Liverpool Unlikely To Swoop For Heskey, Johnson

Premier League leaders Liverpool may not be adding any reinforcements to their squad in January after all, according to a report in the British broadsheet the Independent.

Apparently, Reds manager Rafaael Benitez has revealed that they must sell before they buy, but the chances of Jermaine Pennant leaving the club during this transfer window are looking more and more faint.

The former Birmingham City winger failed to negotiate a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid recently, rejecting their contract offer, and has turned down offers from the likes of Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers.

Wigan Athletic and Hull City are thought to be interested in the €3.8 million-rated midfielder, as well as Italian club AC Milan, so a deal could yet go through.

However, Liverpool are believed to have told the Rossoneri to forget about making an offer of €9.2 m for Danish centre-back Daniel Agger.

It appears that Italian full-back Andrea Dossena will not be moving to the San Siro either, with Benitez quoted in the Guardian as saying: "I have not considered selling Andrea Dossena, I think it is important to keep people together now."

It is claimed, therefore, that the Reds will not be making a move for Portsmouth's England international right-back Glen Johnson, who is apparently set to agree a new contract at Fratton Park.

Wigan's England international forward Emile Heskey had been linked with a return to Anfield, but it is thought that Benitez has no plans to move for the player whose contract will expire in the summer, paving the way for Aston Villa to capture the 30-year-old.

Liverpool Owners Granted Extra Time To Repay £350m Loan

Tom Hicks and George Gillett have been granted a six-month period of grace to repay £350.5m to Liverpool's lenders. Those funds, provided last January as "working capital" to run Liverpool and including £60m towards constructing a new stadium, were due to be repaid or refinanced by 25 January. But the banks – the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland and the US investment bank Wachovia – have deferred the deadline.

That came following a written request from Liverpool's American co-owners and their holding company, Kop Football, with the new deadline now set at 24 July. "The loan does not mature on 24 January," said an insider involved in the deal.

The Anfield club are currently the Premier League leaders but with £30m in annual interest repayments required, the supplementary income from Champions League participation is critical to their business. By July, Liverpool hope, those revenues will be guaranteed.

Although this provides breathing space in the short term, it is unclear how RBS-Wachovia will deal with the loan in the summer. The loan currently earns little more than 5% a year in interest, despite the risk involved with football clubs. City sources expect that even if RBS-Wachovia agree to renegotiate the debt in July they are likely to demand a very large fee, which will further increase Liverpool's indebtedness.

Another imponderable is the financial health of George Gillett's portfolio. Reports in the US say his Nascar team has been scaling back its activities after a drop in sponsorship. His Booth Creek Management Corp is exposed to the ailing automobile industry as the owner of dealerships. Although both Hicks and Gillett regularly stress their continued commitment to Liverpool, one route out of repaying the debt has now closed. Takeover interest from Dubai has been withdrawn following the collapse in the world economy.

Benitez: FA Cup Derby Clash Won’t Distract Liverpool FC From Title Bid

RAFAEL BENITEZ is confident Liverpool will not be detracted from their quest for the Premier League crown by the forthcoming FA Cup derby against Everton.

The Merseyside rivals will meet in the competition for the first time in 18 years after being paired together in the fourth round.

The game, which is due to take place on either January 24 or 25 at Anfield, comes in the middle of a critical run of league games for the Premier League leaders.

Liverpool are already hosting Everton in the league on Monday, January 19, before which they visit struggling Stoke City on Saturday.

They follow the Cup showdown with a trip to Wigan Athletic in midweek before the Reds entertain title rivals Chelsea.

And Benitez has moved to quell the growing excitement at the prospect of the FA Cup tie with their neighbours by insisting Liverpool are looking no further forward than the weekend clash at the Britannia Stadium.

“It is a draw which will excite everyone in the city because everyone knows about the great rivalry that exists between the two clubs,” said the Liverpool manager.

“But we must remember that we have some big games coming up in the league before the cup tie and we will be taking one game at a time.

“Only when the cup game comes around will it become our focus and before then we play Stoke and Everton in the league so we must keep our focus on those matches.

“But it is good to have so many important matches because it shows that your team is doing well.”

Everton defender Tony Hibbert believes the atmosphere for the Cup game will be “electric”, with the Goodison outfit expected to be handed their largest official ticket allocation at Anfield since the FA Cup fifth-round clash there in February 1991.

“To be first out of the hat was unbelievable,” said Hibbert. “It’s a great draw for the city but probably not one that either team would have wanted at this stage of the competition.

“The atmosphere in derby games is electric at the best of times but this will be something else again and we are all looking forward to it.

“The FA Cup is something we have grown up with and all the lads here would love to get into a final but there is a long, long way to go yet before we can think about that.”

Everton earned progress to the fourth round for the first time in three years with a 1-0 win at League Two outfit Macclesfield Town.

And Hibbert added: “It’s never easy going to those places. The pitch in places was very icy and hard, which made it even more difficult, but I thought the lads did a brilliant job coping with it.

“The performance was good but we didn’t make it easy for ourselves by missing a few chances and that’s something we will have to improve on.

“But the main thing was getting the win and getting through to the next round. We really wanted to put a show on for the fans and we should have done that with the chances we created.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s assistant boss Sammy Lee hailed skipper Steven Gerrard as a “top professional”.

Gerrard, who was charged with assault and affray after an incident at a bar in Southport, fully justified Benitez’s decision to play him against Preston on Saturday with a commanding performance in the 2-0 win, which set up the clash with Everton.

Lee said: “Steven is a great footballer and he produced a terrific performance. Things have been written about him, but we know that he is a top professional.”

Albert Riera’s first-half strike put the Reds in the driving seat before Gerrard unselfishly squared for substitute Fernando Torres to make it 2-0 late on.

“That second goal sums up this football club,” Lee said.

“Whoever scores is not important. It’s all about the team and that goal epitomised our team spirit.”

Mark Lawrenson: Nuisance FA Cup Tie Is Last Thing Everton Or Liverpool Would Want

MY first reaction when I heard the first tie out of the bag in the FA Cup fourth round draw was “Oh no – surely not!” And I bet that was how Liverpool and Everton reacted to it as well.

It’s a nuisance tie and the last one either side needed.

The sort that make you want to turn the clock back a few seconds and start the whole draw again.

For Liverpool, when they heard their name come out of the bag first and they knew had a home tie they must have been hoping for Kettering or Hartlepool to be next out.

Okay so they lost at home to Barnsley last year, but the odds of something like that happening again are remote and getting a similar draw is far more preferable than being paired with Everton, or anyone else from the top 10 of the Premier League for that matter.

You’d take awkward over tough any day.

As for David Moyes, well he has had some shockers but he’s also had some stinkers in his time in terms of draws.

Yes, you do have to knock out the best to win a cup but you also need luck as well so getting the top of the league away from home, whoever that might be, suggests that’s not on your side this year.

While the managers and players won’t like the draw, I’m not convinced the supporters will be too keen on it either.

I do think it is great that some of them have recognised the significance of a repeat of the 1989 final and are making the most of this opportunity to commemorate the 20th anniversary Hillsborough disaster.

But that is the closest I think anyone will come to creating any kind of a sense of occasion.

After all, the game will come just a few days after they have met in the league at Anfield.

These games are rarely spectacles anyway and I don’t see that changing just because they happen to be playing in the FA Cup.

It’s still a Merseyside derby and nobody wants to lose. Expect it to be cagey. In fact, expect a draw.

Which is the last thing Liverpool need when you’ve got a title to go for and a Champions League campaign ready to start up again.

Everton? Well, that won’t concern them. But it does all make me think that they could actually do quite well out of this draw.

Moyes is more than capable, as he has proved in the past, of going to Anfield and coming away with a draw.

On this occasion, he could still be suffering a severe shortage of players but when his tactics have been dictated to him because of availability, its usually worked out quite well.

There’s no reason to think he won’t go there with a 4-5-1 and maybe hedge his bets on giving his rivals that pesky extra fixture on their list.

There’s no doubt that, considering how many teams were still left in that bag when Liverpool came out first, that Moyes will be cursing his luck at being handed such a tough trip.

But aside from that, there are no problems with fixture pile-ups for them so they have no reason to be fearful of the tie.

They need to turn it in their favour and make the best of what at first seemed a bad situation. And it’s their ability to do that over and over again that has got them into such a strong position at this stage of the season.

Whatever happens, there is no denying that this is the tie of the round.

But a derby is a derby and the players will all be treating the tie the same way. In fact it’s the same way I treated the Cup final of 1986.

Just get through it and make sure you win it.

Liverpool Left-Back Emiliano Insua To Miss Five Games After Argentina Call-Up

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is fuming after Argentina called up Emiliano Insua for an Under-20 tournament that will put him out of five matches.

Insua has made a name for himself as the first-choice left-back at Anfield in the past few games, but he has been named in his country's squad for the mini Copa America in Venezuela.

The gifted youngster, who will turn 20 tomorrow, will miss Liverpool's double header with Everton then the games against Wigan, Chelsea and Portsmouth.

Insua will face Stoke on Saturday before jetting off for the tournament which ends on February 8.

Penannt Set For Sun And Sangria

Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant is set for talks with Spanish giants Sevilla according to sources in Spain. A bid in the region of £3 milllion is rumoured to have been accepted by Rafa Benitez and Pennant is rumoured to favour a move to the warm climate of Seville.

Wigan, Real Madrid, Hull City and Stoke City have been linked with a move for the winger, however despite increased speculation no concrete offers were received by Liverpool.

Pennant has struggled to gain a starting berth in Benitez's first team and Liverpool would be keen to cash in on a player whose contract expires in the summer.

AC Milan Target Liverpool FC Stars During Transfer Window

AC Milan look set to fail in their attempts to sign Daniel Agger during the transfer window – but are giving Anfield outcast Jermaine Pennant a chance to kick-start his career.

Pennant, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been offered a pre-contract agreement by the Italian giants to sign on a free transfer in the summer.

The winger is no longer part of Rafael Benitez’s plans with Liverpool keen to off-load the 25-year-old for a fee this month.

Real Madrid had a bid in the region of £3m accepted a fortnight ago but the deal is believed to have floundered over the player’s personal terms.

Pennant, also a target for Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur, has previously expressed a desire to play in Spain.

But he may now opt to sit tight and walk away for nothing at the end of the campaign and join Milan, against whom he was the star performer in Liverpool’s 2-1 Champions League final defeat in 2007.

However, the Italians will not be able to prise Pennant’s team-mate Agger away from Anfield this month.

Milan have been tracking the Denmark international since it emerged talks have stalled over a fresh deal for the centre-back, who has less than 18 months remaining on his current contract.

With no agreement yet in sight, the Italian giants are preparing to take advantage by lodging an £8.5m bid for the 24-year-old.

But Benitez has no intention of losing any key squad members as his team press for silverware both home and abroad.

Rafa Rules Out Dossena Exit

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has insisted that he wants to keep hold of Andrea Dossena.

The Italian arrived at Anfield from Udinese over the summer for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £7million.

He was given the opportunity to establish himself at left-back but failed to impress and lost his place to Fabio Aurelio.

Aurelio suffered an injury at the end of November but Benitez turned to Argentine youngster Emiliano Insua rather than Dossena.

Dossena has been linked with a January move away from Liverpool but Benitez has ruled out a departure.

He does not want to lose any of his players as the Reds continue to mount a challenge for the Premier League title.

"I am not considering selling Dossena," Benitez said in the Daily Star.

"I think it is important to keep the squad together."

Liverpool Join The Hunt For Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing

Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, who it was today revealed, is ready to hand in a written transfer request to Boro manager Gareth Southgate tomorrow.

Reds manager Rafael Benitez is reportedly ready to offer Boro £12 million for the services of the talented left winger.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in acquiring the 24-year-old's services, and have had several bids for the player turned down by Boro, but Downing is now apparently ready to move on from the Riverside, and the list of clubs interested in him is growing by the day.

Spurs have already failed with bids during this transfer window and have now seen Downing's transfer request as their opportunity to pounce for the England international.

Liverpool bought Albert Riera during the summer transfer window and already have Ryan Babel in their squad, but Benitez seemingly wants Downing as a squad player, which he will inevitably be should he move there.

Downing has been playing for Boro for his entire professional career, only playing seven games for another team, at Sunderland during a loan spell in 2003.

Since he was promoted from the infamous Middlesbrough youth team, the 24-year-old has made a total of 154 Premier League appearances and scored 17 times in the process.

Liverpool-Everton Cup Clash Has 'Extra Significance' - Carragher

The Liverpool versus Everton FA Cup 4th round tie has been given some extra significance in a year that commemorates the 20th anniversary of some of the most dreadful events in English football's long history.

When Everton make the short trip across Stanley Park to Anfield later this month to take on city rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round, memories of more than just local pride will be mournfully rekindled.

The two clubs met in the FA Cup final of 1989, and events that led up to that game cast a grim shadow over English football to this day. Although Liverpool won a dramtic final, beating the Toffees 3-2, the real story of that season had occurred in Sheffield the previous month.

During Liverpool's semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium 96 supporters were killed in a terrace crush that represents probably English football's biggest tragedy.

Events that day led to the Taylor Report, to all-seater stadia, to stands without fences, indeed, to the Premier League itself, but what was more important in 1989 was that Liverpool won the Cup for the fans who'd died. That they beat the other great club from their city in doing so just made it more appropriate.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of that dark day, both clubs are aware of the significance of today's draw. Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher summed up what this year's competition really means to the Reds players.

"Hillsborough is something we are all obviously aware of," Carragher said.

"Extra significance will be attached to the competition for us. Going on to win it would be the perfect tribute to those who died."

The Liverpool FC badge now features flames at its sides as a memorial to those supporters who lost their lives at Hillsborough.

Hobbs Focused On Foxes

Jack Hobbs is not worrying about his long-term future at Liverpool during his loan spell at Leicester City.

The promising defender has made 26 appearances for the Foxes after joining the League One club on a season-long loan.

He is tipped as a bright prospect for the future and has played five first-team games for Liverpool since his 2005 move from Lincoln City.

The 20-year-old is unsure how he fits into Rafa Benitez's long-term plans at Anfield, but will wait until the end of the season before discussing the situation.

"I'm here until the end of the season and I'm in a winning side," said Hobbs in the Daily Star. "I'm developing well as a player.

"My main aim is to do well for Leicester and then I will go back to Liverpool in the summer.

"I can't tell you what will happen in the future, but I'm just focused on this season.

"I've got another year at Liverpool and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Fernando Torres: I Will Win Premier League Title For Liverpool Fans

Fernando Torres claims he is desperate to win the Premier League for Liverpool's fans. Torres is hoping his injury troubles are over after marking his comeback with a goal.

Torres had been sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring complaint, but came on as a substitute in Saturday's FA Cup tie at Preston North End.

He tapped in Steven Gerrard's pass in injury-time to seal a 2-0 win in the third round and is happy to be back on the pitch.

With Liverpool leading the Premier League, Torres is now eager to play a full role in the club's bid to win the title for the first time since 1990.

"The relationship I have with the fans is special," he said. "I know that. When I was injured, to hear them still singing their song about me was special.

"I could hear it on the TV when I was at home. That's fantastic.

They seem to love me and I want to win the title for this club.

"You want to be out there helping your team-mates and working hard, but the injury is in the past now.

"I have forgotten about it and I am only looking forward.

"I hope all my hamstring injuries are over and that I can keep playing and scoring for Liverpool.

"The team has shown they can win without Stevie and without me. That is very important. It shows that we play as a team."

Carragher Buoyed By The Return Of Torres

Jamie Carragher believes the return of Fernando Torres can fire Liverpool to glory this season.

The Spain international, who netted 33 times in all competitions last season, returned to action as a goal scoring substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup third round win over Preston on Saturday following five weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Liverpool's season could be defined by back-to-back meetings with Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup and Premier League later this month.

And Carragher says that having Torres back has provided a massive lift to a squad who have performed admirably in his absence, opening up a three point gap at the top of the table.

"Having Torres back has given everyone a big lift," he said. "It is great when you see a player of that calibre coming back for the second half of the season.

"Hopefully, the time he has been out will refresh him because he had a long season with the Euros.

"A lot of players have played a lot of games this season because the manager hasn't changed it around so much and it will be good to have someone like him to come back in.

"It has been a feather in the cap for everyone concerned with the club that we have reached the top of the table without having the best striker in the world over the last 12 months for periods.

"You miss a player of that quality, but it will give us a lift to have him out there."

Liverpool Wait On Alonso Injury

Liverpool are waiting on news of the injury to Xabi Alonso, who needed seven stitches in his foot during Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup victory against Preston.

The midfielder was taken off at the end of the first half and he was later seen on the bench wearing a protective boot.

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee said: "We do not know the full extent of the injury, apart from the fact he will be very sore.

"Hopefully there will be no damage but we won't know for 24 to 48 hours."

Alonso, 27, suffered the injury when his attempted shot was blocked by the Preston defence after a well-placed Robbie Keane laid the ball to him on the edge of the box.

The Spaniard was then treated as the players walked off for half-time but he did not appear for the second half of the third-round tie and was replaced by Lucas Leiva.

Alonso has enjoyed a fine first half of the season for Liverpool after he was on the verge of joining Juventus in the summer when Liverpool attempted to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

He also said as recently as October that he was still interested in a move to the Turin club.

Liverpool's next game is against Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday followed by Everton in the Merseyside derby on 19 January. They also face Chelsea on 1 February.

Liverpool FC Aim To Win Every Match, Says Sammy Lee

Liverpool signalled their intent to fight it out on all fronts with the line-up they named at Preston at Saturday – but Sammy Lee has banished talk about going for a treble.

The assistant manager again led operations from the bench for the third-round tie, although Rafael Benitez was sat just a row behind him as he closes in on a full recovery from his kidney stones operations.

With Benitez all but back in full charge, choosing a weakened side would perhaps have been more forgivable than it has been in past years, given Liverpool’s strong position at the top of the Premier League and a Champions League campaign to resume next month.

However, Diego Cavalieri replacing Pepe Reina in goal was the only obvious delve into the second string, although Dirk Kuyt was also rested.

With Steven Gerrard captaining the side in a bid to banish the troubles of the past week and Fernando Torres also sent on for his first action since November, there seems to be no sign of Liverpool sacrificing their FA Cup ambitions in favour of arguably more pressing concerns in the second half of the campaign.

“We’ve got nothing but respect for the competition and the opposition,” said Lee. “We feel we showed that with the team we put out.

“We never think we’re comfortable anywhere – we’re never in a comfort zone and we’re working very hard to make sure we improve on a daily basis.

“We’ve never made any rash promises at this football club. We’re just working hard to improve and hopefully that will manifest itself in results.

“Every side we put out we feel is our strongest side to go and win in any given scenario. I have nothing but credit for these group of players and they are working tirelessly on a daily basis to improve.

“At this football club anything is possible, but I have to be careful and I don’t want people to think that’s me saying we’re going to do this and that.

“We’ve never talk about titles, trebles or make rash promises at Liverpool.”

Lee has, however, promised to keep working with Robbie Keane to help boost his goal tally.

The £20m man spurned a host of chances at Deepdale as his struggle to hit his stride since joining from Spurs last summer continued into the new year.

Lee said after Saturday’s game: “Robbie shouldn’t be down because I thought he got in some great positions.

“The main thing is that we continue to keep creating those chances. Robbie’s worked very, very hard for this football club.

“People talk about this and about that, but we know the quality Robbie’s got and you’ve seen that today in abundance where he’s made some great runs.

“There’s no need to press the panic button – far from it.

“We know his quality and what Robbie Keane brings to this football club. There’s no problem with him – none whatsoever.

Preston North End Keeper Hails Gerrard After Defeat

Andrew Lonergan hailed Steven Gerrard as 'the best player in the world' after keeping him off the scoresheet at Deepdale.

The Preston keeper saved everything the Liverpool skipper threw at him and then revealed: "It was a privilege to be on the same field."

Lonergan kept out half a dozen efforts from Gerrard – one an acrobatic fingertip stop which earned a respectful nod from the England star himself.

He also frustrated a wasteful Robbie Keane on a night when North End gave the Premier League leaders a few frights of their own.

In the end class told. But Lonergan and his team-mates were able to walk away with the heads held high after pushing English football's top side all the way.

"To be honest I thought two-nil probably flattered them a little bit," said Lonergan, who needed a painkilling injection in his thigh to play.

"One-nil would have been about right – that second one was a bit harsh on us.

"I am proud of the way we stood up to a team with so many great players, especially in the second half.

"In the first half, we couldn't believe just how good they were.

"We had seen them against Newcastle last weekend and they were awesome that day.

"But face-to-face, the quality they have got is even more frightening.

"We managed to keep them to just the one goal by half-time and the gaffer said to keep our shape and we would do all right. And we did."

Preston pushed Liverpool back in the second half and even had the ball in the net after 64 minutes.

But referee Martin Atkinson chalked off Sean St Ledger's header because Jon Parkin was wrestling on the ground with Jamie Carragher in the goalmouth.

Throwing bodies forward late on in a bid to snatch a replay at Anfield cost North End a second goal, with Gerrard racing clear to gift Fernando Torres a simple tap in.

But Irvine's team were still given an appreciative ovation at the end as they claimed some big name shirts as souvenirs – Paul McKenna getting Gerrard's and Sean St Ledger bagging Torres'.

Lonergan said: "I can't speak highly enough about Liverpool, they are unbelievable.

"I feel privileged to play on the same pitch as Stevie Gerrard and Robbie Keane.

"I know Keane missed some chances. But their movement is just outstanding.

"That is the thing we can learn from. We can also learn a lot from how good, how fit, how fast and how strong you have got to be to play in the Premier League.

"In the first half I was thinking, 'I don't know if I'm cut out for this Premier League business'.

"But we were better second half and we gave a decent account of ourselves.

"I only made one or two saves really, but I thought they were good saves.

"I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have liked to be beaten by four or five – that wouldn't have been nice.

"The save from the Gerrard shot which was going into the top corner was a good one. I was happy with that one, especially being against a player who in my mind is the best in the world.

"I'm not totally over the moon because we got beaten. But at the end of the day it could have been worse, much worse.

"That second goal was when we were pushing everyone forward and we were down to just one defender – and it was probably a foul on him anyway."

Liverpool rolled out their big guns to face Preston after coming unstuck in the FA Cup with a weakened team against Barnsley last season.

Rafa Benitez granted skipper Gerrard's wish and put him in the starting line-up despite the traumatic week he had gone through off the field.

PNE fans taunted the 28-year-old, although the chants were never going to have a significant effect on a player assistant manager Sammy Lee described later as 'a terrific professional'.

Capello: Don't Be Like Gerrard!

Fabio Capello aimed a sideswipe at Steven Gerrard’s lack of discipline when giving advice to Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo.

The Liverpool midfielder was recently charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray after an alleged nightclub brawl.

Gerrard has often been held up as a positive example for young Italian players to follow, while Montolivo has singled him out as an idol.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t want to imitate Gerrard in every way, especially with regards to recent behaviour,” said England manager Capello on firenzeviola.it.

It is still unclear whether Capello will exclude Gerrard from internationals until the legal situation is sorted out, but Liverpool have rushed to defend their star player.

Capello was speaking to Montolivo when he visited Fiorentina’s winter training camp in Marbella yesterday afternoon.

“I was happy to be here and I always have fun chatting with [Cesare] Prandelli about football. Fiorentina are a great squad.

“I won’t talk about tactics because it doesn’t seem appropriate for me to do so, but I can only say that what I saw here was really very interesting.”

Capello also had a special word for Adrian Mutu, who had worked with the Coach when they were both at Juventus.

“He is doing extremely well and represents a crucial figure for this team.”

Milan Set To Make Move For Liverpool Star Agger

AC Milan are set to make a move to sign Liverpool defender Dan Agger, according to reports in Italy.

Agger is waiting to be offered a new deal by Liverpool and Milan hope to take advantage by snapping up the player for around £7million, reports today's Gazzetta dello Sport.

Milan have also targeted Arsenal defender William Gallas but Agger is their first choice.

Rafa Benitez is believed to be reluctant to sell because the club are still in three competitions but should they sign Glen Johnson from Portsmouth, may allow Agger to leave.

Liverpool And Everton To Clash In FA Cup

A Merseyside derby was the pick of the ties following the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup.

A third-round draw that largely failed to hit the heights was outdone by the very first match as Liverpool and Everton were pulled out of the hat.

To add further spice to an already legendary fixture, the tie comes in the same week as a league game between the teams at Anfield while Reds captain Steven Gerrard is due in court on charges of assault and affray.

The match also comes in the year of the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, following which Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup final.

A second heavyweight Premier League clash sees Manchester United hosting Tottenham.

Non-league Kettering were drawn at home to Fulham, while Arsenal travel to last year's beaten finalists, Cardiff.

Nottingham Forest's reward for beating Manchester City is a trip to bitter rivals Derby - a huge game for former Rams boss Billy Davies, who takes over as Forest's manager today.

Birmingham/Wolves v Middlesbrough
Cardiff v Arsenal
Chelsea/Southend v Ipswich
Cheltenham/Doncaster v Aston Villa
Derby v Nottm Forest
Hartlepool v West Ham
Hull/Newcastle v Millwall/Crewe
Kettering v Fulham
Leyton Orient/Sheff Utd v Charlton/Norwich
Liverpool v Everton
Man Utd v Tottenham
Portsmouth/Bristol City v Histon/Swansea
Sunderland v Blyth/Blackburn
Torquay v Coventry
Watford v Leicester/Crystal Palace
West Brom/Peterborough v QPR/Burnley


Matches to be played over the weekend of January 24 and 25.

Match Report: Preston North End 0 - 2 LiverpooL

Steven Gerrard rose to the occasion with a cool performance for Liverpool in their FA Cup third-round tie against Preston.

The Reds captain was charged with assault and affray earlier this week but was composure personified at Deepdale, producing an inspired display which ended with him creating the injury-time clincher for substitute Fernando Torres.

At the end Gerrard swapped shirts with Preston skipper Paul McKenna and pointedly marched towards the bank of Liverpool fans behind the goal, held his arms aloft and blew kisses to his followers.

Albert Riera had given Liverpool a first-half lead with his fourth goal of the season, but the Anfield men wasted a hatful of chances which gave Preston the belief that they could salvage something from the match.

That they did not had much to do with a class display from Gerrard.

Liverpool made four changes from the side which won so well at Newcastle last weekend.

With Steven Gerrard already confirmed in the side after his traumatic week, boss Rafael Benitez also recalled Robbie Keane, Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso to the starting line-up, with Diego Cavalieri taking over in goal.

Yossi Benayoun, Lucas, Dirk Kuyt and Jose Reina were all rested, while Preston brought in former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor, Jon Parkin and Chris Sedgwick from the side which drew at Barnsley last weekend.

Gerrard predictably found himself being booed by the home support whenever in possession, but Liverpool's 5,000 plus fans were treating him like a hero.

Preston's spirited start to the tie soon distracted their fans from what soon became mild barracking.

The home side's midfield of McKenna and Richard Chaplow were quick to harass Liverpool and force errors, and a 20-yard free-kick from Ross Wallace forced Cavalieri into a plunging save to his right.

Liverpool responded with as twisting run from Riera and a lay-off that Keane could not direct goalwards as he arrived in the six-yard box, the first of a succession of squandered opportunities for the Irishman.

Chaplow and Mellor both went close before Liverpool were ahead after 24 minutes.

Riera picked up a fortunate deflection on the right of the box, and although there was a clear opportunity to drill the ball into the danger area, the Spaniard opted to cut inside and crack the ball into the top corner with his left foot.

Gerrard, who was finding acres of space to operate in just behind Keane, had two long-range efforts which flew close.

Liverpool were slowly taking command, and Chaplow was booked for a late tackle on Alonso, who equally was constantly drifting into dangerous areas.

And Liverpool had a string of chances near the break to settle the issue. Keane should have made it two when he squirmed clear in the area, but Andy Lonergan saved bravely at his feet.

Then Keane produced an even worse effort, arriving in the box to meet a Gerrard cross, only to send his shot hopelessly wide.

Gerrard was in fine form by now and another glittering chance was created by the Liverpool skipper, but it was squandered by first Keane, who opted not to shoot. Instead he pushed the ball to Babel, who was equally wasteful.

Liverpool sent on Lucas for a limping Alonso at the break, and within minutes Daniel Agger had headed narrowly wide from a corner.

The sight of Torres warming up on the touchline had the Liverpool support bursting into song, a sight that would also have concentrated Keane's mind.

But without the cushion of a second goal, there was plenty of anxiety creeping into Liverpool's play and Preston were clearly encouraged.

Preston lost Callum Davidson with what looked to be an ankle injury after 56 minutes, Eddie Nolan coming on. Gerrard's free-kick gave Javier Mascherano the chance for a 25-yarder that flew just over.

Babel's touch gave Gerrard the opportunity for a dipping drive that Lonergan superbly turned over the crossbar at full stretch. Mellor, to a rousing ovation from both sets of fans, went off after 62 minutes to be replaced by Stephen Elliott.

Preston had an effort disallowed after 64 minutes when Sean St Ledger netted, only for Jon Parkin to be penalised for holding down Jamie Carragher.

Preston should have been out of the game by now, such had been Liverpool's string of missed chances but they were heartened by Liverpool's failures, so much so that Benitez appeared on the touchline.

And Torres soon appeared, after 73 minutes, to replace Keane.

Liverpool conceded a string of free-kicks, and there were a couple of loud shouts for penalties as the pressure from the home side heightened.

Gerrard saw a fierce shot on the turn blocked by St Ledger, before Preston sent on Barry Nicholson for Chaplow after 81 minutes.

Liverpool then pushed Gerrard back into central midfield, took off Mascherano and sent on Fabio Aurelio on the left, with Babel moved forward.

But in injury time Gerrard broke away to set up Torres for a simple tap-in to clinch the game.