Dalglish Can Deliver The Title With Right Backing, Says Barnes

Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged Anfield's owners to provide manager Kenny Dalglish with the money needed to strengthen his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Up until Christmas, the Reds looked as though they would be condemned to a season of mid-table mediocrity, until the January arrival of Dalglish, but under his stewardship, Liverpool recovered well to earn a sixth-placed finish.

Barnes is confident in 'King' Kenny's ability to get the best out of his players – but says that Liverpool are still a few signings away from having a squad capable of challenging for the title.

"I'm positive that Kenny Dalglish can maximize the potential of the squad as he has shown, which meant that they finished sixth," he explained in an interview with skysports.

"They could've finished fifth but coming from where they were, it was fantastic.

"They still need investment because you can see that the squad isn't as strong as the top four," Barnes continued.

Since the arrival of new Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, the Merseyside club has been backed financially with the January arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for a combined fee of £57million.

And Barnes is hoping for more of the same this summer, in an attempt to regain their place at the top of the tree and add to their 18 titles, recently surpassed by rivals Manchester United.

"[The squad] is good enough to challenge for a top-five position, as they have shown, but then to challenge to a top one or two position, they still need two or three players.

"I'm hopeful that Kenny will be given the money to do that and if that happens I feel they can mount a challenge for the title."

Genk Want Liverpool Starlet Back On Loan

Liverpool left-back Chris Mavinga is wanted for another year at Genk, after helping the Belgian club win the league this season.

The 20-year-old Frenchman moved to Genk on a six-month loan deal back in December and has done well during his time in Belgium.

Genk manager Franky Vercauteren has been impressed with the Anfield rookie and talkSPORT understands he has approached Liverpool asking to have Mavinga on loan for another season.

Rodriguez: We Must Secure Champions League Spot Next Season

Liverpool midfielder Maxi Rodriguez is targeting a Champions League place after an impressive end to the season.

The Reds endured their worst start to a campaign since 1953-54 under Roy Hodgson, but Kenny Dalglish helped guide the team from a mid-table position to sixth place following his arrival in January.

Maxi finished the season by scoring seven goals in four games, and now hopes Liverpool, who have not even qualified for next season's Europa League, can return to the Champions League as soon as possible.

“Personally, I'm very happy,” Maxi told Liverpool Daily Post. “I finished the season with lots of goals but also the team's performances were improved.

“The team did not start well but we almost turned it around to reach Europe. We must return to the Champions League next season.”

Sergio Aguero has announced his intention to leave Maxi's former club Atletico Madrid this summer, and the Liverpool midfielder says he can understand why his international team-mate wants a new challenge.

“When [former Atletico and Liverpool striker Fernando] Torres was the captain of the team we were not so good - he really had to drag the side through games,” he continued. “Now Kun probably also feels alone and it is difficult to carry the club by yourself.”

Liverpool Told To Pay £12m For Dutch Starlet

Liverpool have been informed they must pay £12 million if they want to acquire the services of 22-year-old midfielder ace Vurnon Anita, after the youngster agreed a new contract at Ajax with a minimum release clause included.

Anita’s new deal will keep him at the club until 2014, but the midfielder’s release clause will leave open the possibility of a switch to a larger European club. Liverpool are keen on acquiring the services of a defensive midfielder, with Alberto Aquilani seemingly intent on a switch away from Anfield.

Anita can operate from a deeper position, often fulfilling the combative role Javier Mascherano once served for the Merseyside club. Since the departure of Mascherano, Liverpool have relied on the tenacity and determination of youngster Jay Spearing – who has fulfilled the role admirably – but Dalglish is now keen to introduce a more proven player in the push for Champions League football next season.

Anita has featured 35 and 45 times in the past two seasons respectively, establishing himself as a vital part of Ajax’s midfield despite his tender age of just 22. Emerging through the club’s famed youth academy, Anita will provide the right combination of mettle and youth that will appeal to Dalglish and the club’s owners.

The Fenway Sports Group are said to be keen on bringing in players that will potentially possess an increased market value with acquisition. In the current climate, £12 million for a young midfielder with international pedigree would potentially prove a great signing.

Anita has featured three times for the Netherlands full international side, but is proven at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 levels. With Steven Gerrard finding himself often injured throughout most of last season, Dalglish is keen on bringing in a long-term replacement for the England star.

Liverpool Plot Summer Move For Monaco Star

Liverpool could be about to capitalize on Monaco's relegation by ramping up their interest in Benjamin Moukandjo.

As talkSPORT exclusively revealed on Tuesday morning, the relegated Ligue 1 club face a mass exodus this summer as their players look to remain in a competitive league.

Park Chu Young is set to leave and several clubs, headed by Liverpool, are circling around Moukandjo.

The 22-year-old right winger is a powerful presence in midfield and can also operate centrally and Liverpool are impressed with that versatility.

The Cameroon star has been one of the brighter points in Monaco's otherwise disastrous season and they face losing one of their best young prospects following their slide into the second tier of French football.

Liverpool To Battle Bayern For Wing Wizard

Reports are coming in concerning the future of Marseille international Ghanaian winger Andrei Ayew as a potential target for Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Liverpool are looking at various areas within their squad to strengthen and it is no surprise to see Kenny Dalglish interested in Ayew, he has a good reputation and his price is not out of reach of the Anfield board.

Ayew, who was born in France, has a buy out clause of 13 million Euros and has now been told by Marseille that he can leave, sparking a rush by clubs to look at the midfielder, a rush that may end up costing Liverpool, if too many clubs show an interest and decide to bid.

Ayew, who also goes by the name of Dede, the son of former Marseille favourite Abedi Pele, has made 29 appearances for Ghana scoring twice and at 21 has a promising career ahead of him, all in all a perfect target for Liverpool.

Reds To Miss Friedel

Liverpool look likely to miss out on the signing of former keeper Brad Friedel as he is set to join Tottenham instead.

Reds boss Kenny Daglish had been hoping to persuade the 40-year-old to move back to Anfield, as he looks for a back up for Pepe Reina at the club.

He appeared to be winning the chase for the American's signature with an offer of a two-year deal, something that Villa nor other interested parties were willing to do.

Spurs though have now jumped to the top of the list after they also made a two-year offer for the American.

The chances of first team football at White Hart Lane look to be better than they do at Anfield due to the fact that error-ridden Heurelho Gomes is under increasing pressure at the club and has been linked with a move back to PSV.

Agger: I'll Come Back Stronger

Defender Daniel Agger believes he still has plenty to offer Liverpool as he starts out on his latest run down the road to recovery.

Agger played his last game of the season in early April after sustaining a knee injury against West Brom, damaging a tendon and needing two months of rest.

He managed to play only 21 times last season through a combination of illness and injury but believes he will come back stronger than ever.

"The toughest part of being injured is trying to stay positive," Agger told the club's official website.

"It is nothing compared to being on the pitch at Anfield - being outside is a lot worse and a lot harder.

"I appreciate playing football more. I really, really enjoy playing now.

"I have always enjoyed football, but you appreciate it more when you have been out injured so much. You just enjoy every little minute on the pitch, both in training and in games.

"The memory of the games I've played and thoughts of the future are what have kept me going.

"I know I have a lot more to give to this club if I can keep fit."

Aquilani's Juve Dream Set To Be Dashed

Alberto Aquilani's fading hopes of securing a full-time move to Juventus are expected to be dashed once and for all when Antonio Conte is officially unveiled as the Turin club's new coach.

Juventus turned to Conte to replace the sacked Luigi Del Neri shortly after agreeing a cut-price £8million fee with Liverpool to turn Aquilani's season-long loan into a permanent transfer.

But former Siena boss Conte told Juve bosses he did not want the 26-year old midfielder and is expected to confirm as much at his inaugural press conference.

Aquilani is desperate to stay in Italy, nearly two years after joining Liverpool from Roma for £17m, and may yet have his wish granted, with both Milan clubs interested in signing him.

Villa Dedicates Goal To Reina

David Villa dedicated his Champions League final goal against Manchester United to the family of Pepe Reina.

Villa scored a sensational goal to give Barcelona a 3-1 lead at Wembley and end Alex Ferguson's hope of lifting a third European Cup.

Afterwards the 29-year-old dedicated his finish to the daughters of close pal Reina.

"I couldn't be happier," said Villa "It's a fantastic result for us in what is such an important stadium in our club's history.

"I dedicate it to all my family, my daughters and also Pepe Reina's, who are like my nieces."

Reina's wife Yolanda gave birth to their first son last week.

Villa's touching dedication comes after teammate Javier Mascherano - who left Anfield last summer - also mentioned Liverpool in his post-match interviews.

He told the TV cameras: "I know some Liverpool supporters were disappointed after my exit, they were a little bit sad with me, but this is for them."

Masch Dedicates Win To Reds

Javier Mascherano has dedicated his UEFA Champions League triumph over Manchester United to Liverpool fans.

The Barcelona player, who spent two and a half seasons with Liverpool, won his first European Cup medal as the Catalan club defeated United 3-1 on Saturday.

Mascherano, a finalist with Liverpool in 2007, left the Reds for Barcelona in August last year and he hopes the Anfield faithful appreciate the defeat of United.

"I know some Liverpool supporters were disappointed after my exit, they were a little bit sad with me, but this is for them," he told Sky Sports HD1.

The Argentine was delighted Pep Guardiola's side were able to display the attractive possession football they are famed for in a game they controlled for large periods.

"We're happy because we were able to play the way we're known to play," added Mascherano.

"It's really good for us to win the Champions League. For any footballer it's the top title. We had a lot of chances to score and in the second-half we took them."

Guardiola sprung a surprise by dropping club captain Carlos Puyol to the bench, thought to be through injury, with Mascherano deployed as a makeshift centre-half in his place.

The 26-year-old, normally a midfielder, had no qualms about filling in the role and is happy to have contributed to the Wembley win.

"Maybe it was a strange position for me. It's a position that's not my natural one but I tried to give my best for the team and I'm happy because reached our target."

Liverpool On Red Alert Over £20m Midfielder

Liverpool are on red alert after midfield target Eden Hazard admitted he is unsure whether he will remain at Lille next season.

The Ligue 1 player of the year has been a long-time target for Liverpool, who are looking to bolster their squad during the summer months.

Hazard has been imperative to Lille this season, inspiring the French side to a league and cup double, their first league title since 1954.

However, according to Goal.com, the Belgian star has spoken of a desire to test himself at a higher level, and appears ready to move on, with Liverpool and Inter Milan known suitors of the 20-year-old.

When asked about his future, the midfielder said: "I don't know.

"I have never played in the Champions League and I don't know if I will be playing in it with Lille or another great club.

"My dream is to play for a big club soon. But, football is like this. There has to be the right offer, but I am not thinking about this for now."

Hazard is seen as part of a new wave of talent to flood Anfield, with the club already signing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January, and have reportedly snapped up Fabio Coentrao from Benfica for an estimated £25 million.

The Belgian international, who was previously voted young player of the year in 2009 and 2010, scored seven times and assisted a further nine goals this season.

Kenny Dalgilsh Hopes To Sign Diego Perotti Before He Goes Elsewhere

Kenny Dalglish is desperate to bring Diego Perotti to Anfield, and has reportedly upped his offer by £1.5 million as fears grow that the Argentinian may sign with Juventus.

Talksport is claiming that Dalglish put forward a £7 million bid to coax Perotti into moving to Liverpool, but the midfielder’s club Sevilla wants to hold out for an £8.5 million offer.

Juventus have come into the mix though, according to reports, and have 'made contact' with Perotti to offer the star a move to Italy rather than England.

The Italian giants’ involvement in the transfer is an interesting twist, considering Liverpool is already in a tug of war style talk with Juventus over the movement of on loan Alberto Aquilani.

Should the Italians snare Perotti from Liverpool, Dalglish may be a lot less willing to negotiate a lower price than the €16 million set for Aquilani’s permanent release.

Reds Facing Big Aquilani Loss

Liverpool could lose around £10million on Alberto Aquilani if they allow the midfielder to join Juventus permanently this summer.

The News of the World reports that a £14million buy-out clause in the 26-year-old midfielder's Reds contract has now expired.

Aquilani was a big hit while on loan with Juve in Serie A this season but the Old Lady is said to be willing to pay only £8million to keep him in Turin.

Aquilani's agent Franco Zavaglia has already said that he believes there is only a 50/50 chance of his client signing for Juve permanently.

Now Liverpool must decide whether to cut their losses on a player who scored one goal in 18 appearances under Rafa Benitez in 2009/10.

Skrtel: I See Great Players Here

Martin Skrtel claims the changes he has witnessed at Anfield over recent months give him every reason to believe 2011-12 can end in glory.

Few are in a better position to assess Liverpool's development over the last year than Skrtel, who was involved in every minute of his club's league campaign this term.

"When I look around I see a great team with great players," said the Slovakia international.

"I have quite mixed feelings about this season. Obviously we had two different terms. The beginning of the season was not good but this has changed with the arrival of Kenny Dalglish.

"This was a turning point of our season and we really improved under his guidance. This gives me a lot of hope ahead of new season.

"I know he has signed a new contract and I believe he is the right man for Liverpool, a true legend. You could see the results and our improvement on the pitch."

It was Roy Hodgson who rewarded Skrtel with a new contract in August of last year, though by his own admission the centre-back did not reach top form in the early stages of the season.

But under Dalglish the 26-year-old has been back to his domineering best.

Despite a vast improvement in on-the-field fortunes under our greatest ever No.7, Skrtel thinks supporters have yet to see the best of those currently occupying the Anfield changing room.

He explained: "I really think we have a great team and I am lucky to be with these lads. We didn't fulfil our full potential yet and believe that we can do it very soon.

"But I would like to make our fans happy and proud again so I can promise them that we will do our best in the next season."

Suso Scoops Accolade

Suso's wonderful strike away at Newcastle United has been voted the reserves best goal of 2010-11.

The Spaniard's blistering drive after a terrific turn was his first goal in a red shirt and 38 per cent of you voted it the best effort of the campaign.

Jonjo Shelvey's Anfield free-kick against Manchester United came second with 26 per cent while Daniel Pacheco's brilliant individual effort came third with 13 per cent.

Injury Ends Flanagan’s Hopes Of Making His England Under-19s Debut

Liverpool defender John Flanagan’s hopes of making his England Under-19s debut have been dashed by a calf injury.

The 18-year-old full-back was set to take his bow in their European Championship qualifiers this week but has been forced to return home from Switzerland

“I’m obviously disappointed, particularly as I’ve not played for England before,” Flanagan said.

“But I won’t let it overshadow what has been a very good season for me and I’ll be raring to go when pre-season gets underway.”

Liverpool still have five players in the England squad for the elite qualifying round matches against Montenegro, Spain and host nation Switzerland.

Jack Robinson, Andre Wisdom, Conor Coady, Thomas Ince and Michael Ngoo are all in Noel Blake’s 17-man squad. Jonjo Shelvey was also initially selected but he’s sidelined by a knee problem

The first of three games is against Montenegro in Yverdone tomorrow and only one team will progress to the finals in Romania in July.

Summer Sale So Vital As Liverpool FC Plan For A Bright Future

Kenny Dalglish is rightly bullish about his chances of attracting top class talent to Anfield this summer.

Liverpool’s pulling power is unlikely to be dented by their absence from the Europa League next season.

In truth the biggest challenge facing Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli over the coming months isn’t strengthening the squad, it’s getting rid of a huge amount of dead wood.

Owners Fenway Sports Group has made no secret of their horror at discovering Liverpool’s annual wage bill is in excess of £100million.

Unsurprisingly, they want better value for money and with no European football next season the size of the squad needs to be slashed back. The Reds have had a dozen players out on loan this season and few have a part to play in the future.

The only one who will considerably boost the kitty for transfers is Albert Aquilani but Juventus are continuing to stall over a deal for the midfielder.

Names like Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insua may feel like blasts from a past fans would rather forget but they remain Liverpool’s property.

Injury-plagued right-back Degen has spent the season at Stuttgart, while Moroccan El Zhar has been at PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece. Galatasaray have had the services of left-back Insua but none of the trio have been snapped up on a permanent basis.

Then there’s French defender Chris Mavinga who was signed by Rafa Benitez in 2009 but didn’t make a senior appearance before being farmed out to Racing Genk this season. Mavinga made headlines earlier this month when his reckless high boot shattered the jaw of Standard Liege’s Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez.

Once they’ve been dealt with Dalglish has Roy Hodgson’s mess to sort out as he tries to find homes for keeper Brad Jones and left-back Paul Konchesky. Liverpool will take a hit as they have no chance of getting back the £6million wasted on the pair.

Other decisions will be trickier as the manager weighs up the merits of youngsters who have been out on loan to gain valuable experience.

It’s difficult to see where Stephen Darby fits in following the rise of fellow Academy graduates Martin Kelly and John Flanagan. Dalglish will also have to consider the merits of Daniel Ayala, Nathan Eccleston, David Amoo and Daniel Pacheco.

If dealing with all that wasn’t enough, there are also the fringe players who remained at Anfield for the duration of the season.

If Liverpool is serious about reclaiming their top four status there can be no room for the likes of Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and David Ngog.

Zog Brushes Off Transfer Talk

Wigan ace Charles N'Zogbia has revealed that reports linking him with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle have left him feeling "indifferent".

The wideman was impressive throughout the Latics' campaign and scored nine goals as Roberto Martinez's men avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

The French star is widely expected to leave for a bigger club in the summer but the 24-year-old says he is not interested in talk about possible transfers.

N'Zogbia told ClickLancashire: "Inevitably, these rumours leave me feeling indifferent until there is a concrete approach.

"For now, I don't care, especially since I'm good at Wigan.

"The decision to sell me, and at what price, lies with my manager and the chairman.

"Even if I do have the desire to play at a bigger club, I can't say whether I'll leave or stay.

"The only certainty is that I will be in England next season. I have this league in my blood."

Juventus To Rival Liverpool For Sevilla Ace

Liverpool will face stiff opposition from Italian giants Juventus for Diego Perotti.

The midfielder was said to have been the subject of a £7m bid from the Anfield club, but current club Sevilla are holding out for at least £8.5m.

But now Juve have entered the equation, and reportedly made contact with the La Liga side, a bidding war could start over the 22-year-old.

The winger has recently pledged his future to Sevilla, who he joined in 2007, but they could be tempted to sell if their valuation is met.

Liverpool are already believed to be in negotiations with Juve over Alberto Aquilani, who has spent the season on loan at the Olimpico do Torino, which could give them a position of power when negotiating for Perotti.