Apparently we have 35m euros to spend this January

[Logic]

The Liverpool manager has decided to cash in on Crouch as soon as possible after confirming that he has a £20 million budget to spend on new players in the new year.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...amp;ito=newsnow

 

Sound so much like Don Rafa telling the media exactly how much we have..... doesn't it?

Edited October 7, 2007 by Macca

[Maldini]

Very strange quote from Rafa there, doesn't make sense to say how much you have. Nice to hear were looking to bring in players though

[Magic8Ball]

Benitez loses his patience as he tries to cash in on defiant Crouch

By JOE BERNSTEIN - at 21:14pm on 6th October 2007

 

 

Rafa Benitez is heading for a major fall-out with Peter Crouch as he tries to force the England striker out of Anfield in the January transfer window.

 

The Liverpool manager has decided to cash in on Crouch as soon as possible after confirming that he has a £20 million budget to spend on new players in the new year.

 

But the player, who has 18 months left on his contract, is determined to stay put until the summer unless he gets the right move for his future.

 

Benitez's patience with his centre-forward has finally snapped after Crouch's lacklustre performance in the 1-0 midweek defeat by Marseille and he is unlikely to play against Tottenham today.

 

The manager is irritated by the player's attitude towards his rotation system and his refusal to sign a new deal which would boost his resale value to the club.

 

Not only that, Crouch is looking for his first goal of the season after netting 24 times for club and country last season. Juventus,Real Madrid, Manchester City and Portsmouth are all interested in the 6ft 7in striker but he is prepared to wait until the summer to weigh up his options, particularly as he would be ineligible to play in the Champions League for another team this season.

 

Benitez, who has seen his side score just once in five Premier and Champions League games since hammering Derby 6-0, is ready to bring in new blood and Jon Arne Riise is also on the for-sale list.

 

The Anfield manager said: "We've been working on buying new players since the beginning of September. We do not have problems in the financial area because we have sold a lot of players.We have around 35m euros (£20.7m)."

 

Liverpool would get back the £7m they paid for Crouch if they sold him in January but the fee would drop as his contract started to run down.

 

Benitez admitted he was on the warpath following the Marseille debacle.

 

"We were really bad as a team so the staff and I and the players had to be together. I was really disappointed. And I was angry. But you cannot change anything by being angry.You need to analyse."

LINK

 

 

Insterestingly

 

Anelka yearns for another move to 'big club'

[CarraLegend]

He's never revealed how much we have before so not sure why he'd start now.

 

And Crouch isn't looking for his first goal of the season.

Edited October 6, 2007 by CarraLegend

[MFletcher]

I find it hard to believe that the Don would admit our transfer budget.

 

However, I don't find the gist of the article hard to believe. I reckon Crouch and Riise will both be available in January. Riise only has 18 months left on his contract as well - unless I'm mistaken.

[Guest Snorky]

The Liverpool manager has decided to cash in on Crouch as soon as possible after confirming that he has a £20 million budget to spend on new players in the new year.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...amp;ito=newsnow

 

Sound so much like Don Rafa telling the media exactly how much we have..... doesn't it?

 

Unless the players coming in and out is already agreed

[CarraLegend]

Looks to me like Rafa has probably mentioned we got around 35m euros in sales last Summer and the journo has twisted it

[BG]

Cue formation threads, Quaresma debates, 200 page speculation threads etc etc.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Nice to hear were looking to bring in players though

More players that don't fit the next team rotation then?

[Tyler]

crouch out and klass van huntelaar in was reported this week

 

two and two and getting five i think

 

crouch may leave

he may not

at this stage i doubt he knows himself never mind some journo

[George Costanza]

Over the next 8 months we need to bring in a centreback, left back, left midfielder and a striker/link man as a foil for Torres (more of a creative player than the hard working Kuyt and Voronin)

 

I can see Crouch and Riise being surplus to requirements

[So Cal Red]

Looks to me like Rafa has probably mentioned we got around 35m euros in sales last Summer and the journo has twisted it

 

yeah, thats what i thought too...

 

The Anfield manager said: "We've been working on buying new players since the beginning of September. We do not have problems in the financial area because we have sold a lot of players. We have around 35m euros (£20.7m)."

 

Cue formation threads, Quaresma debates, 200 page speculation threads etc etc.

 

VdV?!

[mooks]

"We were really bad as a team so the staff and I and the players had to be together. I was really disappointed. And I was angry. But you cannot change anything by being angry.You need to analyse."

Thank God we have Rafa as our manager.

 

And I was going to post before Marseille that I predict Babel will be our fourth striker by Christmas and Crouch will be out in January.

Edited October 7, 2007 by mooks

[McBain]

Dont believe for a second that Rafa would spell out our Januray budget. And the Crouch stuff seems to be coming from his agent or advisers again. A few stories knocking around about his desire to stay till the summer and look at his options once his contract is into its last year

[Dan]

Is strange from Rafa. Unless he's been promised those funds (from sales) and is making sure the owners give it to him by putting it out in the public domain. Still, seems odd.

[Sion]

According to the Sunday Mirror :sick:, 3 clubs (Newcastle, Portsmouth and M.City I think it said) are willing to pay £15m for Crouch. If we don't sell for that if we get an offer somebody at our club needs their head checking.

[kop205]

According to the Sunday Mirror :sick:, 3 clubs (Newcastle, Portsmouth and M.City I think it said) are willing to pay £15m for Crouch. If we don't sell for that if we get an offer somebody at our club needs their head checking.

 

Remember hearing somewhere that Portsmouth came in with a big bid pretty much on the last day of the transfer window and the only reason we didn't sell was because there was no time to replace him.

 

No idea how true that is, but if it is then I'd fully expect us to be lining up a replacement to we can let him to go in January.

[McBain]

We dont need to replace him

[meepins]

Who is he going to bring in anyway? The last thing we need are more stop gaps / fill ins who could 'do a job'.

Edited October 7, 2007 by lfc-dub

[Knox_Harrington]

Crouch is gone.

[CarraLegend]

Who is he going to bring in anyway?

 

I'll just give him a ring and ask.

[Sion]

We dont need to replace him

 

I agree. If he goes we should sign a winger with the money (not Quaresma) and use Babel as a 4th striker. Or even better if said new winger could also play upfront.

[Knox_Harrington]

Who is he going to bring in anyway? The last thing we need are more stop gaps / fill ins who could 'do a job'.

He's got options. If he lets Crouch go he can get a wide player in he wants or a link forward in he wants or a striker in he wants. He doesn't need to get a player in who could do a job. Though if the job in question is: "Bang them in" then I'd have whoever can do a job.

 

I'd have a look at Agbonlahor. But I can understand people not wanting him.

[Cam]

Agreed. 3 forwards and some winger-c**-forwards like Babel & Kewell ought to be more than enough. Plus there's always the bizarre idea of using youth team players!

[Cam]

winger-c**-forwards