Comolli - More to come

[ArneSlot4PM]

Comolli - More to come

Liverpool chief Damien Comolli insists that Jordan Henderson is just the start of the club's summer spending.

The England midfielder arrived from Sunderland this week in a £20million deal and is the third major signing under Kenny Dalglish's new tenure after the big-money arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in January.

Now the Reds' director of football has said there is more to come.

"We wanted to make a signing early. The earlier the better because we can then re-adjust our strategy or decide we aren't going to do any more - which won't be the case now!" Comolli insisted.

"I'm very pleased, because Jordan was one of the big targets we had. When you get your first target it's always a good sign because you think the others will come through as well."

British is best
And Comolli also revealed that British experience is preferable to them over foreign buys.

"If a player is English, or British or has played in the Premier League, we'll look at that over someone abroad," confirmed Comolli.

"We go for a player because he ticks all the boxes. It's what we need at this time in this window, and we have seen that with Henderson."

 

[Avmenon]

Ok, I know I should probably put this in the Henderson thread.

But can someone smarter than me tell me why Henderson was one of the 'big targets'?..this is not having a go, I'd really like to know.

It seems to me that we'd have been better splashing the cash on the flanks or LB, hell, even the striking and CB positions strikes me as being more important than another CM.

Yes, I know we havent stopped spending and will probably address those areas. But I'm just trying to see why Henderson was the priority?

 

[mark1975]

He does say he was "one of the big targets we had", not THE priority.

The only way it's justifiable really though is if we have a wedge to spend. I hope this lad turns out to be top quality in the longterm.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=45700.msg1347402#msg1347402 date=1307780798]
Comolli - More to come
[/quote]

That's a relief

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

[quote author=Avvy link=topic=45700.msg1347414#msg1347414 date=1307782523]
Ok, I know I should probably put this in the Henderson thread.

But can someone smarter than me tell me why Henderson was one of the 'big targets'?..this is not having a go, I'd really like to know.

It seems to me that we'd have been better splashing the cash on the flanks or LB, hell, even the striking and CB positions strikes me as being more important than another CM.

Yes, I know we havent stopped spending and will probably address those areas. But I'm just trying to see why Henderson was the priority?
[/quote]

I'm not sure why you'd think he wasn't one of our big targets after we spent that much money on him. As Mark said, he may not have been the priority, but he was obviously one of our main targets.

 

[Judge Jules]

I don't think Avvy's doubting that. He's questioning whether it was justified.

 

[ILD]

British come's first?

Downing over Mata then? Damn.

 

[Judge Jules]

Doesn't necessarily mean we'll buy British every time - in fact I'm sure we won't. Comolli's saying that it will be their preference, but not that they'll only buy British.

 

[FoxForceFive]

This is an odd move IMO. It seems more aimed at people who may be mulling over buying their tickets in advance than anyone else.

Why else would you openly advertise you're looking at inviting heavily in one particular brand of player. In negotiating terms it's suicidal. Unless we have some high profile foreign players we are looking at that we wanna look as they're our second or third choice when in reality they aren't.

 

[Hansern]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=45700.msg1347469#msg1347469 date=1307792507]
British come's first?

Downing over Mata then? Damn.
[/quote]

Nah, I think what he means is that they will look at British players first because that window is open. When we've gotten our targets here we'll move on across Europe as that window opens 1 july. At least that I what I've read about their strategy.

We'll sign Mata mate. 🙂

 

[the count]

[quote author=Hansern link=topic=45700.msg1347474#msg1347474 date=1307793084]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=45700.msg1347469#msg1347469 date=1307792507]
British come's first?

Downing over Mata then? Damn.
[/quote]

Nah, I think what he means is that they will look at British players first because that window is open. When we've gotten our targets here we'll move on across Europe as that window opens 1 july. At least that I what I've read about their strategy.

We'll sign Mata mate. 🙂
[/quote]According to reports in Spain Juan Mata looks set to be the next big signing to arrive at Anfield as Liverpool switch their sights to the wings after completing the signing of Midfielder Jordan Henderson.

The 23 year old Spaniard has spent the last four seasons with Valencia after arriving at the Mestalla Stadium from the Real Madrid B team however he has long been linked with a move to Liverpool firstly under Rafa Benitez and now under Kenny Dalglish.

Mata would add some genuine creativity to the wing, something that has been missing at Anfield for a long time, and last season scored 8 goals and created 12 as Valencia claimed 3rd spot in Spain despite selling David Silva and David Villa.

Mata is rated around the 20 million mark and given that Liverpool appears to have a sizeable transfer budget this summer, a move could be on the cards.

Mata is currently on duty with the Spanish under 21 side at the UEFA under-21 European Championship, where he is tipped to one of the stars of the show.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Dont think it be mata and Downing though, all signs are british players

 

[Judge Jules]

Not "all" signs. Brits will be preferred to begin with, but not if there turns out to be a better buy elsewhere.

You may well be right that we won't get both Mata and Downing though, now that Henderson's arrived. Hopefully Downing will have been just a smokescreen.

 

[Avmenon]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting in quality.

Just a bit surprised at the apparent priorities

We're just maybe three players from a very strong side.

 

[Hansern]

Seeing as both Mata and Downing can play on the right aswell, and that we dont have proper winger in the squad. I think we'll sign both.

 

[Judge Jules]

We have Henderson, who started out as a RM which, some Sunderland fans reckon, is still his best position. Given also that neither Downing nor Mata plays that much on the right, I'll be a bit surprised if they both arrive.

 

[Molbystwin]

No gossip at all in the Valencia bars about mata leaving.... nothing nada zip.

I don't rate him anywhere as good as i did Silva tbh...

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I think Comolli aims to get quality in whatever position, and doesn't think of the team. If he sees a quality player that's good value he'll recommend him. I don't see anything wrong with this as long as we don't overload a certain position, which I don't think we'd do. United have two quality centre backs and it hasn't stopped them spending close to 30m on two more.

If quality players are available then we should get them. If we have a problem position, and there are no players out there worth buying, I'd prefer we buy no one, rather than getting a Pennant just to fill a gap.

 

[RolandG]

With Citeh chasing Modric, Silva may be available?

 

[ILD]

[quote author=RolandG link=topic=45700.msg1347523#msg1347523 date=1307802774]
With Citeh chasing Modric, Silva may be available?
[/quote]
Are City after Modric? Any links. I hope they at least drive up the price or any potential bid from United.

City won't sell Silva. He was very good for them last year and we're a potential rival for top 4.

 

[RolandG]

Manchester: Manchester City are set to spark a three-way auction for Luka Modric after declaring their intent to sign the Tottenham midfielder.

Roberto Mancini has identified the skilful Croat as the creative talent who can help spearhead City's assault on the Champions League and Barclays Premier League title next season and is ready to start the bidding at around £30 million (Dh179 million).

But the Italian won't have an easy run to Modric as Chelsea and Manchester United are determined to sign the 25-year-old.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, in particular, is an admirer of Modric and will match City all the way in a bidding war that Tottenham will find hard to resist.

Sir Alex Ferguson fears being priced out of the move as he lines up other targets, with City ready to treble Modric's £55,000-a-week salary and Abramovich set on Champions League success.

Harry Redknapp has branded Modric "irreplaceable" and chairman Daniel Levy insists no stars will be sold this summer as he again fights to qualify for Europe.

But his failure to do so this year has left Spurs vulnerable to bids.

Modric said: "If there will be an offer which will be good for Tottenham and for me also, then a transfer is of course possible."

Transfers

He again failed to commit to the club yesterday, saying: "I'm a Tottenham player and will be in London on July 7 to begin preparing for the season, but I want to say that transfers could occur later."

Chelsea and City are also set to go head to head for Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore, 21, who yesterday said he wanted to quit Italy.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini said he had "given up" on the £40 million-rated Argentine.

Arsenal and Spurs were last night vying to sign Lille forward Gervinho. Lille general manager Frederic Paquet said: "We received an offer of €2 million from Tottenham which was refused." The bid has pushed Arsenal into action in the race to sign the 24-year-old.

Yohan Cabaye has signed for Newcastle on a five-year deal.

The France international had been closely linked with the Magpies since helping Lille to a league and cup double.

The highly rated 25-year-old made his international debut against Norway in August last year.

Bayern Munich have followed up their interest in Tranmere's Dale Jennings, 18, with an offer. Jennings is desperate to join the Germans but is being forced to wait as the clubs agree a fee. Jennings has one year left on his contract and has interested Premier League and Championship clubs but Bayern are willing to strike a deal based on appearances. Bayern, who are hopeful of signing Manchester City's Jerome Boateng, have also been linked with Reading striker Shane Long.

 

[King Binny]

LIVERPOOL’S American owners have given their full support for Kenny Dalglish to complete the biggest spending spree in the club’s long history.

Jordan Henderson has already been signed in a £16million deal – and there could be another £62m splashed in the next few weeks.

US-based John W Henry and Tom Werner were delighted with Dalglish’s performance in powering to a top-six finish after a disastrous start under Roy Hodgson.

And now they are financially supporting Dalglish like no other Liverpool manager in a determined attempt to get back into the Champions League next year.

Rafa Benitez burned a huge hole in his cheque book with the £65m captures of Ryan Babel, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano back in 2007.

But Dalglish’s huge outlay will blow that spree out of the water in a summer of big spending. Sources close to Dalglish say he has decided SIX new faces will be at Anfield before the start of the season.

And if the canny Scot decides to go ahead with his plans to bring in a young understudy goalkeeper to Pepe Reina, it could even make seven.

Winger Stewart Downing is next in line, with a £20m cheque winging its way to Aston Villa. Blackpool’s Charlie Adam is an £8m cert and Ipswich’s Connor Wickham, currently with England Under-21s, is a £10m target.

Newcastle’s left-back Jose Enrique would be up next and there will be a straight choice between Birmingham’s £8m
defender Scott Dann and Bolton’s Gary Cahill, who would cost £16m.

That would mean Daniel Agger going out the exit door, with Italian giants Juventus showing early interest for the £10m centre-back.

 

[Mistadobalina]

Maybe British as a priority he means we signed Henderson over M'Vila ,who i think he had also been to watch a few times.

I dunno if that is wise, id rather just sign the better player, regardless of where hes from.

 

[Judge Jules]

Depends. Player A may be better at the moment but Player B may be the better prospect for the future, for whatever reason.

Incidentally, if Juve want to give us £10 mill.for Agger maybe we can negotiate a price for him and Aquilani as a job lot. Even if not and we're looking at a deal for Agger alone, SELL SELL SELL.

 

[Judge Jules]

Tony Evans (Assistant Editor of "The Times&quot😉 is saying on TalkSport this morning that there will be between 2 and 4 more signings, and that at least some may well happen next week because Kenny wants to fetch them in pronto, in order to have a good long time to work with them before the new season starts.

 

[dmishra]

There better be a marquee in there though.

 

[zlatan18]

Downing - 15mil
Adam - 8mil
Wickham - 10mil
Enrique - 7mil
Cahill - 15mil
Henderson - 19mil
Doni - 1mil

75mil and our team would be improved greatly with options all over the pitch

GK: Reina/Doni/Gulasci

RB: Johnson/Kelly/Flanagan
CB: Carragher/Skrtel/Agger/Cahill/Kelly/Ayala
LB: Enrique/Aurelio/Robinson

RM: Henderson/Kuyt/Downing/Maxi
CM: Gerrard/Meireles/Henderson/Lucas/Adam/Shelvey/Spearing
LM: Downing/Henderson/Maxi

ST: Carroll/Suarez/Wickham/Kuyt/Pacheco

Cant say id be too upset about that.

In saying that, obviously if we got these ones in i'd be much happier

Baines
Cahill
Mata
Hazard
Wickham
Henderson

 

[King Binny]

“You’re seeing the desire to win and the desire to compete in the transfer market,” Billy Hogan, managing director of Fenway Sports Marketing, the group’s commercial arm, said in an interview. “We would expect to have a couple more additions as the summer progresses.”

“Damian and Kenny have certainly been clear about the desire to add talent where they can,” Hogan added.

Hogan said the method mirrors his company’s strategy at the Red Sox.

“When the ownership group acquired the Red Sox 10 years ago, one of the focuses was to develop the youth and in particular our farm system,” he said. “That ultimately is where the Red Sox have been able to compete by bringing in what we call homegrown talent: young and talented baseball players that were grown within our minor league system. That’s certainly something that holds true across the organizations. We’re always looking for young talent.”

The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, ending an 86-year title drought, and took the championship again in 2007.

Liverpool was the dominant English team in the 1970s and 80s and has since been usurped by Manchester United. The Red Devils added their record 19th league title last month, the 12th under manager Alex Ferguson. Liverpool finished in sixth place, meaning it will miss out on Europe’s elite Champions League for the second straight year.

Although the team’s focus will be on “winning”, setting targets publicly isn’t the way FSG does its business, Hogan said.

“We don’t like to over promise and under deliver,” he said. “Our goal is to always win.”

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I think once our summer spending is done, there'll be the echo of a massive Meh.

 

[Holle]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=45700.msg1347473#msg1347473 date=1307792951]
This is an odd move IMO. It seems more aimed at people who may be mulling over buying their tickets in advance than anyone else.

Why else would you openly advertise you're looking at inviting heavily in one particular brand of player. In negotiating terms it's suicidal. Unless we have some high profile foreign players we are looking at that we wanna look as they're our second or third choice when in reality they aren't.
[/quote]

Either that or you've already finished negotiating and tied up a deal.