The not so Official January Transfer Rumour Thread

[gkmacca]

Borrini, Sturridge, Ince Sterling, they are all wing-forwards or inside forwards, forget the technical term but they are not out and out forwards. Sturridge may play up front if Suarez is out but if these 2 are our only signings we are still short in the centre-forward department.

Quite. Again as was said elsewhere, when the top priority was surely a ruthless and powerful goal scorer, two players who'll interchange wide positions aren't the most welcome additions. Borini at his best has the same movement but also more of an eye for goals. If he's in the side with Suarez then it will be like a broken beehive up there.

 

[Ryan]

I've just been watching some clips of Sturridge. I like his habit of shooting early before the keeper is ready and he seems to find the corners of the goal regularly.

He's got some decent attributes alright.

The flipside though is his unbelievably frustrating knack of holding onto the ball for far too long, and taking too many touches.

That's without even getting started on his ability to play/operate/work in a team.

 

[Red_Water]

Quite. Again as was said elsewhere, when the top priority was surely a ruthless and powerful goal scorer, two players who'll interchange wide positions aren't the most welcome additions. Borini at his best has the same movement but also more of an eye for goals. If he's in the side with Suarez then it will be like a broken beehive up there.

If we bring in a striker as well as Sturridge and Ince then we have options of a kind. The primary ones being able to rest Sterling and change the wide players around a bit. But as you say, the top priority should be a goalscorer. So unless he is going to play Sturridge up front and out-wide as an option rather than the other way around I'd be ok with that.

The question still remains of course as to whether Sturridge can cut it up front. In that regard he hasn't pulled up any trees at City or Chelsea.

I'd just be happy if we spunked the 18M on a striker with some pedigree. Could you get someone for 18M?

 

[gkmacca]

That's the question. When the pressure from above is to be so risk-aversive, getting it wrong about one big signing maybe seems more unnerving than getting it a bit wrong about a couple of cheaper players, especially if they're pretty young with decent prospects of healthy sell-on fees. Ince bothers me. Yes, he's looked good in some championship games but for England he's looked as raw and naive as he used to look for LFC, but with an even bigger ego. They will work well together, potentially, but only if they have an exceptional degree of mutual understanding, awareness and discipline, because they'll be cross-cutting and switching unlike any other group of attackers in the Premiership.

 

[LarryHagman]

Who would you have bought then?

No idea.

 

[gkmacca]

Ayre's obviously been doing a general briefing because the reports are pretty much the same everywhere. Here's the Guardian:


Liverpool are on course to meet Brendan Rodgers' request for early January signings following talks over an £18m outlay on Daniel Sturridge and Tom Ince.

The Liverpool manager has operated with only one fit striker – Luis Suárez – for most of his debut season at Anfield, due to injury to Fabio Borini and a calamitous end to the last transfer window. The club are anxious to address their summer failings at the earliest opportunity and have made further progress on Rodgers' chief targets after negotiations with Chelsea andBlackpool.

Sturridge, who is expected to cost £12m and is keen on a move to Merseyside, could have joined Liverpool on transfer deadline day but Rodgers was reluctant to pursue a permanent deal – he favoured an initial loan move. His hopes of signing Arsenal's Theo Walcott in January have been frustrated by Arsène Wenger's determination to keep the England international at Arsenal until the end of his contract next summer.

Liverpool have also pressed ahead with a deal for the £6m-rated Ince. The 20-year-old left Anfield only in 2011 but has blossomed in the Championship with Blackpool. The potential cost of re-signing Ince would be offset by a 35% sell-on clause that Liverpool secured on the terms of his departure to Bloomfield Road.

 

[Delinquent]

I've just been watching some clips of Sturridge. I like his habit of shooting early before the keeper is ready and he seems to find the corners of the goal regularly.

Yeah, especially in hand-picked youtube compilations!

I tend to agree though - he is a clinical finisher when on form, and has a decent amount of pace and skill. He's yet to demonstrate much in the way of consistency, but hopefully that will change with a regular starting place.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I still find it extremely ironic that Ince will be coming back here ... I just don't like the idea for some reason but I honestly hope he's fantastic ... I don't think he will be, but I'm often wrong, so hoping I'm wrong here too!

 

[Vlads Quiff]

So we have effectively paid Blackpool £4 million to loan Ince for a season. This club is consistently farcical in the transfer market. These deals also indicate our scouting system is non-existent.

I don't know where you get that from Mr S. £4m for a three year deal on £25k a week.

regards

 

[Vlads Quiff]

The bit about Ince being the highest paid player in the reserves that he wanted to sign a deal bothers me. The pieces says despite having made only one appearance as sub, is a bit unfair as we all know he should have been given a couple of games, he was continually one of the best players in the reserves and all the youth teams before that. So we are , it seems, agreeing a £25k a week deal, which begs the question ...What was he offered in the first place?
Secondly we knew he was likely to make it, because we let hm go cheap and put this whopping sell on clause in, wouldn't it have been better to sign him for three years, see if he was going to make it and sell him on ourselves, or keep him?

 

[tony]

Sturridge is a very good finisher if he plays up front so where does Suarez fit in now - do we revert to 442 ? Extremely underwhelmed by thesigning of Ince , who hasn't been that great on the few ocassions I have seen him this season.

 

[gkmacca]

The bit about Ince being the highest paid player in the reserves that he wanted to sign a deal bothers me. The pieces says despite having made only one appearance as sub, is a bit unfair as we all know he should have been given a couple of games, he was continually one of the best players in the reserves and all the youth teams before that. So we are , it seems, agreeing a £25k a week deal, which begs the question ...What was he offered in the first place?
Secondly we knew he was likely to make it, because we let hm go cheap and put this whopping sell on clause in, wouldn't it have been better to sign him for three years, see if he was going to make it and sell him on ourselves, or keep him?

I guess that he was the only player at that level whose dad set him up with a high powered agent, so the different demands could have stemmed from that. I must say though that I never saw a really great performance from him, and he stopped trying before he'd earned the right, if we call it that, to feel so resentful. Hopefully he's matured now.

 

[keniget]

The bit about Ince being the highest paid player in the reserves that he wanted to sign a deal bothers me. The pieces says despite having made only one appearance as sub, is a bit unfair as we all know he should have been given a couple of games, he was continually one of the best players in the reserves and all the youth teams before that. So we are , it seems, agreeing a £25k a week deal, which begs the question ...What was he offered in the first place?
Secondly we knew he was likely to make it, because we let hm go cheap and put this whopping sell on clause in, wouldn't it have been better to sign him for three years, see if he was going to make it and sell him on ourselves, or keep him?

You could look at it like this - we've paid £4M for Ince to develop into a much better player (if you believe the reports). Had we have kept him at Liverpool he'd have gotten very little playing time and not progressed as he has done.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

You could look at it like this - we've paid £4M for Ince to develop into a much better player (if you believe the reports). Had we have kept him at Liverpool he'd have gotten very little playing time and not progressed as he has done.

You have a point there Ken

regards

 

[Nir.Barak]

Paying 12m on Sturridge is going to set us back and we will regret it.
There is no point going to the market and paying those sums if your'e not improving your XI.
We will all regret it, and he will be Downing MK2, I promise you.

 

[Rosco]

The bit about Ince being the highest paid player in the reserves that he wanted to sign a deal bothers me. The pieces says despite having made only one appearance as sub, is a bit unfair as we all know he should have been given a couple of games, he was continually one of the best players in the reserves and all the youth teams before that. So we are , it seems, agreeing a £25k a week deal, which begs the question ...What was he offered in the first place?
Secondly we knew he was likely to make it, because we let hm go cheap and put this whopping sell on clause in, wouldn't it have been better to sign him for three years, see if he was going to make it and sell him on ourselves, or keep him?

Penny wise, pound foolish.

It's always cheaper to extend the contract of a decent prospect than it is to add squad depth via the transfer market.

Eg Ince and Sterling would be earning about two thirds of Downings Salary, without the 20m outlay. If we'd been so inclined.

 

[Dahuge]

I am not too unhappy, as both players have pace. Pace is something we have sorely been missing, if we can combine this pace of foot with increased pace of passing when attacking it will be a good move.

Also, with sturridge liking to shoot early that should also work in our favour as long as his attitude holds up.

 

[Judge Jules]

Sturridge is a very good finisher if he plays up front so where does Suarez fit in now - do we revert to 442 ? Extremely underwhelmed by thesigning of Ince , who hasn't been that great on the few ocassions I have seen him this season.

Suarez doesn't just sit in the middle though. He buzzes around all over the place, so there's plenty of room for him and another central striker to play together, and it'll give us more options - which we BADLY need - in front of goal. If Sturridge does arrive and if he gels in the team, those two together could give defences nightmares.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

Suarez doesn't just sit in the middle though. He buzzes around all over the place, so there's plenty of room for him and another central striker to play together, and it'll give us more options - which we BADLY need - in front of goal. If Sturridge does arrive and if he gels in the team, those two together could give defences nightmares.

Exactly, Suarez is never happier than when he is dribbling among the goal line inside the 18 yard box

regards

 

[Red_Water]

I still find it extremely ironic that Ince will be coming back here ... I just don't like the idea for some reason but I honestly hope he's fantastic ... I don't think he will be, but I'm often wrong, so hoping I'm wrong here too!

People are having a go at his attitude etc But his decisions to be fair have been justified as far as he is concerned.

He left because we didn't give him what he wanted, he has also played regular football since leaving and finally he is getting a big move where he will be on more than what he was originally offered, plus a nice signing-on fee.

On a related note, some paper bollocks stating Newcastle and Spurs are also interested.

 

[Red_Water]

Looks like it's happening.

Chelsea poised to sell Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool in January

• Chelsea forward expected to cost Liverpool £12m
• Liverpool hope Sturridge can ease burden on Luis Suárez

• 

As part of a move to resphape the Chelsea squad Daniel Sturridge will be sold to Livepool.
Chelsea will sell their forward Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool at the beginning of the January transfer window as Rafael Benítez looks to reshape and strengthen his squad.
The Chelsea interim manager will discuss transfer targets with the owner, Roman Abramovich, and the technical director, Michael Emenalo, once the side have returned from Wednesday night's Capital One Cup quarter-final against Leeds United. Sturridge, 23, has started only one Premier League game this season and is expected to cost Liverpool £12m after narrowly missing out on a switch to Anfield last summer. Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, hopes the former Manchester City striker will ease the attacking burden on Luis Suárez.

 

[Hansern]

I've questioned Sturridges attitude aswell, but he hasnt done much wrong at Chelsea has he?

Ince and Sturridge. Pace, ability, goals and both young players. Thats 16 mill well spent imho.

 

[Silver Sean]

We don't have either of them yet...

 

[Y1]

I find it strange that if Sturridge is any good, why has he not played at all for Chelsea bar once this season?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I find it strange that if Sturridge is any good, why has he not played at all for Chelsea bar once this season?

Roman spent 50 million on Torres
Last year, Roman had Drogba, so it was ok.
This year, Torres was going to play every game and return to the form of his Liverpool years
This year, Torres has been ok in most games, but still struggles to scores.
This year, Torres plays almost every game while Sturridge watches, or comes on as a late sub.

Strurridge this year: 9 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist (source: Wiki).

 

[tony]

Exactly, Suarez is never happier than when he is dribbling among the goal line inside the 18 yard box

regards

Agreed but if Sturridge is played in the middle with Suarez behind and around we will surely have to lose one of the midfield 3 or play with a back 3 and wing backs, surely there will need to be some adjusting set up wise to fit Sturridge in. Playing him wide is just a complete waste of time.

 

[Red_Water]

Ince is already spending his mula! I know it's from the Daily Fail but still.

Ince is motoring back to Liverpool in style as £6m January target buys flash new Porsche​

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Blackpool's Tom Ince, 20, is set to return to Liverpool for £6million in the January transfer window. And it looks like he’s already celebrating... with a new Porsche.​

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Liverpool are set to be one of the most active clubs next month and they will unveil Daniel Sturridge and Ince within days of the window opening.​

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Sturridge is heading to Merseyside from Chelsea for around £12million, while Ince is poised to return to Anfield less than 18 months after he was allowed to join Blackpool.​

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Speedy... and the car's not sluggish either: Blackpool winger Tom Ince with his new Porsche​

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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2250241/Tom-Ince-motoring-Liverpool-style-buying-​

 

[Y1]

Roman spent 50 million on Torres
Last year, Roman had Drogba, so it was ok.
This year, Torres was going to play every game and return to the form of his Liverpool years
This year, Torres has been ok in most games, but still struggles to scores.
This year, Torres plays almost every game while Sturridge watches, or comes on as a late sub.

Strurridge this year: 9 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist (source: Wiki).

Ok he started once (I read it somewhere here in SCM) while when Torres was still not scoring. If he is to solve our scoring problem, it does look strange. Hope my misgiving is wrong.

 

[gkmacca]

People are having a go at his attitude etc But his decisions to be fair have been justified as far as he is concerned.

He left because we didn't give him what he wanted, .

Yes, but there isn't a great clamour for, say, McLaughlin to go into the first XI and he's already made a bigger impact than Ince. A player needs to prove what he can do, week in week out, in the ressies before getting the treatment Ince seemed to expect as of right. If this squad is going to move the club back into a better place it needs everyone pulling in the right direction without any 'Mini Guvnor' types stinking up the atmosphere. I don't mind him coming back - as you say, he's looked good since he left - but let's not rewrite the past.

 

[the_khl]

Hmm.

Ince and Sturridge.

To be honest, I don't know what to think of this. On one hand "NO WAY".

We've so many times over and over again been fooled by the sheer lack of talent in over-prized mainly British players. What's going to change that this time around? A sub at Chelsea - played much less there than Cole did - and a former Liverpool-reject we are now about to welcome back as a building stone for the future?

Doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. At all.

On the other hand, Sturridge may be a very handy player in the right team and in the right setup. Haven't seen that much of him but he can turn a defender, and we lack that loads, and he does have pace to burn. Doubt him as a 20+ goalscorer though.

Ince has blossomed it seems in another 'Pool and from what I remember he wasn't bad at all. He's got his attitude and all but that't not necessarily a bad thing under the right manager. I believe Rodgers will know how to keep him calm and make positive use of it even.