His Liverpool career is never going to get off the ground as with just over 30 appearances in four years at Anfield, Anthony Le Tallec is hitting the road on loan again - this time going to Le Mans. Le Tallec spent last season with Sochaux and the previous with Sunderland and it is likely that he’ll depart Liverpool altogether in the near future (I’d imagine Christmas if not by the end of the season). It is a pity - when he arrived first alongside Florent Pongolle I thought we were in for something special from both players but it never happened and, never will. Best of luck to him in France.... Similar posts

Lee Peltier won’t be featuring in any manner for Liverpool this season - he’s packed his backs and gone to Yeovil on town for the season. Not only that but he managed to squeeze in a game for them over the weekend before the loan deal was rubber stamped today. Peltier got a handful of games at Anfield last season and is still “one for the future”, the loan move giving him the chance to get some much needed first team football in a different division. The 20 year old also spent the close season on loan at Hull before returning to Anfield for the summer.... Similar posts

The Istanbul Hero of 2005 is on his way to Madrid to take and no doubt pass a medical, unveiling Dudek as Real Madrid’s latest summer signing. Dudek was let go by Liverpool in the close season - he not happy to hang around and play second fiddle to Pepe Reina and Liverpool while Liverpool had no real need for his services with Scott Carson returning to Anfield and David Martin capable of filling in if needs be. Last season was a disaster career-wise for Dudek as he spent the sheer bulk of it on the bench and when he did get on the pitch be it for the first team or the reserves it didn’t go all that well for him. Still, cheers Jerzy for 2005 and your time at Anfield and best of luck at Madrid.... Similar posts

Liverpool’s latest two signings were unveiled to the press a few hours ago and Yossi Benayoun, who will wear the number 11 jersey next season, wasted no time in claiming that his move to Liverpool was “a dream” to move from West Ham to Liverpool. Ryan Babel showed his excitement too. The Dutch U21 winger will wear the number 19 jersey next season and was quoted earlier as saying it was “very exciting for me to sign for Liverpool and it gives me a great feeling”. Babel replaces fellow Dutchman Bolo Zenden (about bloody time, no offence Bolo) on the left wing and can move around easy enough up front while Yossi Benayoun, 27, slots in on the opposite side of the pitch taking over the flanks once patrolled by Luis Garcia. Its definitely going to be an... Similar posts

Only a few hours to go and it is expected that Ryan Babel will sign a five year deal at Liverpool having agreed personal times, passing his medical and Ajax agreeing to release him for a fee of £11.5m, bringing Liverpool’s summer transfer spend thus far to just below the £50m mark, only two million short of Man United who have yet to wrap up the now-agreed transfer of Carlos Tevez (well, agreed between the player and United anyway). With Yossi Benayoun also now a Liverpool player after signing a four year deal earlier this afternoon (Thursday, mind you it’s after 1am while I write this) I think things are looking pretty rosy both in the transfer market and now around Anfield as well. Things are starting to settle, the right players for the right positions are being picked... Similar posts

Rick Parry has said that Liverpool “hope to reach an agreement with Ajax very shortly” over the transfer of Ryan Babel having now been given permission to talk to the young left winger. This comes after it was reported yesterday and subsequently confirmed by Liverpool that Yossi Benayoun’s transfer to the club will also go ahead. Babel’s agent Winnie Haatrecht looks like he wants everything wrapped up by the weekend though, which can only be good for Liverpool, with Babel due to report back to Ajax on Monday for pre-season. Liverpool certainly aren’t letting up anyway since the news broke earlier in the week so we may well see another two transfers into the club this week. Good stuff.... Similar posts

If reports are to be believed this evening it looks like the transfer of Yossi Benayoun from West Ham to Liverpool could be completed by Thursday, failing that by the weekend. Liverpool have long been associated with the Israeli winger, moreso this summer but Ronan Katzav (Yossi Benayoun’s agent) has spoken out to say that he expects the transfer, rumoured to be agreed at £4m, to go through by Thursday. It should be completed in the next 48 hours. Everybody would be happy to play for Liverpool. West Ham will always be in his heart but he is looking to move up a level. If he’s looking to move up a level then Craig Bellamy must have stepped back a level following his unveiling as a West Ham player first thing this morning. Though the fee for Benayoun is rumoured to be £4m,... Similar posts

Sammy Lee sure isn’t giving up the Liverpool connection that easily as he’s taken reserve midfielder Danny Guthrie on a season-long loan. Already with a handful of appearances for Liverpool’s first team, Guthrie was out on loan at Southampton for a while last year. Hopefully he’ll have a chance to develop some more at Bolton, would be a good one to have around in the future. The midfielder made ten starts for Southampton last season and will wear the number 17 jersey at the Reebok, teaming up with ex-Reds El-Hadji Diouf and Nic Anelka.... Similar posts

Craig Bellamy, pictured right with a West Ham jersey has been unveiled in London as a 7.5m signing for The Hammers. Bellamy sees himself as an instant first-team player at West Ham and he’s likely right. Via WHUFC.co.uk… “Some people don’t understand it, but the opportunity to be a senior figure at an ambitious club like West Ham is very attractive. It was important for me to start playing regular football. I could sit at Liverpool as a squad player all day long, picking up my money, playing every now and then, but I’d be cheating myself and my personality”. Bellamy moves in a week that has seen Fernando Torres arrive at Liverpool and now possibly Ryan Babel is on the cards as well. “I’m delighted to be here,” he says.... Similar posts

If the stories are to be believed it looks like we’re laying money on the table for Ryan Babel. By we I mean Liverpool of course but this one seems to have snuck out of the water all stealthy like. Both TeamTalk and Sky Sports News are reporting that Liverpool have lodged a bid with Ajax for the Dutch winger (he can play out on the left wing and move up front centre with relative ease). The 20 year old is highly sought after and highly regarded in Europe (and I’d be a fan of him as well) but he’s been quoted as saying he’s staying with Ajax for the long haul. His agent, Winne Haatrect says I can say nothing about transfer fees, but I can confirm that Liverpool have made a bid for Ryan. Ryan himself hasn’t spoken with that club. Only when Ajax says that the... Similar posts

I managed to get a rare weekend away for myself this weekend and return (having avoided all papers and internet over the weekend) to find Cisse gone altogether to Marselli and Craig Bellamy on the way out, likely rubber-stamping the deal tomorrow morning. Cisse was announced as a full-time signing for Marselle the same day Bolo Zenden left at the end of last week and figures being tossed around suggest that the transfer is somewhere in the range of £6m, a sure size smaller than the £14m Liverpool paid for him when he arrived at Anfield. You can read the full translated (ever dodgily translated) interview with OM.net here. As for Craig Bellamy, it looks like the suggested £9m move from last week will materialise tomorrow or Tuesday with West Ham issuing a press release over the weekend... Similar posts

Its a case of one-in-one-out for Liverpool today as Andriy Voronin was unveiled to the media at Anfield while Bolo Zenden is set to depart for Marseille having been released from his contract this week. It has long been known Voronin would play for Liverpool, the transfer having been agreed this week and there’s already pictures of him on the training ground, having been around Liverpool this past week. As the Ukranian striker puts it himself though, he hasn’t come to Liverpool “just to sit on the bench” and fully intends to be making his mark up front with Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy or whoever he is partnered with. That said though, Bellamy might be out the door soon enough so he’ll have one less striker to worry about in the pecking order.... Similar posts

It was just over a year ago that Craig Bellamy arrived at Liverpool and now, one year on and following the arrival of Fernando Torres, Bellamy looks set to depart with TeamTalk reporting this morning that the Welsh skipper has agreed a four year, 70k a week deal with West Ham. To date, Bellamy has bagged seven goals for Liverpool but yet again, here’s a case of another player that I don’t really want to see leaving Anfield. Then again, Torres, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin… but Bellamy is still proven in the Premiership and has the tenacity to produce now he has a season at Anfield behind him. Its the chances that he needs (like the Champions League Final) but he’s not getting and if Benitez sees fit to sell him off then so be it. Granted, it is a possible 9 million pound... Similar posts

Fernando Torres, set to be revealed at a 3pm press conference in Liverpool today, will be wearing the #9 shirt as vacated by Robbie Fowler with Fowler’s contract and second stint at Liverpool complete. The 23 year old Spaniard steps into Fowler and Ian Rush’s shoes and will no doubt do the revered number nine jersey more justice than Cissé or Diouf did. Not that I’m sniping or anything, just that I think he’s going to do really well at Anfield, certainly give Premier League defenders something to worry about. Bookies are already giving Torres 5/4 to score on his debut, he’s evens to score over 15 goals this season in the Premier League or if you’re up for a gamble you can pick up 66/1 on Torres pulling a Xabi Alonso on it and scoring from inside his... Similar posts

Looks like Fernando Torres is floating around Liverpool today and has already passed a medical with a view to being unveiled today. A press conference has been called for this afternoon with Torres being paraded to the media. 82 goals in 214 games for Atletico is a fairly good record to be bringing to Anfield and I’ll be delighted to see him on the pitch. Young, talented - gifted - proven scorer, proven leader, hard worker, all the ingredients that go into the formation of a championship winning side. Its a lot of money - big transfer fee and a huge contract - but its been a long time coming. May this be the next big spark in the Rafalution at Liverpool.... Similar posts