On a busy day at Melwood training ground Rafa Benitez revealed Liverpool have signed a goalkeeper, and he promised ‘at least one striker’ would follow.
Benitez has been extremely busy in the transfer market, wheeling and dealing to bring in Philipp Degen and Andrea Dossena, while contact has been confirmed for Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.
Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri will arrive for £3 million, Benitez confirmed on Thursday, before all attentions are turned to the top end of the pitch.
Having admitted that Keane is a target but David Villa is not, the Liverpool boss guaranteed Reds fans that a new striker will arrive at Anfield before the start of the new season.
"Everyone knows what our ideas are and what players we want. We are working hard with different names now, and at the moment that is not (David) Villa,” Benitez confirmed.
"We will have another main striker before the season starts, maybe two.
"The fans must trust us, we are working hard during the summer with a lot of people in different countries working for us.
"We have a new keeper. And we are looking for a lot of players for the right price.”
Thursday, 10 July 2008
ALONSO - LATEST
Rafa Benitez has hinted that he still intends for Xabi Alonso to leave Liverpool this summer, telling the gathered media ‘he knows my ideas and he knows why’.
Alonso has been the £14 million target of Juventus all season, in a deal that would facilitate Liverpool’s £17 million move for Gareth Barry.
The Reds want closer to £16 million for their Spanish midfielder, which has caused The Old Lady to stall on the transfer.
It now appears Alonso’s move may collapse, a situation that does not seem very satisfactory to Benitez.
"The situation with Alonso has not changed. Juventus made an offer that was not good enough and now we are just waiting,” he explained.
“I do not know, really, whether that will go through.
"Xabi wants to stay because he is happy here but he also knows that Juventus is a top side.
“I have talked to him, he knows my ideas and he knows why. So we will try to find a solution for him, for us, and the best for the club."
Benitez did reveal that all his signings will be made by using funds from the sales of others, and Alonso would certainly be the most lucrative departure for The Reds.
"We know the situation regarding what we can spend, and we are trying to find solutions if we do not have enough money.
"And we will still try to sign players that will make us better. But if you do not have too much money, and that is clear, we will have to have a little bit of imagination to progress in the market.”
Alonso has been the £14 million target of Juventus all season, in a deal that would facilitate Liverpool’s £17 million move for Gareth Barry.
The Reds want closer to £16 million for their Spanish midfielder, which has caused The Old Lady to stall on the transfer.
It now appears Alonso’s move may collapse, a situation that does not seem very satisfactory to Benitez.
"The situation with Alonso has not changed. Juventus made an offer that was not good enough and now we are just waiting,” he explained.
“I do not know, really, whether that will go through.
"Xabi wants to stay because he is happy here but he also knows that Juventus is a top side.
“I have talked to him, he knows my ideas and he knows why. So we will try to find a solution for him, for us, and the best for the club."
Benitez did reveal that all his signings will be made by using funds from the sales of others, and Alonso would certainly be the most lucrative departure for The Reds.
"We know the situation regarding what we can spend, and we are trying to find solutions if we do not have enough money.
"And we will still try to sign players that will make us better. But if you do not have too much money, and that is clear, we will have to have a little bit of imagination to progress in the market.”
BITTER SWEET RETURN TO TRAINING FOR BABEL
Ryan Babel has returned to training after recovering from the ankle injury that forced him out of Euro 2008.
While that's good news, it could mean we face another problem because if fit, he will almost certainly be selected to represent Holland in the Beijing Olympics.
Confirming the situation, Rafa said: "Obviously, we are really pleased that Ryan is coming back to training because he is an important player for us and he has worked hard to recover from the injury he suffered with Holland.
"But we are really worried because after getting him fit it is likely that we could lose him again if he is selected for the Olympics. This is a big problem – we prepare him and then he goes away with the national team.
"This season is very important for him. In his first season he was settling in but this time he has more experience and we are looking for him to give something from the beginning, so it is really important for him to start working with his team.
"This is a strange pre-season because we have to wait for players to return from the Euros at the start and then at the end we are going to lose players to the Olympics."
While that's good news, it could mean we face another problem because if fit, he will almost certainly be selected to represent Holland in the Beijing Olympics.
Confirming the situation, Rafa said: "Obviously, we are really pleased that Ryan is coming back to training because he is an important player for us and he has worked hard to recover from the injury he suffered with Holland.
"But we are really worried because after getting him fit it is likely that we could lose him again if he is selected for the Olympics. This is a big problem – we prepare him and then he goes away with the national team.
"This season is very important for him. In his first season he was settling in but this time he has more experience and we are looking for him to give something from the beginning, so it is really important for him to start working with his team.
"This is a strange pre-season because we have to wait for players to return from the Euros at the start and then at the end we are going to lose players to the Olympics."
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