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Aquilani *signed 16m*

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TheBunnyman

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Seems increasingly likely (see Independent article, below) that he's our main target to replace Xabi. I like his name - so much cooler than Cattermole - but I have to admit I've never seen him play, or never noticed him if I did. And his injury record worries me, given that his back-up is a certain blonde Brazilian. Can anyone who's watched Aquilani in more than a few matches please post here about why you think he'd be good (or not) for us? And keep all the transfer news in this thread too...

Benitez hot on the trail of Aquilani

Liverpool line up Roma midfielder as Alonso lodges formal plea for Real move

By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

Friday, 31 July 2009

The Roma and Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani is Liverpool's primary target as the departure of Xabi Alonso became ever more inevitable yesterday. The Spanish midfielder raised the stakes in his battle to leave the club by formally requesting a transfer to Real Madrid, who have pursued him all summer.

Aquilani, 25, has been a long-term target for manager Rafael Benitez, who has been given encouragement that the player, one of Roma's three home-grown stars along with Francisco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, may become available this summer. He would not be cheap but should cost less than the £30m that Liverpool want for Alonso.

Benitez's hard-line stance on Alonso – that the player is contracted to the club until 2012 and will not be allowed to leave – should soften if a deal can be done with Roma for Aquilani.
Related articles
Alonso, 27, trained with Liverpool yesterday but all summer has avoided giving any public assurances that he is prepared to stay at the club. Florentino Perez, the Madrid president, has offered around £24m for the player and is expected now to raise his bid to £30m to prise him away from the club.

In the pursuit of Aquilani, the volatile financial position at Roma has made the club difficult to deal with and they are fearful of the repercussions from their supporters if they sell one of the best players in their squad. Accordingly, Alonso will also have to wait to leave until Benitez can guarantee that the signing of Aquilani is a genuine possibility.

There have been enquiries from Liverpool about Lee Cattermole, as reported in The Independent last month, but the Wigan midfielder is still much further down the list of players in whom Benitez has a real interest. In Aquilani, an Italy international, he has a player capable of fulfilling the crucial linking role between defence and attack that Alonso has performed since joining from Real Sociedad five years ago.

Roma are currently in a crisis over the future of the club after a proposed takeover by the agent Vinicio Fioranelli, who was representing a Swiss conglomerate, collapsed last month. He was to have paid £166m for the Sensi family's controlling 67 per cent stake, but since that deal broke down, the Sensi family have found themselves under investigation by regulators of Italy's financial markets.

Efforts are being made to sell some of the team, who finished sixth in Serie A last season and beat Chelsea 3-1 at home in the Champions League in November. The club have suggested that the striker Mirko Vicunic, who scored twice against Chelsea that night, and the defender Phillipe Mexes could be allowed to leave, but parting with De Rossi or Aquilani would be deeply unpopular with fans.

The departure of Alonso has demonstrated that – like Manchester United – Liverpool are also vulnerable to the finance and power of Perez's new regime. Alonso was formerly one of Benitez's most loyal players, but relations with the manager began to break down in the 2007-08 season when Alonso asked for time to off to attend the birth of his first child.

He changed his mind at the last minute and made himself available to play against Internazionale in the Champions League first knockout round in March 2008. Benitez decided to leave him behind anyway and dismissed the possibility of the player joining up with the squad later. Last summer Benitez tried to sell him to Juventus to raise the money to buy Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

Nevertheless, the loss of one of the players who used to be teased by his Liverpool team-mates that he was "son of Rafa", so close was he perceived to be to his manager, is still a significant blow. Despite nearly leaving for Juventus and Arsenal last summer, Alonso showed some of his best form at Anfield last season.

The £3.5m deal to take Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool to Real Madrid was completed yesterday. However, Benitez has not yet got rid of disastrous Italian left-back Andrea Dossena, who is the subject of a £4m bid from Napoli.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Aquilani

He was shocking in the one game I saw him play for Italy at the euro.

However, I saw highlights of him scoring an absolute pearl against Madrid, and hitting the bar from a long range too..

He's not great in Pro Evo either, but his dribbing ability is better than most of our midfielders bar Yossi.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=koze link=topic=35002.msg915664#msg915664 date=1249026682]
He was shocking in the one game I saw him play for Italy at the euro.

However, I saw highlights of him scoring an absolute pearl against Madrid, and hitting the bar from a long range too..

He's not great in Pro Evo either, but his dribbing ability is better than most of our midfielders bar Yossi.
[/quote]

Dribbling ability? How about his passing? He's supposed to be replacing Xabi, right?
 
Re: Aquilani

Seriously though, a couple of things there... It's a shame Roma don't won't Dossena, it might help us get more for him if thrown in as part of a deal for this guy. And Mexes and Vucinic are both available? Any takers?
 
Re: Aquilani

Okay, he's much faster and accelerates better than Xabi.. His dribbling ability is good.. His passing are decent but nothing above 90+.

He's a fair bit weaker, but much better with his left foot.

That's all I can tell from Pro Evo 09 stats.
 
Re: Aquilani

[flash=400,400]http://www.youtube.com/v/lqTf060IItM&hl=en&fs=1&[/flash]
 
Re: Aquilani

There is a reason why Aquilani has been one of the most wanted midfielders in Europe. Wenger has been an admirer for a long time, and every top club in Italy have been trying to sign him.

Excellent player, with great ability and a great passer of the ball. Ideal link between defence and attack.
His career has been hampered with injuries, but its thought that the surguery he had on his ankle will put that behind him.

If he stays injury free he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders around.

He's much more attacking than Xabi, more mobile and has the potential to score more goals. 6"2, and woud therefor take this league quite easy.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Hansern link=topic=35002.msg915675#msg915675 date=1249028081]
There is a reason why Aquilani has been one of the most wanted midfielders in Europe. Wenger has been an admirer for a long time, and every top club in Italy have been trying to sign him.

Excellent player, with great ability and a great passer of the ball. Ideal link between defence and attack.
His career has been hampered with injuries, but its thought that the surguery he had on his ankle will put that behind him.

If he stays injury free he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders around.

He's much more attacking than Xabi, more mobile and has the potential to score more goals. 6"2, and woud therefor take this league quite easy.
[/quote]

^^^^^

What he said.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Hansern link=topic=35002.msg915675#msg915675 date=1249028081]
There is a reason why Aquilani has been one of the most wanted midfielders in Europe. Wenger has been an admirer for a long time, and every top club in Italy have been trying to sign him.

Excellent player, with great ability and a great passer of the ball. Ideal link between defence and attack.
His career has been hampered with injuries, but its thought that the surguery he had on his ankle will put that behind him.

If he stays injury free he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders around.

He's much more attacking than Xabi, more mobile and has the potential to score more goals. 6"2, and woud therefor take this league quite easy.
[/quote]

You get an agent fee as well?? ;D
 
Re: Aquilani

Im a big fan.
He's a terrific passer but not deep lying like Alonso. He plays over the halfway line and looks for yossi like slid balls. He has a rocket shot for one so slight and has been said he has excellent close control and dribbling skills.
He isnt the type of player to drop 60 yard sprayed passes to feet he prefers to be involved in the play than orchestrating it.
He doesnt break into the box but is mostly to be found round the edge of it.
He plays a bit like Lampard but slightly more withdrawn.
Actually Fabregas is probably quite close in terms of how he plays.
He wont be bullied despite his frame but he isnt a ballwinner.

Im really REALLY excited by the link, because he is one of my favourite players. Young but very experienced.
The worry for me is that i havnt seen him perform in Europe against the big teams or for Italy the way he does for Roma, but he was the absolute boss at U21 level.

Hope it helps.
Ps-40m for Mexes, Aquilani and Vucinic. Would sort EVERY problem we have.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=cochyn link=topic=35002.msg915677#msg915677 date=1249028112]
Not fucking pro evo stats again. THEY MEAN DICK!!!
[/quote]

Agreed. Football manager at a bare minimum. Moyes says so.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915685#msg915685 date=1249029000]

Ps-40m for Mexes, Aquilani and Vucinic. Would sort EVERY problem we have.
[/quote]

not likely to happen though m8.. maybe two of em, as an English player has to be at the very least in that mix.....
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=35002.msg915674#msg915674 date=1249027790]
[flash=400,400]http://www.youtube.com/v/lqTf060IItM&hl=en&fs=1&[/flash]
[/quote]

Can't believe the commentator credited the goal to Bellissima before realising it was Aquilani.
 
Re: Aquilani

I don't want him...


I don't think he wants to come here...

I don't think he will adapt to the league...

I don't think he will be able to keep healthy...


If he does come, I obviously hope I'm wrong on all accounts.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=jono@home link=topic=35002.msg915689#msg915689 date=1249029442]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915685#msg915685 date=1249029000]

Ps-40m for Mexes, Aquilani and Vucinic. Would sort EVERY problem we have.
[/quote]

not likely to happen though m8.. maybe two of em, as an English player has to be at the very least in that mix.....
[/quote]Ha. I know it wont mate. It would make me hard though. It would be like life immitating my football manager 'career'. As is known im sure, im a massive Roma fan (second only to Liverpool) so every year i get the new football manager sell the dross and then buy about 4 Roma players and thats me done.
Reina
chivu
agger
mexes
carragher
mancini
di rossi
gerrard
Kewell
torres
cassano
was the best team ever.
🙂
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915696#msg915696 date=1249029933]
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
[/quote]

and Torres was 'proper' Atleti
 
Re: Aquilani

From what I can make out, he's good at:

Passing
Being a playmaker
Grafting
Being a team player
Stamina

What he's not too hot with:

Injuries
Staying fit
Pace
Dribbling
Being consistent


Sounds like a fucking carbon copy of Xabi bar the injuries part!
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915698#msg915698 date=1249030016]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915696#msg915696 date=1249029933]
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
[/quote]

and Torres was 'proper' Atleti
[/quote]It is absolutely not the same. Romans playing for Roma is almost a nationalistic thing, they hate the northern italian clubs, media, bias and see Rome as their country. Torres was just a b and b atleti player.
 
Re: Aquilani

His people built our roads. He deserves the chance to travel on them. It's like giving your plumber a glass of water.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=35002.msg915704#msg915704 date=1249030962]
His people built our roads. He deserves the chance to travel on them. It's like giving your plumber a glass of water.
[/quote]Im also fairly certain* that his name means 'Water Carrier' and all i would say is ISNT THAT EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?







*lie.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915701#msg915701 date=1249030219]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915698#msg915698 date=1249030016]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915696#msg915696 date=1249029933]
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
[/quote]

and Torres was 'proper' Atleti
[/quote]It is absolutely not the same. Romans playing for Roma is almost a nationalistic thing, they hate the northern italian clubs, media, bias and see Rome as their country. Torres was just a b and b atleti player.
[/quote]

I'm not sure what that term means but ok ... How exactly their 'nationalistic' thing in Italy would affect moving to Liverpool (if Roma were in fact looking to sell, and he was aware), I don't know ...

I guess it depends on the people as my Italian friend here, born and bred in Roma (and happily shouts all the 'anti Milan' chants they have around me), didn't display what you're saying ...
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=Mors link=topic=35002.msg915687#msg915687 date=1249029295]
[quote author=cochyn link=topic=35002.msg915677#msg915677 date=1249028112]
Not fucking pro evo stats again. THEY MEAN DICK!!!
[/quote]

Agreed. Football manager at a bare minimum. Moyes says so.
[/quote]

No they both mean DICK!!!
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915707#msg915707 date=1249031303]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915701#msg915701 date=1249030219]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915698#msg915698 date=1249030016]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915696#msg915696 date=1249029933]
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
[/quote]

and Torres was 'proper' Atleti
[/quote]It is absolutely not the same. Romans playing for Roma is almost a nationalistic thing, they hate the northern italian clubs, media, bias and see Rome as their country. Torres was just a b and b atleti player.
[/quote]

I'm not sure what that term means but ok ... How exactly their 'nationalistic' thing in Italy would affect moving to Liverpool (if Roma were in fact looking to sell, and he was aware), I don't know ...

I guess it depends on the people as my Italian friend here, born and bred in Roma (and happily shouts all the 'anti Milan' chants they have around me), didn't display what you're saying ...
[/quote]I dont really understand anything youve said there mate.
Anyway, i dont think he'll leave Roma.
 
Re: Aquilani

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915707#msg915707 date=1249031303]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915701#msg915701 date=1249030219]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=35002.msg915698#msg915698 date=1249030016]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35002.msg915696#msg915696 date=1249029933]
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=35002.msg915692#msg915692 date=1249029605]


I don't think he wants to come here...
[/quote]I agree with this one. He's a proper Roman.
[/quote]

and Torres was 'proper' Atleti
[/quote]It is absolutely not the same. Romans playing for Roma is almost a nationalistic thing, they hate the northern italian clubs, media, bias and see Rome as their country. Torres was just a b and b atleti player.
[/quote]

I'm not sure what that term means but ok ... How exactly their 'nationalistic' thing in Italy would affect moving to Liverpool (if Roma were in fact looking to sell, and he was aware), I don't know ...

I guess it depends on the people as my Italian friend here, born and bred in Roma (and happily shouts all the 'anti Milan' chants they have around me), didn't display what you're saying ...
[/quote]

Think it means exacly what you've said ' born and bred'.

Or 'bed and breakfast' ;D
 
Re: Aquilani

AS Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani has agreed terms on a move to Liverpool, according to reports in the Italian press.
Il Messaggero claim that the 25-year-old has agreed a five-year contract in principle, worth €4 million-per-season.

The move is subject to Xabi Alonso going ot Real Madrid and Liverpool are yet to make a formal approach to the Serie A club.
 
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