, if you look around the current squad, they are two of the more 'disposable' players. My feeling is that Shelvey, given his age and nationality, would command a decent fee and would have a few suitors as well. I could see both leaving, though if I was honest I would say Downing represents a good squad player.
SUAREZ'S RELEASE CLAUSE
Suarez's contract clause is a complex one. A clause does exist, but it iis not one which would force Liverpool to sell, only to negotiate. Sounds a bit strange, but I'm told that it is pretty standard. The 'negotiation fee' is in excess of £40m.
As for the deals, Liverpool are working on deals for Tiago Ilori, Luis Alberto and Simon Mignolet this week. There are also a couple of players close to joining at youth level, mainly from Spain. The deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan is likely to take a little bit more negotiating, though Liverpool are confident they can make some progress on that, despite competition from elsewhere.
INCE:
The Ince situation has quietened down significantly since January. The feeling there was that a deal which would have cost Liverpool around £4m (given the well-documented sell-on clause) would have made sound business sense. But Blackpool were unwilling to deal at that price, and with Sterling prominent, Ibe developing and Coutinho available, the deal was deemed dead. Nothing I have heard since suggests it will be revived. Though that can change, of course.
TOURE:
I think Rodgers' thoughts behind this signing is to provide an experienced player who can cover in two positions. Toure's age is a little overstated, in my opinion. He is only 32. Younger than Jamie Carragher. He did well for Manchester City last season, has good physical attributes and a strong character. I think it's a smart signing, though I'd be surprised if he was first choice.
MKHITARYAN
The info we have is that Mkhitaryan is more likely to be a replacement for Suarez, rather than a supplement. Liverpool see the Armenian is an "ambitious" target, and know that they will face quite a fight to get him. I think a team with both Suarez and Mkhitaryan would be very interesting, but I have doubts whether it will actually happen.
INS vs OUTS
Are signings dependent on sales? I wouldn't say dependant, as Liverpool have long aimed to be busy this summer. But of course an extra X amount of millions will help a club to strengthen its squad. That figure could be as high as £70m, remember. You can do a lot with £70m.
LUIS ALBERTO
The deal for Luis Alberto has been mooted for some time, and it is true that Liverpool are very keen to sign the player. They don't envisage any problems now Barcelona have dropped out of the running (that was the only delay to a deal) and a deal could go through this week.
SHELVEY & DOWNING
No 'news' as such on those two, but I think it's pretty clear that, if you look around the current squad, they are two of the more 'disposable' players. My feeling is that Shelvey, given his age and nationality, would command a decent fee and would have a few suitors as well. I could see both leaving, though if I was honest I would say Downing represents a good squad player.
SUAREZ'S RELEASE CLAUSE
Suarez's contract clause is a complex one. A clause does exist, but it iis not one which would force Liverpool to sell, only to negotiate. Sounds a bit strange, but I'm told that it is pretty standard. The 'negotiation fee' is in excess of £40m.
As for the deals, Liverpool are working on deals for Tiago Ilori, Luis Alberto and Simon Mignolet this week. There are also a couple of players close to joining at youth level, mainly from Spain. The deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan is likely to take a little bit more negotiating, though Liverpool are confident they can make some progress on that, despite competition from elsewhere.
