Liverpool Rumours Archive July 03 2017

03 Jul 2017 22:45:47
I know a female journalist fairly well that works for the well respected kicker magazine in Germany. She is adamant that Keita won't move to Liverpool because Leipzig won't sell.

She said that Spanish clubs were also interested in taking him but their enquiries weren't nowhere. I think she mentioned athletico showed a vague interest.

03 Jul 2017 23:33:24
well if its ath madrid, they have a transfer ban
if its bilbao, keita isn't basque
not a very good journo.

04 Jul 2017 00:33:14
She said it was athleti pre transfer ban.

04 Jul 2017 03:02:31
Hahaha! I don't believe we will get Kieta! But more realistic we will sign him than you knowing any journalist that is not a fragment of your imagination!

04 Jul 2017 07:57:57
The phrase is figment of your imagination, and no need to be so patronising nikp!

04 Jul 2017 10:33:22
So Nikp87, you come on here to read rumours about possible transfers to Liverpool, someone post one and you choose to give that person abuse! Why, what are you gaining from this? And good work on making yourself look a total prat with your incorrect phrase!

Really don't understand why people feel the need to try and belittle those who do post rumours, yes it may be pure fantasy, but they may also be telling the truth and all the abuse will achieve is making them think twice about passing on any information they have.

04 Jul 2017 14:26:54
What I think your trying to say that my journalist friend is a 'figment' of my imagination not a 'fragment' of my imagination. my journalist friend was merely giving her opinion on what she knew which wasn't a hell of a lot and she was explicit about that.

She said athleti had past interest but their transfer ban scuppered any move. She didn't say wether athletico madrids interest was concrete. Again I repeat I'm not an ITK and would never make that claim.

04 Jul 2017 16:00:14
i agree scarface, Its a RUMOURS site, what does everyone expect? would have hated to see all these nay sayers on here a few years back when the rumours were outlandish at best! all part of the fun for me! ha.

04 Jul 2017 16:09:48
after all it is called a RUMOURS site, well said scarface.

04 Jul 2017 16:08:53
Not sure about this journalist friend.

Now if you'd said dentist, I'd be sitting up and listening ;)

04 Jul 2017 16:58:24
This whole site is a fragment of my solipsistic imagination.

03 Jul 2017 12:20:52
Hi eds, if RBL do decide to sell Keita are we the only club to have shown interest or are there others who may try and swoop in?

{Ed002's Note - I understand from an Arsenal scout that the club were looking to make an offer to RBL for Naby Keita in the summer but the lack of Champions League football, the reluctance of RBL to sell and an outrageous asking price if the did decide to sell would likely cause a dent in that plan. He has been looked at by Arsenal on several occasions these past two seasons with interest also being shown by PSG, Chelsea and Dortmund. The prior interest of Bayern Munich waned with the "not for sale" flag and the potential asking price - they don't see the value. There has been interest shown by Liverpool but RBL have twice made it clear that there has been no approach to the club. They are aware that the player became unsettled when Liverpool to the step of using the press to unsettle their targets and they now know that Liverpool have directly approached and spoken to the player. You can expect an offer from Liverpool. Spurs were watching him at the end of the season but no mre. RBL would like him to stay and to extend his contract.}

03 Jul 2017 12:47:56
Are Liverpool not likely to be in very big trouble if we they have spoken to the player (yet again) without RBL's consent? Surely the only way of avoiding yet another complaint is to stump up the cash to buy him and avoid annoying RBL even more.

03 Jul 2017 13:04:51
By reading the words of the eds, a transfer seems highly unlikely unless we are prepared to pay a very steep price.

Do you think Liverpool will be willing to meet the potential asking price?

Thank you.

03 Jul 2017 12:52:08
Many thanks for the detailed response.

03 Jul 2017 12:57:34
So Eds, if we have spoke directly to Keita, then if they wanted to could follow the same stance as Southampton.

Our dealings are nothing short of shambolic at the minute!

{Ed002's Note - Clubs are under no obligation to sell.}

03 Jul 2017 13:44:59
From what i saw of this guy last year he was immense and can get even better with Klopps help. He does a bit of everything and is a future world star.

The price will be what he is worth and at will be between
50-60m into todays market as they don't need the money and we have a solid starting playing who gets beyond his man and moves a team forward with quick incisive thinking and passing, also pops in with a few goals rather than two fairly good players for 40m. I know who i would rather.

03 Jul 2017 13:54:27
Sorry Ed2 I mean with complaints etc and our approach being an illegal one. Surely any more complaints against us and we are in serious hot water.

We are going to make it really difficult for ourselves in the future if we keep acting like this in the market.

I don't understand why we briefed the press on our targets, as clubs will just stop dealing with us (i. e Fulham) . So we must pay the asking price for Keita and move on, knowing us though we will bid £50m and a chocolate bar hoping they will accept!

{Ed002's Note - The briefing was done in order to deliberately unsettle the players.}

03 Jul 2017 15:19:46
I dint see this obsession with kieta, he will cost a fortune and if we buy him I see it as a replacement for Coutinho, who is better. Makes no sense to me.

Baz.

03 Jul 2017 15:32:32
Not at all a replacement for coutinho.

03 Jul 2017 15:42:33
Apperently Keita is the best at packing. The most important pass in the modern game. I hope he signs.

03 Jul 2017 16:04:16
I will be distraught if we sign Kieta and then also give him the no.8 shirt! I don't think we should be kicking out Gini, Can, or Lallana for a player who is on the same level. We are completely sorted in CM and we're as strong as anyone in the league in that department.

Only way the deal makes sense is if Can leaves, or maybe we wait till Can leaves on a free next summer and then we can sign Kieta for £48m (release clause 2018)

feels like a pointless signing to me and hope it doesn't happen.

03 Jul 2017 16:06:51
Keita is nothing like Coutinho. Completely different types of players. Keita reminds me more of a younger Yaya Toure, but with a better work rate.

03 Jul 2017 16:22:50
Keita will sign. You don't kick up this much fuss if you're happy and settled.

£130K/ pw is the rumoured wage offer.

He'll sign, so will VVD.

03 Jul 2017 16:32:22
Indian Buzzer is really Louis Walsh!

03 Jul 2017 16:37:37
Bryant he is at a higher level than gini can and lallana imo already and he's only 22. I don't understand how you think our cm is the strongest in the league? And baz he's not the same as coutinho at all. If he keeps progressing at the rate he has been he could be one of the best cms in the world and for another 10 years too. 2nd most dribbles in bundesliga 6th most tackles 6th most interceptions 8 goals 8 assists. He does everything. At 22! I'm really excited 😂 I hope we get him 🙏🏻.

03 Jul 2017 16:39:41
Who said Keita was like Coutinho?

Keita is better in midfield than Lallana from what I have seen, and Salah is definitely a better forward than Coutinho.

In an ideal world, we sign Salah and keep Coutinho to replace Lallana in midfield. But if Coutinho leaves, we still need a better player in there than Lallana who just dithers on the ball too much.

Keita is not worth £70m but he is seemingly a very quick thinker who looks to break at the opposition. Something Lallana is terrible at doing, which constantly affects us when trying to break teams down.

Coutinho leaving is the only scenario for me where Keita goes into our starting line up. Not because they are the same, but as an indirect replacement in the starting XI. I still have doubts over the price, but I could ignore that if Keita was going to be a regular.

03 Jul 2017 17:53:52
Why do people assume a team would have their strongest 11 every week? "Why are we signing him when we have X, Y and Z in midfield already? " - because it's a squad. Look at the injuries to Henderson, Coutinho, Mane, Matip, Lallana. etc. You don't buy 11 great players and then average back ups. you buy strength in depth, which means when players are fit you have options.

03 Jul 2017 17:55:01
Redwillis, I have no doubt that he's a decent player but I think spending another £70m on our strongest area is daft. He got a few goals and assits but watching highlights he did get lucky enough times (will admit he scored a couple of good ones too) .

He is just a bit of an all rounder and erratic but he's not going to be a defensive destroyer type who will dominate in the tackle, and likewise he's not a world class passer or clever dribbler. He's not going to take Gini's place and suddenly make 3 times the difference.

For £70m we could get a player who'll score another 20+ goals, or a world class LB, CB, GK.

I'm sure we're not going to spend a couple of hundred million this summer and to me, spending so much in this area and potentially scarficiing going all out strengthen other areas seems wrong.

Just expressing my opionion. think this is going to a crazy transfer window!

03 Jul 2017 18:03:19
MK, you think Salah is better than Coutinho?

He hasn't even kicked a ball for us yet and suddenly he's better than our player of the year 2 years running and someone who routinely gets good numbers for goals and assists in the premier league!

03 Jul 2017 18:47:46
Puzzled you are really good at not reading things properly. Salah is a better forward. Not a better player. Coutinho is a midfielder who has still managed to be unbelievable playing out of position.

Salah is a more natural wide forward who will keep the width when it is needed, run in behind and attack the box. Coutinho always comes too deep to get involved in the play.

Nowhere have I or anyone said Salah is better than Coutinho. Coutinho is bordering on world class right now and Salah is just a great player. But Salah is a better forward purely because he is suited to the role and isn't a player out of position.

Seriously, why do some people just go looking for conflict and make themselves look petty and ridiculous?

03 Jul 2017 19:19:19
Bryant I don't understand what you have been watching. Keita has is world class in the final third. his weight of pass is perfect and what's more he has bags of energy defensively. he is leagues above gini and the rest of our midfield. Can takes forever on the ball and refuses to pass anywhere other than sideways. When people say we don't need to strengthen our midfield it baffles me. even more so when they clearly have never watched keita who WOULD transform our midfield.

03 Jul 2017 19:26:17
Sorry MK but I diasagree! I'm not misreading.

Salah is not a better forward than Countinho.

Who, like I say in my comment, got all those accolades playing AS A FORWARD, not in midfield.

Coutinho is arguably better in midfield, fine. But he's still better than Salah as a forward too. You're judging Salah of a good year in Serie A. We're all judging Couts off years playin as a forward.

Not looking for conflict with your bud, I just disagree.

03 Jul 2017 19:21:11
also seems people are judging Keita based on highlights which is worrying. Keita, salah and a left back and i will be delighted. if we can add a CB better than lovren then bonus.

03 Jul 2017 19:22:17
Puzzled, if you read the post from MK, he actually said that Salah is a better forward than Coutinho, I believe that Courtinho is a better midfielder than Salah, but that's what he said .

03 Jul 2017 20:24:13
Now you are making stuff up Puzzled.

Coutinho since signing for LFC has 34 goals in 138 premier league games.

Salah since moving to Italy has 35 goals in 81 appearances.

So not only has Salah proven over 3 seasons he can score goals, he has also outscored Coutinho who has not got near his minutes to goal ratio.

Playing as a forward ultimately is about putting the ball into the net. Salah is better at doing that. Whether he adapts to English football is another matter entirely though. Coutinho is the better player. I am not under any illusions regarding that matter, but Salah is a better forward.

03 Jul 2017 21:58:47
Salah has scored them goals in Italy. exactly! Not quite as competitive* as the BPL is it? Let's judge him when he's played them games in a red shirt.

{Ed007's Note - Yeah wait to see what he can do against footballing mega-powers like Huddersfield and Bournemouth before judging him. The worst Italian defender in Serie A would walk into half the teams in the 'competitive* BPL'}

*Pishy

03 Jul 2017 22:12:07
If we have turned the lads head then we ought to buy him. It's as simple as that! The only question being how much would they budge down from their asking price which looks unlikely!

03 Jul 2017 22:15:09
I'm not in anyway looking to condone or excuse Liverpool if they have actually spoken To the player himself without permission but it's surely a very grey area when a club is within its rights to enquire via his agent as to whether a player is interested in joining. The agent will obviously ask the player and then tell the club yes or no.

A club could be "talking" to a player through his agent without ever physically speaking to them yet this isn't tapping up?

03 Jul 2017 22:41:41
The same easy Italy where Coutinho couldn't get a game for a then mid table Inter Milan?

Ed007 is bang on. The quality of defending in Italy is miles better than England. If you combined every team in the Premier League you could probably just about string a back 4 together as good as Napoli have. You wouldn't get near the level Roma and Juventus have though. Roma just sold Rudiger who will walk into the team at Champions Chelsea, but was Roma's 4th best centre back.

The state of defending in this country is laughable.

04 Jul 2017 10:17:14
Just so we are clear by the way, Keita looks nothing like Yaya Toure unless his highlights and extended clips are completely deceptive.

They are both African midfielders to be fair, but what else do they have in common?

Keita looks like a really tricky midfield player. Agile, good turn of pace, excellent work rate, very direct, decent at the short quick one touch passing, knicks possession back high up the pitch very well, good vision in behind, and capable of the odd goal or assist. He looks very weak though, and he also seems to chase the ball a bit when sometimes he should hold his position.

Toure is all about power and composure. He takes the ball, shields it from oncomers and sprays it on to start dangerous attacks from deep. Occasionally he will embark on a powerful run but he bulldozes his way through. He is a set piece specialist and long range shooter. Keita looks more like the type to try and get into the box with a quick one-two and is a better finisher one on one with the keeper.

I'd be interested to see that Toure comparison explained because I don't see it remotely. First Kante and now Toure? that's a bit of a difference. Keita to me looks like a better version of Lallana. Bags of energy and technical skill, he just knows how to use it properly and is younger.

The Toure comparison seems lazy to me. How can a 5ft7 attacking midfielder be remotely similar to a 6ft4 playmaker? Not a criticism mate, I just want to hear your logic behind it. If you have seen Keita play live then you are definitely better placed than me to form an opinion than me.

04 Jul 2017 11:02:06
I have to agree with Bryant that we have the best midfield in the league. In an attacking sense. Defencively we could be stronger and I think that's why kieta is being looked at. I would rather take vvd if it were a choice between the two. Give us both and I will be extremely optimistic.