John W Henry: We Will Buy For The Long-Term

Liverpool owner John W Henry wants his club to sign players for the long-term, not the short term.

The Anfield club has already landed 20 million pound England Under-21 midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland and has been linked with Valencia starlet Juan Mata who excelled in this summer's U-21 European Championship.

But it will not be signing teenage starlet Connor Wickham as the 18-year-old completed a move to Sunderland on Wednesday.

“Speculation on players shouldn't include those of a certain age. We are not going to be successful by merely filling short-term needs at LFC,” Henry tweeted. We already have quite a bit of experience in the club so it should be a good balance."

He added: "Everything in sports is overpriced now - especially the cost of winning."

But with promises by the Liverpool owner to make some early signings in the transfer market and seeing rivals Manchester United capture three new players including Phil Jones of Blackburn Rovers, concern has grown among some Liverpool fans.

However, Henry was keen to point out that there is still plenty of time bring players in during the transfer window.

“Some things happen early and some happen late, the important thing is that things happen," Henry said.

Clarke: We Won't Rush Luis & Lucas

Steve Clarke insists Liverpool have enough quality to cope if Luis Suarez and Lucas Leiva need extra time to recover after the Copa America.

Both players are likely to reach the latter stages of the tournament, which takes place in Argentina between July 1-24.

They are therefore likely to miss a chunk of the club's pre-season preparations - meaning they'll have to race to be fully fit for the opening weekend of the Barclays Premier League campaign on August 13/14.

Clarke is adamant neither will be rushed back to action.

"We wish them all the best for their countries and we'll look after them," the first-team coach told Liverpoolfc.tv. "It'll be up to us to make sure we put them in at the right time.

"The most important thing is they get adequate recovery time.

"Obviously we'd like all the players to come in on the first day of pre-season to do a full pre-season and be ready for the start with us, but it's not the case.

"Now in football you just have to accept that different countries and different continents have their own tournaments and their own times.

"It's up to the boys to go there and do their best for their countries. When they come back we'll assess the situation, assess them fitness-wise, physically and mentally - then we'll decide how we fit them into our training schedule.

"If they are ready to start the season, fine - if they need a little bit longer to recover, that's why you have a big squad. It will give other people a chance."

Meanwhile, Clarke believes Lucas may return to Melwood with a Copa America medal - and he for one will be following proceedings closely despite the unsociable kick-off times.

"Everyone likes to keep an eye on it," Clarke said. "There is a lot of good talent in South America.

"As for potential winners, you never look beyond the big two - Brazil and Argentina. Maybe Lucas will be happy! It would be nice if Luis and Uruguay can follow up their exploits in the World Cup and maybe get to the last four as well."

Liverpool Check Out Chivu As Clichy Heads To City

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan defender Cristian Chivu.

The 30-year-old, who primarily plays as a left-back but can also play in central defence or even in midfield, has twelve months left on his existing deal at the San Siro.

According to the Daily Mirror citing reports in Italy, the Merseysiders are keen on the Romania international, but face competition from Valencia and Napoli.

Although Chivu is believed to be happy in Italy, his future is uncertain under new coach Gian Piero Gasperini and with only a year left on his contract, it is thought that he could be sold this summer if a new deal is not offered.

Liverpool are keen on signing a new left-back before the start of the new Premier League season and after missing out on Gael Clichy who is set to join Manchester City, Reds boss Kenny Dalglish has turned his attention to other possible targets.

Liverpool Edge Closer To Signing Of Sevilla Youngster Antonio Cotan

Liverpool appears to be edging closer to the signing of Sevilla youngster Antonio Cotan, if reports in today's media are to be believed.

According to The Mirror, the Reds have 'sent representatives' to Spain in order to finalize a deal for teenager, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Liverpool, however, look set to beat their rivals to the signature of the right-sided midfielder after employing the services of agent Alvaro Torres to conclude negotiations.

The acquisition of Cotan would serve as further evidence of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) fulfilling their pledge to bring the cream of European talent to Anfield.

FSG principal owner John Henry yesterday reiterated his and Liverpool's desire to invest in young talent, claiming signing players 'of a certain age' would be 'merely filling short-term needs.'

However, although Liverpool fought of competition to sign 20-year-old Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, they have been left largely frustrated in the transfer dealings this summer.

Sunderland Cool Interest In Liverpool's David Ngog

Sunderland have cooled their interest in Liverpool's David Ngog after completing the signing of Connor Wickham, according to the Sunderland Echo.

The French striker was reported to have been a transfer target for manager Steve Bruce and was originally considered part of the deal that took Jordan Henderson to Anfield.

This ultimately was not the case, but the two clubs did agree a £3 million fee for the player, though his representatives wanted to slow down the pace of talks.

Now the Sunderland Echo is reporting that Ngog may have missed out on the opportunity to reboot his faltering career on Wearside as the club has increased their attacking options.

Wickham signed for a reported £8m from Ipswich Town, beating Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish to the signature of the young forward.

A deal for Chunnam Dragon’s forward Ji Dong-Won is set to be confirmed soon, giving Bruce further options besides Fraizer Campbell and Asamoah Gyan, and it is believed that the manager is no longer interested in Ngog.

Aquilani Looking Forward To Liverpool Return

Alberto Aquilani says he is looking forward to returning to Liverpool with "great enthusiasm".

The Italian was not offered a permanent deal by Juventus despite playing 33 times for the club last season on loan.

The 26-year-old midfielder also insists it is not true that he does not want to go back to Anfield.

He told Sky Italia: "I return to Liverpool with great enthusiasm, this is not a problem.

"It's not true that I didn't want to return to England."

Aquilani moved to Anfield in a deal worth an estimated £20 million from Roma but failed to cement his place in the first team during his first season.

He enjoyed a relatively successful campaign at Juventus last term but the Turin club reportedly refused to pay Liverpool’s asking price.

The Italian’s agent had previously hinted that a stay in his home country was a viable option, with Napoli mentioned as possible suitors.

“Aquilani to Napoli? I don't think it would be an easy negotiation but if the will is there why not?” his agent, Franco Zavaglia, told Italian Radio Crr.

“I have not spoken to [Napoli sporting director Riccardo] Bigon but the player wants to remain in Italy.

“If something was to come up he would be happy. I have not spoken to Alberto but Napoli is an important club.

“If Napoli considered Aquilani to be an important player, he would be open to negotiations.”

Carroll Makes Early Liverpool Return

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has made an early return to pre-season in an effort to regain full fitness.

The £35 million January signing missed the end of last season through injury, and after a holiday in Barbados returned to Melwood ahead of the rest of the squad.

Working alongside a handful of youth players and coaches, the former Newcastle forward is hoping to be in peak condition for August 13th and the big kick-off against Sunderland.

Carroll's career at Anfield has been somewhat stunted thus far, with the 22-year-old making his debut on March 6th against Manchester United and only appearing five more times in the Barclays Premier League.

However, the England international will be hoping to make a bigger impact alongside Luis Suarez next season, and the future looks bright for the Merseysiders under Kenny Dalglish.

Lucas Leiva Enjoys Liverpool Summer Break On His Cattle Ranch

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has enjoyed a well-earned break on his cattle ranch after a tough season with the Anfield club.

This picture of Lucas, who was a stand-out player in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for the Reds, has gone viral, with Liverpool fans quick to comment on the South American star's choice of summer holiday destination.

It's certainly a far cry from the usual haunts of Marbella or Las Vegas.

Despite the team's struggles in the early stages of last season under Roy Hodgson, Lucas emerged as a key cog in the Liverpool machine and he continued his improvement under new boss Kenny Dalglish.

But this summer is not all rest and relaxation for the Brazilian, as he is jetting off to Argentina to take part in the Copa America.

And Liverpool fans can rest assured that the midfielder is chomping at the bit to get back to winning ways when he returns from international duty.

He posted on Twitter: '26 degrees in Liverpool. Is it true?? Looking forward to come back after Copa America.'

Lucas is part of the Brazilian squad looking to make it a hat-trick of wins at the tournament, but they will have to overcome a determined Argentinean side looking for revenge after a 3-0 defeat in the 2007 Copa America final.

Despite Brazil's history of success in major international football tournaments, the South American national team has found themselves slipping down the Fifa rankings in recent years.

And to add insult to injury the Samba Boys have now been passed by perennial underachievers England in the latest rankings. The Three Lions are fourth, with Brazil in fifth place.

Pacheco's Joy At Spain Call

Daniel Pacheco has been named in the Spain squad for the forthcoming FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Colombia.

The Liverpool forward is part of a 21-man squad and will travel to Madrid for a training camp on July 16 before heading to South America.

Speaking on his official Twitter page, Pacheco said: "So happy for being called for u-20 squad, World Cup in Colombia. Report to Madrid 16th of July and travel to Colombia. Can't wait."

Spain will kick-off their tournament against Costa Rica in Manizales on July 31.

They will also face Ecuador and Australia in Group C.

On Wednesday, fellow Liverpool youngsters Jack Robinson and Andre Wisdom were named in England U20s' squad for the finals.

Liverpool Damaged By Failure To Build New Stadium, Says Ian Ayre

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre admits the failure of former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to build a new stadium "set the club back several years".

And Ayre, promoted from commercial director late last season by new owners Fenway Sports Group, said had it not been for huge strides made in off-field business during that time the finances would have been in a bigger mess than they were just before FSG assumed control.

Hicks and Gillett were eventually ousted last October when, with creditors Royal Bank of Scotland wanting repayment of a £230million acquisition loan, a sale to FSG was pushed through against their wishes.

They departed with work on the promised stadium in Stanley Park no nearer starting than it was when Gillett pledged "the shovel needs to be in the ground in the next 60 days" at his first press conference having bought the club in February 2007.

"When you look at what we have done in growing the business, if we had started building a stadium in 2007 we would be in it by now," said Ayre.

"It could have been brilliant but we have probably set ourselves back several years."

The Reds managing director admitted there could not be a greater difference between the previous regime and the current one.

"There was a great opportunity to maximize the value of the club and they (Hicks and Gillett) were right, it needed a new stadium and new people," Ayre told the Liverpool Daily Post's Business Magazine.

"What they got fundamentally wrong was using leveraged finance to run the business and try to develop the business.

"Without the significant increase in revenues God knows how much of a mess we would have been in.

"What we have now is people who really understand how to own, operate and run a sports business.

"They are very honest about their objectives; they listen - that's quite fundamental."

The stadium issue is one which still needs resolving but Ayre said they would not repeat past mistakes and rush their deliberations.

"Nobody is going to force ourselves or the owners to make a decision until we know what's right for the club, because that was what partly went wrong before," he added.

"Sometimes people won't like that it takes a long time. That's unfortunate but it's the way we do it.

"Once a week someone will ask me what is happening with the stadium and the answer is 'We don't know'.

"The reason we don't know is there are still the two solutions. They are a new stadium in Stanley Park or a refurbished Anfield - that obviously comes with all sorts of issues - and there are a million questions to answer.

"The new stadium in the park comes down to the economics; how do we pay it back? It needs a big naming partner.

"Until you get the answer to those questions it would be wrong and unprofessional for us to make a statement about what we are doing."

Yesterday principal owner John Henry reiterated his belief that rebuilding the club - both on the field and off it - was a long-term project with no quick fixes.

Despite the progress made under FSG and manager Kenny Dalglish, who revitalized the team when he took over from Roy Hodgson in January, there is still plenty of work to be done to restore Liverpool to former glories.

And Ayre echoed the views of Henry by saying: "There's nobody getting carried away with what can be achieved in what timescale.

"The owners have said they want to win. That means a lot of things.

"We don't want to win once, we want to build consistency."

Adam Wants Liverpool Move

Charlie Adam has told Blackpool that Liverpool is the club he wants to join and another Scotland international could hold the key to the deal.

Seasiders skipper Adam has held talks with chairman Karl Oyston this week and The Gazette understands the 25-year-old expressed the wish to move to Anfield.

Pool are thought to be holding out for around £8m plus three players on a season-long loan.

And it could certainly speed up the deal if they could convince the Merseyside club to include defender Danny Wilson in the package.

Sources close to Liverpool suggest that Kenny Dalglish is prepared to loan out the centre-half or left-back for the coming season and that he could seal the Adam deal.

Nineteen-year-old Wilson has also been linked with a return to Rangers, from where he signed from Liverpool last summer in a move that could eventually be worth £5m.

Despite the fee, Wilson made only eight appearances for the Reds last season, including games in Europa League and Carling Cup. He broke into the senior Scotland side last season, winning his third cap as a team-mate of Adam in the friendly against Brazil in March.

Wilson's fellow Liverpool defender Stephen Darby is another strongly linked with a loan move to the Seasiders as Kenny Dalglish's club step up their quest to bring in Adam alongside midfield recruit Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool Interested In Bringing Ezequiel Lavezzi To Anfield

Liverpool have been placed on alert over the availability of Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The Argentine international has been linked with a move to the Barclays Premier League in the past month, with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini also thought to be keen on the player.

Damien Comolli, director of football at Liverpool, is believed to be an admirer of the player, although it's unknown how Kenny Dalglish feels on the player, nicknamed 'El Pocho'.

"I have never been a dreamer. In my life, I have always set myself goals - many goals to reach. I am someone who organizes his future," the 26-year-old told La Naicon.

"I take each day as it comes and enjoy every moment. My next goal after Napoli is to play in a great team."

Lavezzi's agent confirmed Liverpool was tracking the player earlier in the year, and the Merseysiders are known to be in the market for a striker.

A left back and winger are also thought to be on the agenda for the Reds, with Dalglish looking to invest further on players following the reported £20 million addition of Jordan Henderson at Liverpool a fortnight ago.

Dalglish Close To Snaring £20m England Wideman

Liverpool appear to be one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market as they are continually linked with a number of possible signings, the latest being Manchester City midfielder James Milner.

The England regular made the move to Eastlands last season and despite moving for £26million failed to make a huge impression on boss Roberto Mancini, making just 22 league appearances and not scoring a single Premier League goal.

Competing with the likes of David Silva, Adam Johnson and Yaya Toure for a place as an attacking midfielder, Milner often found himself on the bench and struggled to show the form that had made him one of Aston Villa's star players.

The former Leeds United player has been linked with a possible move back to Aston Villa, but new boss Alex McLeish could face competition from Liverpool who is desperate add some wide players to their squad.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish had hoped to tie up a deal for Villa winger Stewart Downing but has so far been unable to push a deal through. Now he may turn his attention to Milner who has the ability to play on either wing or in the centre of midfield.

The 25-year-old has made 19 appearances for England but has yet to really establish himself as a first team regular and would certainly want to start more games next season if he is to convince Fabio Capello that he deserves to start games.

According to the Daily Mail, City has hired John Williams to try and push through deals for a number of their fringe players but so far suggestions are that this does not include Milner.

However, should Milner decide that he needs to start more regularly then he may need to move away from Eastlands to make this happen. Liverpool is currently struggling in wide positions with Maxi Rodriguez, Joe Cole and Dirk Kuyt asked to play on the wing, despite none being out and out wingers.

While Liverpool certainly have the money to tempt City to sell, it remains to be seen whether boss Roberto Mancini would be prepared to sell to a top four rival.

Ex-United Playmaker Return Initiates Liverpool Deal

Charlie Adam's move to Liverpool appears close after Blackpool welcomed former Manchester United midfielder Bojan Djordjic to the club, according to The Mirror.

The Scot's move to Liverpool has stalled in recent weeks after the clubs failed to agree a fee, but Djordjic's arrival at Bloomfield Road, a player very much in Adam's mould, is the first sign that Ian Holloway is prepared to sell.

Djordjic made just one appearance for United in his nine year career at Old Trafford, but his move back to England appears to have done Liverpool a favour in capturing their sought after target.

Since United manager Sir Alex Ferguson labeled Adam's free-kicks as being worth £10 million alone, Liverpool have struggled to agree a fee with Blackpool as the two clubs' valuations differ considerably.

The two clubs were reportedly close to a deal during the January transfer window, but Blackpool opted to retain Adam to aid their survival bid in the Premier League.

With relegation now confirmed, Liverpool's pursuit of Adam has continued, and with the Tangerines having now made contingency plans for his departure, a deal could be imminent.

Liverpool Told £12m Will Land Birmingham Centre-Back

Liverpool have been told that they will need to bid £12million if they want to land Birmingham centre-back Scott Dann who is keen to secure a move back to the Premier League.

Dann was one of Birmingham's star performers last season and along with fellow centre-back Roger Johnson was viewed as one of the best hottest properties on the transfer market after the Blues suffered relegation from the Premiership.

The 24-year-old has been tracked by a number of clubs but it is Liverpool that have been sending out signals of intent in recent weeks. The Merseyside club has already signed Jordan Henderson and is keen to add Dann to their squad as they push for a top four finish next season.

Liverpool boss Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli have been identifying a number of potential defensive targets and after Phil Jones signed for Manchester United, Dann became their number one priority.

According to Koptalk, a source close to Birmingham has revealed there is currently a stand-off between the clubs as Liverpool has not yet met the asking price.

"There have been serious conversations and negotiations are continuing but no fee has been agreed. If Dann is to leave, Birmingham is determined to obtain the price they feel is fair for one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.

"His performances over the past two years have been excellent," continued the source."

The young defender is known to be a Liverpool fan having grown up in the area and spent much of his youth watching the Reds in action at Anfield. However, he will want to make sure he moves to a club where he will have a chance of regular first team football.

Dalglish knows that both Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos are coming to the end of their careers and is determined to bring a number of younger players into the squad.

With Daniel Agger spending much of last season on the sidelines, Dann may well have the opportunity to become an important member of the first team.

Liverpool Set To Miss Out On South Korean Star

Liverpool could miss out on yet another target – with Lille preparing to pounce for Monaco’s Park Chu-Young.

Kenny Dalglish is still reeling after being beaten by Manchester United to the signing of Phil Jones and, on Wednesday, he saw Connor Wickham move to Sunderland.

Despite the arrival of Jordan Henderson for what could eventually be £20million, it has been a frustrating summer so far at Anfield.

Liverpool were keen on Monaco forward Park and the indication is the French club will sell – but Lille now appear to be frontrunners.

Monaco face losing their key players this summer following their relegation from France's top-flight and Liverpool, as well as Spurs, were keen on the South Korea star.

But Lille are now leading the chase, with the Ligue Un club ready to use the funds from Gervinho's sale to Arsenal to launch a £5m offer for the free-kick specialist.

Sammy Lee Departs Liverpool

Sammy Lee has left Liverpool, just over three years after returning to the Anfield club as assistant manager.

Reports of the immensely popular 52-year-old assistant manager's exit began circulating on Tuesday night and have not been denied by the club. The reasons behind this parting of the ways remain unclear, although Steve Clarke's arrival last season as Kenny Dalglish's first-team coach diminished Lee's influence. Clarke is now expected to become Dalglish's No2.

While it has been suggested that Lee could rejoin West Ham United's Sam Allardyce – whom he previously assisted at Bolton Wanderers – this appears unlikely. Allardyce boasts a strong back room at Upton Park but, perhaps more significantly, there are appreciable differences in the pair's playing philosophies.

Lee's attempts to get Bolton playing a more fluent passing game when he briefly succeeded Allardyce as manager at the Reebok in 2007 contributed to his dismissal. He swiftly returned to Anfield where his glorious playing career had been followed by life in various coaching guises working under Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and Gérard Houllier.

Brought back to Liverpool in 2008 by Rafael Benítez, Lee – who had previously left his spiritual home to work as a full-time member of the England coaching staff before joining Allardyce at Bolton – was kept in the post by Roy Hodgson, but effectively pushed down the hierarchy once Dalglish recruited Clarke.

Starlets Earn England Call

Liverpool youngsters Jack Robinson and Andre Wisdom have been named in the England squad for the forthcoming U20 World Cup finals in Colombia.

The Reds pair are part of coach Brian Eastick's 21-man squad, which will warm up for the finals with a 10-day training camp in Denver, Colorado in America from July 14.

They'll then travel on to Colombia's Medellin ahead of the World Cup opener against Korea DPR on Friday, July 29.

England will also tackle Argentina and Mexico in Group F.

England U20 World Cup squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Jak Alnwick (Newcastle United), Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Lee Nicholls (Wigan Athletic).

Defenders: Nathan Baker (Aston Villa), Ben Gordon (Chelsea), Jack Robinson (Liverpool), Adam Smith (Tottenham Hotspur), Reece Wabara (Manchester City), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool), Scott Wootton (Manchester United).

Midfielders: Reece Brown (Manchester United), Gary Gardner (Aston Villa), Jason Lowe (Blackburn Rovers), Dean Parrett (Tottenham Hotspur), George Thorne (West Bromwich Albion).

Forwards: Benik Afobe (Arsenal), Nicholas Ajose (Manchester United), Callum McManaman (Wigan Athletic), Alex Nimely (Manchester City), Ryan Noble (Sunderland), Matthew Phillips (Blackpool).

Liverpool FC To Expand Its Retail Empire Into Southport

Liverpool FC is looking to expand its retail empire – but its sights are focused on Southport, rather than Shanghai.

In an exclusive interview with LDP Business magazine, which is published tomorrow, Liverpool FC chief executive Ian Ayre outlined the short-term plans to reach more fans with its retail offer.

The Premier League club currently has five outlets – in Liverpool at Liverpool One, Williamson Square and Anfield, as well as Chester and Belfast.

It has identified a suitable site in Southport and is negotiating terms, while it continues to search for a site in Dublin.

But he remains unconvinced about the merits of opening a standalone Liverpool FC store in a major Asian city.

Mr. Ayre said: “One of the things that a lot of people don’t understand about football retailing is in Liverpool two out of every three people who walk past our store in Liverpool One are probably Liverpool fans to differing degrees.

“There are millions of fans in Asia. But if you put a store in Shanghai, are there enough fans in Shanghai and are they engaged enough? Is there enough appetite for it?

“Other clubs have tried it and I am not convinced, from what I have heard.

“It may be that the online store should be more locally focused, or maybe we will get a concession in a major retailer.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Ayre also talks about where he believes the club’s former owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, went wrong – and why the current owners, Fenway Sports Group, are not repeating those mistakes.

Gerrard Expects Trophy Push

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes it is only a matter of time before the club start challenging for trophies again.

The Reds have been on a downward spiral in recent seasons although the return of Kenny Dalglish to Anfield following the departure of Roy Hodgson picked things up last term.

Gerrard is confident Liverpool will be mixing it at the top of the Premier League during the next campaign after improvements of late.

"What I can say to the fans is that Liverpool will be back among the trophies sooner rather than later because we are moving in the right direction," he said.

"We have got fantastic players, the structure of the club is healthy from top to bottom and when that is the case then the team won't be too far away from winning."

The 31-year-old England international insists Liverpool will win the title again at some stage.

He added on liverpoolfc.tv: "We will get the championship again. It's difficult to say when because that adds a lot of pressure to the team."