Carlton Cole eyed by Liverpool's Roy Hodgson as David Ngog replacement
West Ham look set to sell Carlton Cole this summer, with Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson at the front of the queue to pick up the striker in a £12million transfer.
New Hammers manager Avram Grant is keen to overhaul the squad he has inherited from Gianfranco Zola.
However, with very little money to be made available by cash-strapped owners David Gold and David Sullivan, Grant has been told he must buy as well as sell.
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One of West Ham's most saleable assets is England international Cole - who enjoyed a good season in 2009/10, even if it was blighted by injury over the Christmas period.
And Reds boss Hodgson is keen to shake up his forward ranks, having hinted to current back-up striker David Ngog he can leave the club.
Hodgson, who is said to have a significant transfer pot available, is rumoured to be keen on playing a more traditional 4-4-2 system at Anfield next season to take some of the pressure off star striker Fernando Torres.
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However, Cole would also be a good fit in the existing Liverpool formation with one up front and would expect to start whenever the Spanish international is not fit.
Despite being linked with Bobby Zamora earlier this month, it looks increasingly unlikely Hodgson will move on the Fulham man after pledging to Cottagers owner Mohammed Al Fayed that he will not raid his former club.
goal.com said:Roy Hodgson will make a final attempt to keep Javier Mascherano at Anfield when the Argentina captain returns to training in the middle of next week.
But Goal.com UK understands that, should Mascherano state his desire to leave, Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen has been identified by the club as a possible replacement.
Despite widespread speculation that Mascherano is ready to rejoin his former manager, Rafael Benitez, at Inter, Liverpool are adamant that there has been no formal contact with the European champions and deny that any talks have taken place over his future.
Hodgson, who admitted he was unconcerned over Mascherano’s failure to return his phone calls, will have his first opportunity to talk to the player and persuade him to remain at Anfield. “My real work will begin when I get back to Melwood and find the 13 players who were at the World Cup,” he said yesterday.
One source close to Liverpool said: “You have to remember that we went through all this last year with Mascherano and Barcelona and it ended with him staying at Liverpool. This is transfer talk that has gone round and round in circles and the manager has yet even to speak to Mascherano.”
Nevertheless, Liverpool are aware that time is not on their side. Mascherano has 23 months left on his contract and if Hodgson does not sell him in this transfer window, he is unlikely even to recoup the £17 million Benitez paid for him in a season’s time, let alone the £30m the club see as his true valuation.
Inter have let it be known they are unwilling to pay more than £25m, a fee that sources close to Benitez say does not depend on the sale of Mario Balotelli to Manchester City. And as his advisor, Marco Piccioli, said when Inter’s interest was first made public, “This is a deal that will be concluded at the end of the transfer window.” By which time Liverpool may be forced to accept Inter’s price or something significantly below it.
Liverpool do have a fall-back position if and when Mascherano leaves, with Poulsen the likeliest candidate to replace him as a defensive midfielder.
Although the Dane's agent, Joern Bonnessen, has said the midfielder wants to stay with Juventus, he is unlikely to feature much this season and Liverpool could secure his services for around £6m – the fee the Turin club agreed with Fenerbahce last June only for Poulsen to reject the deal when he was unable to agree personal terms.
At a club where captain, Steven Gerrard, exerts increasing influence, there is known to be support for a move for West Ham United's captain Scott Parker, although the Hammers' co-chairman, David Gold, is unwilling to sell - and even if his hand is forced, a £10m fee for a 29-year-old with little resale value would not be attractive to the Liverpool board. Moreover, if Parker does leave Upton Park, Aston Villa is his likeliest destination.
Despite the fact that Hodgson has been linked with a move for Sampdoria’s Swiss left-back, Reto Ziegler, the player’s agent, Angelo Semerano, said there had been no contact with Liverpool and the 24-year-old is heavily tipped to join Zenit St Petersburg.
Marcell Jansen named as Liverpool's latest transfer target at left-back
Liverpool are being linked with versatile German international Marcell Jansen as manager Roy Hodgson continues his search for a new starting left-back.
The 24-year-old has played in several positions during a career that has been solely in the Bundesliga so far, and is employed as a midfielder as much as a defender by current club Hamburg.
But Hodgson, who has extensive connections throughout the central European domestic leagues, is thought to have been tipped off that Jansen would welcome a regular role in defence - and is keen on joining Liverpool.
Jansen's capture could also help to allay the lingering fears of some of the Anfield faithful that there is a distinct lack of quality back-up to Inter Milan-bound defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano.
Hodgson has already been linked with Chelsea's Ashley Cole and former Spurs defender Reto Ziegler as he steps up his search for more left-sided players.
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And while Cole is an unrealistic target, it is thought Reds officials have already contacted Sampdoria and Ziegler's own representatives to sound out the possibly of a move.
However, before making any official bids, Hodgson is keen to weigh up a move for Jansen in an attempt to play off the two clubs against each other and getting them to drop their asking prices.
Both players are expected to command fees in the region of £8million, and may use Liverpool's desperate need for a left-back to maximise their value.
Earlier this week, Hodgson admitted the squad is "short" and that finding a starting left-back would be "one of the priorities".
"We need to find a replacement for Emiliano [Insua] and Fabio [Aurelio]. That is one job we will have to do," he added.