Espanyol have rejected Liverpool’s £9.5m (€12m) bid for Spanish international midfielder Albert Ortega Riera, according to reports.
The left-sided midfielder has expressed his desire to join a bigger club this summer, having impressed for the The Periquitos this season, breaking into the Spain squad and scoring a spectacular debut goal against Denmark in October.
Having drawn plaudits during a loan spell with Manchester City in 2006, the 26-year old is not short of Premiership suitors and Liverpool will have to almost double their bid if they are to meet Espanyol president Daniel Sanchez Libre’s £18.5 million valuation.
The Merseysiders have time to mull over an improved bid given Riera’s omission from Spain’s Euro 2008 squad, a factor that served only to heighten the midfielder’s growing frustration in Barcelona.
Though he along with teammates Luis Garcia and Raul Tamudo have all featured prominently for Luis Aragones, most recently in the friendly win over Italy in March, Riera feels that Espanyol’s poor second-half to the season has cost the trio their international places.
"I knew there could be surprises but I expected to be there," he said.
"But the second half of the season has cost us.
"Normally all three of us would be with the national team and now none of us are," he said.
"It's disappointing but there is no point looking back now.
"I will rest this summer and start to think about next season."
The left-sided midfielder has expressed his desire to join a bigger club this summer, having impressed for the The Periquitos this season, breaking into the Spain squad and scoring a spectacular debut goal against Denmark in October.
Having drawn plaudits during a loan spell with Manchester City in 2006, the 26-year old is not short of Premiership suitors and Liverpool will have to almost double their bid if they are to meet Espanyol president Daniel Sanchez Libre’s £18.5 million valuation.
The Merseysiders have time to mull over an improved bid given Riera’s omission from Spain’s Euro 2008 squad, a factor that served only to heighten the midfielder’s growing frustration in Barcelona.
Though he along with teammates Luis Garcia and Raul Tamudo have all featured prominently for Luis Aragones, most recently in the friendly win over Italy in March, Riera feels that Espanyol’s poor second-half to the season has cost the trio their international places.
"I knew there could be surprises but I expected to be there," he said.
"But the second half of the season has cost us.
"Normally all three of us would be with the national team and now none of us are," he said.
"It's disappointing but there is no point looking back now.
"I will rest this summer and start to think about next season."
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