Reds Join Cicinho Hunt

The Brazilian full-back appears to have been pushed down the pecking order at Real Madrid under new coach Bernd Schuster.

Michel Salgado and Sergio Ramos have been used on the right during most of Real's pre-season to date, and Cicinho realises he could be due for a season of bench-warming if he stays at The Bernabeu.

Roma first showed an interest last month but have yet to strike a deal for the 27-year-old.

However, Liverpool have now been alerted and it has been claimed that Rafa Benitez has made contact.

Benitez wants competition on his right side and after seemingly cooling his interest in Sevilla's Daniel Alves - Cicinho appears to be an attractive alternative.

Roma were believed to be looking into a possible loan, but it seems a The Reds could bid 10 million euros (£6.8million) - which the Eternal City side would not match.

One possible problem for Liverpool could be the fact that Cicinho is reported to have told Real that he would rather move to Italy than England.

Sochaux Still Keen To Bring Back Le Tallec

Sochaux president Jean-Claude Plessis still retains an interest in signing Liverpool forward Anthony Le Tallec, but admits financial constraints could scupper any potential deal.

Le Tallec spent last season on loan at Sochaux, who are looking to bring him back for another spell in the Franche-Comte region.

Plessis admitted, however, that his side cannot compete with the wages on offer at the Reds. "It is no longer a question of getting an additional attacker, save perhaps Anthony," Plessis told French newspaper L'Est Republicain.

"But that remains subject to conditions that we all know about. He has an English salary and I can't break the wage bill of this club like that."

Sochaux, who will play in the UEFA Cup this season, have until August 31 to add to their squad.

Liverpool's recruitment of a raft of attackers over the summer means Le Tallec's chances of first-team football at Anfield this season are limited.

The player spent 2005-06 on loan at Sunderland, scoring three league goals in their unsuccessful fight to stay in the Premiership.

Liverpool Sell Sinama-Pongolle

Liverpool have officially confirmed the permanent transfer of striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle to Spanish club Recreativo.

The 22-year-old spent the entirety of last season on loan at Recre and made a big impression, making 32 league appearances, scoring 11 times.

He had been drafted in to the Liverpool squad by former Reds boss Gerard Houllier in 2003. Despite showing enough promise to earn a place in the France Under 21 squad, his Anfield career never took off.

Having made 66 appearances for Liverpool Sinama-Pongolle scored just 9 times and founds himself towards the back of a long list of strike talent at the club.

Heinze Seeks Arbitration Panel To Resolve United Row

An arbitration panel will meet next week to decide if Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze can leave champions Manchester United for Liverpool, the Premier League said on Tuesday.

Heinze, whose move to Merseyside is being blocked by United, had requested a three-man panel to settle the dispute between the two northwest rivals, a league spokesman said.

Heinze returned to United on Monday, having helped Argentina reach the Copa America final in Venezuela last month.

The 29-year-old left-back, who joined United in 2004 from Paris St Germain for 6.9 million pounds, has been losing out to France's Patrice Evra for a first team place.

Liverpool have offered 6.8 million, the sum reportedly needed for Heinze to buy out the remainder of his contract, but United manager Alex Ferguson does not want him to join a title rival.

LiverpooL In Negotiation With The New Maradona

Liverpool are amongst a host of clubs interesting in signing the brightest talent to come out of South America since Diego Maradona.

18 year old Argentine Franco Di Santo is set to arrive in the UK this week with a view to deciding which of the club's seeking to obtain his services he will join.

The 6ft 4in striker currently plays for Audax Italiano in Chile and has been described as the new Maradona.

According to reports over the weekend, Di Santo will meet with Liverpool representatives this week but will face competition for his signature with Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Manchester City all set for talks with the players representatives this week.

£75M To Spend - Who Will You Buy?

If you are given a tranfer budget of £75 million, who will you buy to improve the eixsting Liverpool team?

Here's my very own idea of spending the budget:

1. Samuel Eto'o, striker (Barcelona) = £30 million

2. Aiden McGeady, winger/attacking midfielder (Celtic) = £5 million

3. Vincent Kompany, defender/defensive midfielder (Hamburg) = £10 million

4. Fabio Paim, attacking midfielder/forward (Sporting Lisbon) = £8 million

5. Nicola Pozzi, striker (Empoli) = £5 million

6. Micah Richards, wing back/defender (Man City) = £7 million

7. Philip Lahm, wing back/winger left-right (Bayern Munich) = £10 million.

Please be informed that these prices are based on current valuation and does not represent the actual value of the player(s).

Feel free to give your own comment....

Feyenoord 1 Liverpool 1

Liverpool's pre-season campaign ended amid astonishing scenes in Rotterdam as six of their players were booked and skipper Steven Gerrard was fortunate not to be sent off.

The final match of the Port of Rotterdam tournament was anything but a friendly as Liverpool fought back from a goal down for Gerrard to grab a second-half equaliser.

But the game in a packed De Kuip stadium had been simmering for a while, with young winger Royston Drenthe in the thick of the trouble.

His late tackle on Gerrard in the dying minutes caused uproar with players from both sides converging in a angry melee, and Gerrard was seen to shove Theo Lucius.

The England midfielder could easily have seen a red card, but the game eventually produced a surprising nine cautions and a late penalty save by Jose Reina.

The fact that the result left Porto as the competition winners meant little as the tempers of Feyenoord and Liverpool players boiled over.

Manager Rafael Benitez will have been disappointed with Liverpool's failure to create a glut chances, but happy he got his players out of Holland without injuries or suspensions.

Benitez fielded a completely different team to the one that comfortably beat Shanghai on Friday, this one much closer to his ideas for the league opener at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Only Alvaro Arbeloa, Andriy Voronin and Harry Kewell from the opening XI are unlikely to play at Villa Park.

And Liverpool started with poise, control and dominance. But they could not turn possession into goals.

Gerrard had a volley over and saw another effort glide wide after a surge into the box, while John Arne Riise was also wide with a drive.

On 15 minutes, Dirk Kuyt, back in front of the Feyenoord fans he served so well before his move to Anfield, saw a fierce drive crash against the bar, giving Egyptian keeper Sheriff Ekramy no chance.

It bounced down, seemingly over the line, but with no official near enough to award the goal play went on.

And a minute from the break Liverpool's wastefulness was punished when Andwele Slory got in behind Riise on the right and saw his shot cannon back off a post for Drenthe to score.

The flying winger, a key member of Holland's European Under-21 Championships title winners this summer, gave Liverpool plenty of problems, Arbeloa being booked for one desperate tug on the youngster.

Liverpool's frustrations boiled over after the break with both Kewell and Jermaine Pennant also booked.

Not surprisingly, Kewell was replaced by Ryan Babel soon after. Pennant was next off on 64 minutes, Fernando Torres taking over.

And with Liverpool looking laboured and short of ideas against a deep defence, it was Gerrard who came to the rescue on 72 minutes.

He strode past two men on the right of the box and drilled an angled shot past Ekramy.

Babel and Xabi Alonso both had good efforts wide before Yossi Benayoun replaced Voronin.

But Feyenoord continued to be competitive, and it was Gerrard who had to kick off the line from Hofs, before Alonso and Drenthe were booked for squaring up.

Javier Mascherano soon replaced the Spanish midfielder.

There was more drama when Feyenoord were awarded a penalty for a supposed hand-ball against Arbeloa, the ball in fact striking his head following a Drenthe cross.

But Reina's famed penalty-saving ability saw him turn away Danny Buijs' effort.

But worse was to follow when Drenthe caught Gerrard with a late tackle.

All hell broke loose, and Gerrard was booked for pushing Theo Lucius in the fracas.

He was instantly withdrawn with Mohamed Sissoko coming on in the final seconds.

Benitez: Liverpool Will Strike Right Balance

Rafael Benitez is relishing a potential selection headache as he looks to turn Liverpool into serious title contenders next season.

The arrival of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett saw the Spaniard handed a substantial transfer kitty and Benitez responded by bringing in Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin alongside Yossi Benayoun over the summer in an attempt to match the firepower of rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.

With last season's top scorer, Peter Crouch, and Holland international Dirk Kuyt also vying for a starting berth, Benitez's biggest worry will be keeping his multitude of stars happy.

However, the Reds manager welcomes the problem and hopes the situation will see his side hit the back of the net more frequently than last term.

"For me it's a good problem," Benitez said. "I like to have these options up front. We have different options now and it depends on the game but I think all of them can play together and that is the important thing.

"It depends on the game. If we want to play more crosses, Crouch can play or Voronin, and if we want to change the game we can introduce a different striker. Last season the team was attacking but I would like to see more goals. We were attacking a lot but we can now improve the accuracy."

All eyes will be on Torres in particular and how quickly the Spainish international can adjust to the pace and physicality of the English game. One man who knows the 23-year-old better than most is Jose Reina.

The Liverpool goalkeeper has both played with and against the former Atletico Madrid hitman in La Liga and the national side and is confident Torres will justify his hefty price tag.

"He's a top quality player and after being with Atletico Madrid it won't be a problem for him," Reina said. "I expect him to score goals, he is learning English very early and has the mentality to succeed.

"I can't explain what he is going to find because I don't want to scare him. He will find out in his own way but I am convinced that he is absolutely ready to meet the challenge."

Reina's own place may be under pressure for perhaps the first time in his Liverpool career as Scott Carson returns to Anfield on the back of an impressive season-long loan at Charlton.

The 21-year-old turned in a string of inspirational performances during the Addicks' unsuccessful fight against relegation but Reina insisted he is ready to cope with the added competition.

"I think it's a great challenge for me," he said. "The more intense it will be, the better for the team. I'm not worried. I know Scotty will be pressuring me, he's a great shot stopper and he showed that last season and it's better for the team."

Voronin Expects To Succeed

Andrei Voronin does not expect to have the same problems adapting to English football as his Ukrainian compatriot Andrei Shevchenko.

Voronin has made a positive start to his Liverpool career after completing a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Meanwhile, Shevchenko, who found the back of the net only 14 times last season, did not live up to high expectations following his £30million move to Chelsea from Milan.

However, Voronin does not believe he will suffer the same difficulties as the Chelsea forward.

"The problems Shevchenko has had have not discouraged me from coming to Liverpool," Voronin told the Daily Star.

"Just because he did perform as well as he might have done did not have an affect on me.

"I have studied English football and think there are many similarities with the game in Germany.

"I am not just here to make up the numbers - I think that one of my biggest qualities is my strength of character."

Voronin also expects Shevchenko to produce the goods this season now that he has had time to settle in England.

"He didn't perform as well as he was expected to last season but he played in Italian football for seven seasons with AC Milan and that league is totally different to English football," Voronin added.

"Maybe he just needed a little bit more time to get used to the English style but I think he will do better this season because he is a goal scorer."

First For Torres In Reds Win

Fernando Torres scored his first goal for Liverpool in the 2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua.

The club's record signing put The Reds ahead in the Port of Rotterdam tournament opener before Steven Gerrard curled in a fine second goal.

Though chances were at a premium at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium, Liverpool took the lead with their first real opportunity on 13 minutes.

Yossi Benayoun - another new signing for Liverpool - threaded through a clever pass for Torres, who produced a cute finish over the Shanghai keeper.

Torres wanted a penalty after half-an-hour after taking a tumble in the box before strike partner Peter Crouch's weak chip was easily saved.

Liverpool were given a scare before the break when Blanco slipped through, but his shot clipped the legs of keeper David Martin.

In the second half, Gerrard climbed off the bench to add a touch of class to a laboured contest when he worked room for a shot and curled his effort inside the far post from 20 yards.

Former Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt then slipped a pass through for Benayoun, but the Israeli was closed down as he scented a goal.

Rafa Benitez's men will face tournament hosts Feyenoord in their second game of the competition on Sunday.

Comment: Finally, the golden boy of Liverpool has found his scoring boots again. Hopefully he will continue scoring more goals for Liverpool in the upcoming football season.

Reds Raring To Go

Liverpool first-team coach Alex Miller says the new-look side are determined to get off to a good start this season.

The Reds have been busy in the transfer market this summer as they look to mount a serious title challenge.

Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations this weekend in the Rotterdam Tournament and Miller knows the side need to get off to a good start if they want to pose a threat to Manchester United and Chelsea this season after disappointing starts in the last two campaigns.

"In the last two seasons we haven't made good starts but hopefully it will be different this year.

"We have made one or two changes to our training programme which we believe will help us start really well.

"The competition is so tough in England that it's so important you get off to a good start and that will be our aim from the moment we kick off at Aston Villa.

"We have added some players who we believe will help us be a better squad and we are hoping they gel really quickly with the rest of the squad.

"I'm not stupid enough to say this is going to be our year or that we're going to win it, but we will certainly be challenging. We have a good set of players and we will take some beating."

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is looking forward to making an emotional return to Feyenoord after leaving De Kuip for Anfield last summer.

"The other Liverpool players have asked me about Feyenoord, the club and what to expect from the crowd," said Kuyt.

"I have told them they can expect something special and I am certainly looking forward to the game and my return to Rotterdam.

"It is almost one year ago now that I left, and I am certainly happy to be back here to play this weekend.

"I want to show the crowd as well as myself that I am a better player now."

Liverpool Face Tricky Toulouse Test

Liverpool must overcome a tricky trip to Toulouse if they are to reach the Champions League group stage.

The Reds, who have won the competition five times and were beaten in last season's final, must face the Ligue 1 side over two legs for a place in the lucrative section of the competition.

Arsenal's first European tie since the departure of talismanic striker Thierry Henry will be a tough one too, against Czech side Sparta Prague.

Scottish champions Celtic face a tough test against Spartak Moscow in their bid to reach the group stage while Rangers will face either 1991 European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade or Estonian side Levadia Tallinn if they overcome FK Zeta in the second qualifying round. They lead 2-0 from the home leg.

The first legs will be played on August 14 and 15, with the return matches taking place on August 28 and 29.

Toulouse reached the Champions League qualifiers by finishing third in Ligue 1 behind champions Lyon and runners-up Marseille while Arsenal's opponents Sparta are the champions of the Czech Republic.

Their success last season was their 34th domestic title and they became the first club since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s to win the domestic double.

Leto Cleared For LiverpooL Debut

Liverpool starlet Sebastian Leto has finally been given the all-clear to make his debut for the Premiership club.

The Argentinian left winger has been granted a European passport and is now set to play in this weekend's Port of Rotterdam tournament.

The 20-year-old was blocked from travelling to Hong Kong for last week's Asia Trophy tournament because of a delay in paperwork.

But Leto, a £2million signing from Lanus at the end of last season, will be included in boss Rafael Benitez's squad when Liverpool fly to Holland tomorrow morning.

Liverpool play Shanghai Shenua tomorrow evening and Feyenoord on Sunday as they round off their pre-season programme.

Benitez said: "He (Leto) will be able to play in Holland. Leto will travel with the squad and we have permission to play him in these games.

"It's good news for him because it's not easy when you're only training. You want to play in the games."

Kuyt Says Liverpool Will Score

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt insists that Liverpool’s problems in front of goal will not persist as the team prepare for the new season.

The Reds have spent some serious money in the transfer window, mostly on players who can get the ball into the back of the net.

Last season Liverpool were accused of not creating enough scoring chances in the Premiership, and when they did, spurning them with poor finishing.

Rafa Benitez has been active in the market trying to solve the problem, bringing in Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin.

But a 0-0 draw in normal time against Portsmouth in the final of the Asia Trophy last weekend was a worrying sign that the money has been wasted. Liverpool lost the game on penalties, new boy Torres missing his spot kick.

But it is too soon before the start of the Premiership season to get hot under the collar according to Dirk Kuyt who faces his old club Feyenoord on Sunday in Liverpool’s final pre-season match.

“I feel we showed some quality and created lots of chances against Portsmouth,” said the 27-year-old.

“The only disappointing thing is we did not score any of them. That’s what we must work on. But we will and hopefully it will come.

“You could see both Torres and Babel have plenty of quality and skill. The pair of them are very fast and both have great futures here at Liverpool.”

Sochaux Planning Le Tallec Bid

Liverpool misfit Anthony Le Tallec could be heading back to France on a permanent basis after it was made clear he has no future at Anfield.

The 22-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan to Sochaux, and the French club have now confirmed that they are considering meeting Reds manager Rafael Benitez's £2.7million asking price.

Le Tallec returned to Liverpool's Melwood training ground this summer hoping to rekindle his Anfield career.

But Benitez promptly sent him to train with the reserves and it is believed he has been given a week off.

He did not travel with the second string to Holland yesterday for the four-team tournament next weekend in Amsterdam.

Benitez could have allowed Le Tallec to train with the senior squad this week ahead of their own trip to play two games in Rotterdam at the weekend, but instead opted to give the player time off.

Liverpool have offered Le Tallec to clubs in the UK and Europe, and he has been linked with Birmingham, Fulham and West Ham.

But Sochaux could be prepared to end the player's Mersey nightmare by coming up with a permanent deal.

Sochaux chairman Jean-Claude Plessis, who earlier in the summer claimed his club would not pursue the player, said: "Indeed we are thinking about a permanent deal.

"Anthony is a very talented player who has been very fair with us last season. If the conditions are acceptable, why not sign him?"

After being signed by former boss Gerard Houllier from Le Havre - along with Florent Sinama-Pongolle - in 2002, in a joint deal which was worth up to £7m, Le Tallec also had an unsatisfactory loan spell at Sunderland.

But the French Under-21 international has never fulfilled the promise he showed as a teenager, which earned him high praise in a series of UEFA and FIFA youth championships.

Benitez Targets Baines

Liverpool are being linked with a move for Leighton Baines if they fail to land Gabriel Heinze.

The Wigan left-back is their back-up option, according to the Daily Mirror, who also claim that the Reds have finally worked out that they need cover for Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger at centre-half.

Baines has already turned down a move to Sunderland, while Everton have had a bid of £4m plus a player turned down.

The Mirror also claims that Benitez is still looking for a wide player and although he would 'love' to sign Arjen Robben, he looks set to join Real Madrid.

Liverpool Not Stopped Spending Yet

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has suggested that the Reds’ summer transfer splurge has not ended yet.

Manager Rafa Benitez has already splashed out around £40million on several new players including Ryan Babel, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun, but according to Parry, more money could be spent.

Speculation continues over whether Benitez will be able to lure United full-back Gabriel Heinze to Anfield with a big cash offer and Parry refuses to rule out further signings this summer.

Manchester United and Tottenham have both spent big bucks this summer and in a change of tact, Chelsea have been fortifying their squad with free transfers, perhaps having learnt last summer with the signings of Shevchenko and Ballack that big cash doesn’t always guarantee big success.

There is still a month to go until the August transfer window closes, ample time to reconfigure the squad further if Benitez so wants.

"A lot of clubs have spent significant amounts of money this summer, like Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea," Parry told the club's official website.

"Then there are a number of other clubs who have recently also had new investors, such as Newcastle, and there's still a long way to go before the end of the transfer window.

"If a player becomes available and he's the right player for this club then yes, we will be interested."

"There's always a lot expectation but there's definitely a special buzz about the upcoming season," added Parry.

"We're all excited with the new signings we've made and genuinely happy with what we've done.

"It was important to get them in as early as possible so that Rafa could have more time working with them. Bringing players in on the last day of the transfer window is never ideal.

"It was good for our new players to have been involved in the training camp out in Switzerland and then in Hong Kong."

Brazilian Leiva Unveiled By LiverpooL

Liverpool's new Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva says he cannot wait to get started at Anfield.

Leiva, 20, was unveiled on Thursday after signing for an undisclosed fee from Gremio and is with the squad on their tour of the Far East.

Leiva told the club's website: "I am very happy to be at Liverpool. It is a club respected throughout the world.

"There is a great selection of top stars at this club and it is a fantastic opportunity for me."

Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool have signed one of world football's best young talents.

Lucas is a young player with great experience," said Benitez. "We have known about him for a long time and had to move quickly to sign him because many top clubs were interested.

"Lucas is not a typical Brazilian player but he's a clever player who wants the ball all the time, which is important.

"He will need time but I think we've signed a really excellent prospect."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has also predicted a bright future for the captain of Brazil's Under-20 side.

Gerrard said: "From what I've seen of him so far he's got everything you need in a Liverpool player; good touch, good passing and he's also a good lad off the field.

"I expect him to be knocking on the door of the first team before too long and hopefully, in time, he can help us win many trophies."

Comment: If this guy is selected for the Brazilian national squad at the age of 20, then he must have been playing some great football. Let's hope that he could spark some magic in the Liverpool camp.

LiverpooL To Play Torres, Babel & Gerrard

Liverpool will be at full strength for the Asia Trophy final after record signing Fernando Torres was given permission to play and Steven Gerrard recovered from injury, their coach said on Thursday.

Rafael Benitez said Torres and Dutch forward Ryan Babel had international clearance for Friday's match against Portsmouth after a bureaucratic bungle ruled them out of the semi-final.

"Torres and Babel have been cleared and have permission to play," Benitez said, adding that England star Gerrard had recovered from a stomach problem. "I think he's OK. He will be all right."

Torres and Babel were left out of Tuesday's game because they did not have the international clearance needed to appear in a Premier League-endorsed competition.

The triple absences disappointed thousands of fans at Hong Kong Stadium and forced Benitez to field a makeshift line-up which toiled to a 3-1 win against local minnows South China.

"We had some problems without Torres and Babel," Benitez admitted. "Now we have new options and fresh legs, and maybe we can manage the final in a different way.

"Portsmouth will be very difficult to play against but at least we will have more options."

Benitez side-stepped the latest barbs from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who raised the stakes by saying Liverpool were under pressure to deliver this season.

But he admitted he wanted more bite from the 18-time English champions who have not won the domestic league since 1990.

"I would like to see more goals. We were attacking a lot [last season] but I feel we can improve now," he said.

"We will have more options up front. Depending on the game we can play more crosses with Crouch or down the line with Voronin.

"If we want to change the game I can use another style of striker so I think it will be good for the team."

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina said he expected the highly-rated Torres to make an instant impact on the Premiership after moving from Spain's Atletico Madrid, where he was top scorer for the past five seasons.

"It won't be a problem for him - I expect him to score as soon as he comes," Reina said.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, whose side beat Fulham 1-0 to reach the final, tipped Liverpool finally to challenge for the Premier League title.

"They're looking very strong," said Redknapp. "The backbone of their team is still [Jamie] Carragher and Gerrard but they've added some talent this year and they will get a lot closer to Chelsea and Manchester United, I'm sure."

Redknapp said he would unveil forward John Utaka, Portsmouth's seventh signing this summer as they push for a European spot.

Introducing The New LiverpooL Stadium

Liverpool Football Club has unveiled plans for its new £300m stadium in Stanley Park.

The 60,000-seat stadium – designed by US-based architects HKS – will replace the club’s famous Anfield ground, where the team has played since 1892.

Chief executive Rick Parry said: “It was always the aim of the club, with the backing of our owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to be world-class both on and off the pitch.

“When they took over, the first thing Tom and George wanted to do was review the stadium both in terms of the design and the capacity.

“We’re building a stadium that not only the club and supporters can be proud of, but something the whole city can be proud of. Liverpool is a city on the move and deserves world-class developments like this.”

The Stanley Park stadium has an asymmetrical design, with an 18,000-seat single tier stand, and will also incorporate facilities for the Anfield Sport and Community Centre and Liverpool Hope University, and its external amenities will include tennis courts and multi-use games area.

The stadium is expected to be completed in 2010.