Torres to complete Liverpool move, a £26.5m switch to Anfield. Number seems more than high enough to shut up the argybargy about whether new owners Gillette and Hicks will really put up the dosh needed to compete for the Premiership title.
What other moves are the team making in this first week of the transfer window?
Andrey Voronin is a veteran striker acquired from Bayern Leverkusen, plus we signed youngsters Kristian Nemeth and Andras Simon from Hungary and Bulgarian U-21 keeper Nikolay Mihaylov. Scott Carson, just 21 himself, will be brought back to compete for a first team spot with Pepe Reina after spending last season on loan at Charlton.
Robby (GOD) Fowler, Saenz Luis Garcia, Jerzy Dudek and Danny Guthrie are out the door, Djibrille Cisse likely to follow after spending last season on loan in France and Florent Sinama Pongolle made a loan move permanent in Spain. The latter two sales would pretty much close the books on previous manager Gerard Houllier’s French connection. Sami Hyypia’s days seem numbered as well with Daniel Agger’s emergence as first choice centerback alongside Jamie Carragher since January.
Will either Craig Bellamy and/or Peter Crouch also move on? BBC’s Football Gossip column has been filled with rumors about teams willing to spend in the £8-9M range for Bellamy and interest from big clubs in Italy and Spain for Crouchie. Right now we’re sitting on a strike force that seems likely to create hard feelings over playing time: Torres, Voronin, Bellamy, Crouch and Dirk Kuyt, plus up and comers like Nabil El Zhar and new signing Nemeth will want a chance to show their value. In any case, five is too many so one will surely go.
Are the rumors about Rafa targeting Gabrielle Heinz true and, if so, where does that leave John Arne Riise—does he move to the left side of midfield given the lack of production from Mark Gonzalez and Zenden and Hary Kewell’s continual injury woes, or just get sold on?
Heck, will Zenden be sold or released? I don’t think he added much value, though he was decent for Middlesboro before coming to us and lost huge chunks of availability to injury. Plus–and this seems very strange–despite any news I could find the Dutch midfielder is not listed as of this writing on either the official Liverpool website First Team Players and Staff page nor the BBC Football Liverpool squad profiles page.
Definitely some answers to be hand in the next few weeks as the team begins to assemble for training.
BillSaysThis 