Transfer Kitty revealed

[the count]

8)

 

[Rafiagra]

ln the Red! Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez handed measly £5m summer transfer kitty

EXCLUSIVE By Chris Wheeler
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 29th May 2010

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks’ pledge to hand Rafael Benitez a ‘substantial transfer budget’ was in question last night after it emerged that the manager has no more than £5million to spend.

Despite three meetings with new Anfield chairman Martin Broughton, Benitez is still unsure if money generated from player sales will be made available to him for signings and remains wary of giving the go-ahead to deals that would see Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and Philipp Degen sold to foreign clubs.

Amid concern that it could take up to 18 months for Hicks and George Gillett to sell up as they hold out for £800m, and with Benitez’s own future still in some doubt, Liverpool are wide open to big offers for unsettled stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Both players have indicated they will wait until after the World Cup before making any firm decisions and incoming Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho yesterday became the first to register his interest in Gerrard openly.

Benitez is desperate to keep hold of the pair, a feeling shared by the various factions that have emerged at Anfield as Liverpool have descended deeper into debt and internal chaos.

But opinion is split over whether it might make financial sense to cash in on at least one of the stars if it allows the club to make several new signings.

Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina and Glen Johnson are the other players Benitez would be loath to lose, although problems over agreeing a new contract with Mascherano have left the Liverpool boss with no option but to consider sacrificing the Argentina midfielder to try and raise transfer funds.

On Wednesday, Hicks ruled out the possibility of selling Liverpool’s top players and promised ‘significant investment’ this summer which, he claimed, would mean the club’s gross and net transfer spending had doubled since he and Gillett took over three years ago.


Benitez is believed to be working to a budget of £4-5m. It is one of the reasons he has struggled to tie up a modest £2m deal for Rangers defender Danny Wilson, which would rise to £4m with add-ons.

The Liverpool boss has not always helped his own cause, however, with many fans still wondering why he paid £17m for Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani last summer.

Aquilani ruled out a move to Juventus yesterday, insisting he wants to stay.

This surely cant be true. If it is, then we're screwed.

 

[spider-Neil]

the worrying thing is rafa may not recieve money for the people he sells, if that's the case he may as well no bother to sell them.

 

[RolandG]

Substantial?

 

[eecheerow]

I wouldn't back him either... hopefully he'll fuck off somewhere else.

 

[Judge Jules]

Someone (keni?) said on here a while back that they thought the club was using the issue of transfer funds to try and force Rafa out, and that looked quite plausible to me. As time passes it's looking more and more likely. Question: will they bite the bullet over the cost involved in actually sacking Rafa if these tactics don't work?

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=Rafiagra link=topic=40425.msg1110079#msg1110079 date=1275146605]

ln the Red! Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez handed measly £5m summer transfer kitty

EXCLUSIVE By Chris Wheeler
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 29th May 2010

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks’ pledge to hand Rafael Benitez a ‘substantial transfer budget’ was in question last night after it emerged that the manager has no more than £5million to spend.

Despite three meetings with new Anfield chairman Martin Broughton, Benitez is still unsure if money generated from player sales will be made available to him for signings and remains wary of giving the go-ahead to deals that would see Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and Philipp Degen sold to foreign clubs.

Amid concern that it could take up to 18 months for Hicks and George Gillett to sell up as they hold out for £800m, and with Benitez’s own future still in some doubt, Liverpool are wide open to big offers for unsettled stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Both players have indicated they will wait until after the World Cup before making any firm decisions and incoming Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho yesterday became the first to register his interest in Gerrard openly.

Benitez is desperate to keep hold of the pair, a feeling shared by the various factions that have emerged at Anfield as Liverpool have descended deeper into debt and internal chaos.

But opinion is split over whether it might make financial sense to cash in on at least one of the stars if it allows the club to make several new signings.

Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina and Glen Johnson are the other players Benitez would be loath to lose, although problems over agreeing a new contract with Mascherano have left the Liverpool boss with no option but to consider sacrificing the Argentina midfielder to try and raise transfer funds.

On Wednesday, Hicks ruled out the possibility of selling Liverpool’s top players and promised ‘significant investment’ this summer which, he claimed, would mean the club’s gross and net transfer spending had doubled since he and Gillett took over three years ago.


Benitez is believed to be working to a budget of £4-5m. It is one of the reasons he has struggled to tie up a modest £2m deal for Rangers defender Danny Wilson, which would rise to £4m with add-ons.

The Liverpool boss has not always helped his own cause, however, with many fans still wondering why he paid £17m for Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani last summer.

Aquilani ruled out a move to Juventus yesterday, insisting he wants to stay.

This surely cant be true. If it is, then we're screwed.
[/quote]

Its the fucking Mail!!! And as usual no quotes. Made up from start to finish, lazy cunting journalists.

 

[manwithnoname]

Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=40425.msg1110114#msg1110114 date=1275166488]
Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

Er where do quotes usually come from?

Fucking hell

 

[monsieurdantes]

if they had £20m they'd have used it to fucking sack him

 

[Shadey]

I bet blackpool get more money to splash..

 

[peterhague]

[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110115#msg1110115 date=1275166872]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=40425.msg1110114#msg1110114 date=1275166488]
Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

Er where do quotes usually come from?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

he's right though. 'no quotes' - it's always the standard response to a speculative piece, but in its way it's just as unintelligent a reaction as immediate credulousness. say it's not made up: he's not exactly going to quote a highly valuable and anonymous source, is he?

 

[jexykrodic]

Whether or not we have money to spend we should be doing better with the players we have.

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=peterhague link=topic=40425.msg1110231#msg1110231 date=1275236032]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110115#msg1110115 date=1275166872]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=40425.msg1110114#msg1110114 date=1275166488]
Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

Er where do quotes usually come from?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

he's right though. 'no quotes' - it's always the standard response to a speculative piece, but in its way it's just as unintelligent a reaction as immediate credulousness. say it's not made up: he's not exactly going to quote a highly valuable and anonymous source, is he?
[/quote]

But to take the "no quotes " bit in isolation is not credible. It was one part of my debate as to why it was a made up bollocks.

 

[peterhague]

[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110321#msg1110321 date=1275292643]
[quote author=peterhague link=topic=40425.msg1110231#msg1110231 date=1275236032]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110115#msg1110115 date=1275166872]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=40425.msg1110114#msg1110114 date=1275166488]
Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

Er where do quotes usually come from?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

he's right though. 'no quotes' - it's always the standard response to a speculative piece, but in its way it's just as unintelligent a reaction as immediate credulousness. say it's not made up: he's not exactly going to quote a highly valuable and anonymous source, is he?
[/quote]

But to take the "no quotes " bit in isolation is not credible. It was one part of my debate as to why it was a made up bollocks.
[/quote]

oh yeah, sorry, forgot about your powerful & highly perceptive supporting argument of 'it's the fucking mail!'

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=peterhague link=topic=40425.msg1110390#msg1110390 date=1275300728]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110321#msg1110321 date=1275292643]
[quote author=peterhague link=topic=40425.msg1110231#msg1110231 date=1275236032]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=40425.msg1110115#msg1110115 date=1275166872]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=40425.msg1110114#msg1110114 date=1275166488]
Where the fuck would you expect the fucking quotes to come from, true or otherwise?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

Er where do quotes usually come from?

Fucking hell
[/quote]

he's right though. 'no quotes' - it's always the standard response to a speculative piece, but in its way it's just as unintelligent a reaction as immediate credulousness. say it's not made up: he's not exactly going to quote a highly valuable and anonymous source, is he?
[/quote]

But to take the "no quotes " bit in isolation is not credible. It was one part of my debate as to why it was a made up bollocks.
[/quote]

oh yeah, sorry, forgot about your powerful & highly perceptive supporting argument of 'it's the fucking mail!'
[/quote]

Wonderfully patronising. How do you do it?

 

[peterhague]

i think most people would find it hard not to patronise when speaking down to someone.