Liverpool’s Villa Swoop Hit Last Minute Hitch

Stuart Downing’s move from Aston Villa to Liverpool stood on the verge of collapse last night as The Anfield club dug their heels in over the size of the fee.

“Stuart is a full England international with years of top flight experience, we have put a value on him and we will not come down from that” said first team coach Steve Clarke.

“As a club we can’t be seen to be paying less for him than we did for Jordan Henderson or Andy Carroll so we’re all hoping that Villa will see sense and allow us to push the fee over the £20 million mark.”

“We’ve spent the best part of £60 million on those two lads so we’d look really silly if we got Stuart for less than £15 million, Villa need to seriously look at what they’re asking for the lad or we’ll walk away from the deal.”

Villa Chairman Randy Lerner has vowed to stick to his guns and has expressed amazement at Liverpool’s behaviour.

Speaking from his ranch in America: “Stuart is a good player, no more or less than that. Liverpool’s bid of £20 million is ridiculous and is an insult to anyone that knows anything about football.”

“We accepted their first bid of £10 million and the one after that for £12 million but they keep coming back with more, it’s almost as if they’re saying we know nothing about football.”

Both parties are hoping that negotiations will succeed as the player has gone public with his desire to move to Liverpool.

“As a boy I dreamed of playing in front of the Kop, who would have thought all those years ago that I’d get to play alongside the likes of Henderson, Carroll and Charlie Adam, this really would be a dream come true” said an emotional Downing.

Liverpool Set To Hijack Arsenal’s £10m Bid For France Star

Liverpool is ready sign Lyon defender Aly Cissokho in a £10million deal, after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ruled themselves out of the running.

The Reds are in the hunt for a left-back and the 23-year-old ticks all the Anfield boxes and are keen to wrap a deal soon.

The France international was on the radar of Arsenal following the sale of Gael Clichy to Manchester City, but Wenger has ruled out any move.

“I already have Thomas Vermaelen, Armand Traore and Kieran Gibbs in the squad. There is no need to buy a left-back at this time,” said Wenger.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish will now swoop on Cissokho an offer £10million for a player who has three years left on his contract.

Dalglish has been left frustrated in his attempts to fill the problem position, after missing out on Clichy and Newcastle refusing to lower their £15million valuation of Jose Enrique.

Cissokho is keen on a move away from France after a series of run-ins with supporters and Lyon are happy to sell to generate their own transfer funds.

Liverpool director of football, Damien Comolli, is a fan of Cissokho’s and will use his contacts at Lyon to push the deal through.

Liverpool To Move For Wayne Bridge

Liverpool is considering a move for Manchester City misfit Wayne Bridge if they fail to lure Leighton Baines away from neighbours Everton.

The City left-back is way down the pecking order at Eastlands following the arrival of Gael Clichy from Arsenal, and will certainly be shipped out this summer by Roberto Mancini.

The Reds are in desperate need of a new full-back having missed out on Clichy, and with the Toffees unwilling to negotiate over Baines, Bridge could well be Kenny Dalglish’s next port of call.

The former Chelsea defender spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, and although his £90,000-a-week wages could prove a stumbling block for the Anfield giants, City are likely to accept a minimal transfer fee for the player to get him off the books.

Dalglish already has Paul Konchesky and Fabio Aurelio as current options at left-back, but both are unfancied by the Scottish boss, which could hasten his move for 30-year-old Bridge.

Dalglish To Battle Sevilla For Barcelona And Spain Under-21 Star

Liverpool has been joined in the race to sign Barcelona winger Jeffren by Spanish side Sevilla after the Catalan giants revealed that the midfielder was surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou.

The attacking midfielder's profile was raised after he helped the Spanish Under-21 side win the European Championships with his impressive displays drawing interest from a number of clubs.

Jeffren's agent and father, Efren Suarez, has hinted that Sevilla have already been in touch with Barcelona over a potential transfer.

"It is possible there is an interest from a major club such as Sevilla and it is possible they have already been in touch with Barcelona about his availability," Suarez told Sport.

The Venezuelan-born midfielder has struggled to break into the Barcelona first team and realizes that there are a number of players ahead of him in the pecking order such as Pedro, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andreas Iniesta.

With Barcelona also trying to sign Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez the club are desperate to get rid of some of their fringe players and could accept a relatively low offer for the attacking midfielder.

According to reports in Spain the Champions League winners want to sell Jeffren, Bojan Krkic and Maxwell to try and raise enough funds to land both Sanchez and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

Liverpool are said to still be interested in Jeffren after learning that it would take a bid of nearly £20million to land Stewart Downing or Valencia winger Juan Mata.

Jeffren would be a far cheaper option for Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish as it is believed that the 23-year-old would only cost in the region of €4m.

A lot will depend on whether Jeffren would prefer to stay in Spain or if he would be open to a move to the Premier League but it is clear he will leave after revealing he had spoken to manager Pep Guardiola about a move.

"I spoke to the coach and now I will study the different offers I have and choose the best for me," Jeffren told El Dia de Tenerife.

Liverpool Eye AIK Pair

Liverpool have reportedly joined the growing list of Premier League teams interested in AIK Solna strikers Teteh Bangura and Mohamed Bangura.

Scouts from Liverpool were at the game against Halmstad BK along with a reported 10 other representatives from other European clubs to watch the unrelated Sierra Leonean Bangura pair.

Teteh Bangura would have no doubt impressed the hordes of watching scouts as he netted all four goals in the 4-0 victory.

Mohamed Bangura, 21, provided two assists for his countrymen before he departed the field prematurely through injury.

Newcastle, Tottenham and Chelsea have been keeping tabs on the duo, in particular Mohamed, but could now potentially be pipped by free spending Liverpool.

And their agent Patrick Mork expects one of the sought after attackers to leave the Swedish club before the end of the transfer window.

"I expect that at least one of them will leave," said Mork. "I don't know if that's just me being optimistic or realistic.

"But all players want to move on, and it's my job to help them."

Paul Konchesky Joins Leicester City

Leicester City has announced that they have completed the signing of Liverpool full-back Paul Konchesky for an undisclosed fee.

The London-born defender has joined the Foxes on a three-year contract and becomes the latest player to join Sven Goran Eriksson’s team as he looks to splash the cash in order to take the midlands club back into the Premier League.

After impressing for Charlton Athletic the player gained the reputation as a promising England full back, but he has endured a torrid time trying to settle at a number of Premier League clubs including West Ham, Fulham and finally Liverpool.

Eriksson told the club's official website of his delight at capturing Konchesky: "Paul has been a Premier League player year in and year out throughout his career so he represents a very big signing for us.

"He wanted to come to Leicester City and it means a lot that proven, established top flight footballers want to be part of what we are building here.

"I know Paul very well as a player and as a person and he will be a top class addition to our squad."

After being bought to Anfield by Roy Hodgson and not impressing in the first half of the season Kenny Dalglish sent him on loan to Nottingham Forest, where he helped the team to secure play-off qualification.

The 30-year-old also has previous history with the Leicester manager, as Eriksson was the man who gave Konchesky the first of his two England caps in 2003.

Raul To Fight For Reds Place

Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles insists he will be playing for the club this season despite question marks over his future at Anfield.

Manager Kenny Dalglish has brought in two midfielders in the shape of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, leading some to believe that Meireles could be offloaded.

Serie A giants Inter Milan are reportedly keen on ex-Porto man Meireles, but he has no thoughts about quitting Anfield for pastures new this summer.

On the club's pre-season tour of China when he asked was asked if he would still be a Liverpool player this coming season, he replied: "Of course."

Meireles has also been troubled by an ankle problem, but he says he is on the mend, adding: "I have a little problem with my ankle, but I've start training today. It's a little problem."

Meanwhile, the club's record signing Andy Carroll is looking to hit the ground running this term after arriving with an injury following his £35million capture from Newcastle.

"It was disappointing since I signed being injured. Getting myself back fit," said the England international. "Now I'm getting myself fit I'm looking forward to the start of season, which should be successful."

Liverpool Will Have To Repay £8.2m European Grant

Liverpool have been told they will have to repay £8.2 million of European funding if they do not go ahead with plans to build a 60,000 capacity stadium at Stanley Park.

Although the club’s American owner, John W Henry, has hinted he would prefer to keep Liverpool at an expanded Anfield, preparatory work has already been carried out at the adjacent Stanley Park site using money from a European Objective One grant, which will have to be paid back if Liverpool stay put.

“The broken promises of the previous owners [Tom Hicks and George Gillett] have come back to haunt the current owners,” said Labour MP Steve Rotheram.

“If Liverpool city council has to pay the money back, Liverpool Football Club will have to pay the money back. Liverpool signed up to that, albeit under different owners.”

Liverpool have until September to decide whether they are going to take a 999-year lease on the Stanley Park site, but managing director Ian Ayres has warned they will not be rushed into a decision.

Should they decide to move they need to find a commercial partner willing to cover a large part of the cost through stadium naming rights, but if they stay at Anfield it could take at least three years to get planning permission to expand because of complex negotiations with local residents?

“What people don’t think of a lot of the time is that we don’t get 60,000 new seats when we build a stadium,” said Ayres. “We only get the difference between Anfield currently and whatever we build.

“The economics of that difference don’t really stack up in the medium term. It would be a huge investment with very little financial gain. On its own that doesn’t look like a viable proposition, so what we have to do, is explore an opportunity for naming rights.”

Goals Galore At The Academy

Liverpool Reserves made a thrilling start to life under new boss Rodolfo Borrell as they were held to a 4-4 draw with Brentford on Tuesday afternoon.

The Reds got off to a flyer and it all looked to be going to plan when Suso netted a spot-kick inside the opening 10 minutes.

However, the Bees responded and were level less than a minute later courtesy of a long range strike from Emmanuel Oyekele.

Maison Mcgeekhan then put the visitors ahead before Nabil El Zhar restored parity with a smart right foot finish.

The topsy-turvy nature of the encounter continued to provide observers with an interesting spectacle and it was no surprise that Nathan Eccleston's header was cancelled out by another blockbuster from Mcgeekhan.

Both sides tightened up defensively following the interval and when Luke Hacker gave the away side a 4-3 lead with a clinical penalty, it looked like the second-string were on the verge of an unfortunate defeat.

However, Liverpool continued to threaten and deservedly earned a share of the spoils courtesy of substitute Michael Ngoo's clever chip.

Meanwhile, Mike Marsh's new-look U18 side got off to a winning start as they romped to a 6-1 victory over Tranmere in another friendly that took place simultaneously in Kirkby.

Sam Gainford and Josh Sumner were amongst the goalscorers as well as a brace apiece for two trialists.

Liverpool Prepare New Downing Bid

Liverpool are set to make an improved £18.5million bid for Stewart Downing.

The Reds are ready to return to Aston Villa with a fresh offer for the England winger after having a £15m bid rejected.

Villa are demanding at least £20m for Downing, who is keen to move to Anfield, and Liverpool hope their increased offer will be enough to clinch the deal.

Liverpool is anxious to move quickly to prevent Arsenal from hijacking their summer-long pursuit of Downing.

They are desperate to land the Villa star to improve their options out wide after missing out to Manchester United and Newcastle on Ashley Young and Sylvain Marveaux.

"We’re happy with the business we’ve done so far," said Reds manager Kenny Dalglish.

"Hopefully we will do some more business before the window closes, but I’m not going to give names because that’s disrespectful.

“We are looking to bring other players in and that could mean we expect some to leave.

“That’s football, but we have a while to go yet and we’ll see what we can do.”

Liverpool Face Competition For Lower League Natural Talent Target

Liverpool target Danny Ings has emerged as the subject of a surprise summer transfer bid from Russian based club Lokomotiv Moscow according to talkSPORT.

The highly rated Bournemouth starlet has been earning rave reviews for his performances on the south coast last season, capturing the interest of a number of Barclays Premier League clubs.

After signing professional terms with the Cherries in 2009, Ings' rapid rise to prominence has not gone unnoticed, with Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish said to have deployed scouts to Dean Court on more than one occasion last term.

Dalglish and Damien Comolli, director of football at Liverpool, have pledged to invest in young English talent at Anfield, and proved this with the recent addition of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, for a fee that could rise to £20million.

However, the Reds' potential plans to engineer a move for Ings could now face competition from Lokomotiv who have also enquired about his availability with a view to making a £1.5million offer.

The Russian outfit is playing in a friendly tournament hosted by Bournemouth this weekend, and Ings' name has been mentioned in conversations between the two clubs.

"When we were arranging the game, Lokomotiv Moscow kept asking if Danny Ings would be playing," confirmed Bournemouth chairman Eddie Mitchell.

"It is obvious that the interest in Danny shown from Premier League clubs has filtered through to Russia and they have been watching his performances on the internet.

"The management at Lokomotiv Moscow are very keen to cast an eye over Danny - he's only young but has already got a big reputation and been linked with Premier League clubs.

"A natural talent like Danny is very hard to come by, and we have to expect this sort of interest in such a good player."

Alexander Doni Set To Undergo Medical At Liverpool

Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni is set for a medical at Liverpool on Tuesday, according to reports.

Sky Sports News suggests the Brazilian is now on the verge of completing his move to Anfield, after initial attempts to sign the 31-year-old were unsuccessful due to a failure to agree personal terms.

Doni is now due to sign for Kenny Dalglish's side this week however, despite the bulk of the playing squad and staff jetting off to Asia on a pre-season tour.

The player's agent also explained on Friday that he believed the Brazilian would join the club this week.

Doni is expected to provide experienced back-up to the long-term Anfield goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while his arrival could spell the end of Brad Jones' short Liverpool career.

Jones was loaned out to Championship side Derby County towards the end of last season, and could leave the club permanently this summer after just one season on Merseyside.

Tigers Wait On Gulacsi Deal

It was revealed at the start of July that the Tigers were closing on a deal for Gulacsi, who has yet to make a first-team appearance at Liverpool.

He has, however, enjoyed loan spells at Hereford United and Tranmere Rovers, and is tipped to be the Tigers' first choice this season.

The Championship club also have former Bristol City goalkeeper Adriano Basso on trial and Hull's head of football operations Adam Pearson expects to secure a deal for Gulacsi.

"If we're successful in completing the deal, he's a keeper with a lot of potential," Pearson told the Hull Daily Mail regarding the Hungarian.

"Steve Walsh watched him a lot last season at Tranmere and he's very highly thought of at Liverpool.

"There were a number of clubs interested in him so if we get the deal over the line, we'll be delighted.

"We're keen to have another keeper to challenge for the No.1 shirt.

"Adriano Basso is in the box seat. He's here and it's up to him to show he can take the role."

Aquilani Agent Denies Fiorentina Interest

The agent of Alberto Aquilani has brushed aside speculation linking the player with a move to Fiorentina this summer.

Reports in the Italian media claim the Viola are considering strengthening their squad by signing the Liverpool midfielder.

However, Aquilani's agent, Franco Zavaglia, told Tuttomercatoweb.it: "His future for the time being is at Liverpool. The player will remain there. With Fiorentina there are no negotiations in place, I have not even been approached by them. They are just rumours."

Aquilani, who spent last season on loan at Juventus, wanted to remain in Italy but received no suitable offers despite making 33 league appearances for the Turin outfit.

The 26-year-old was a reported target of AC Milan and Napoli this summer but announced earlier this month he will play at Anfield next season.

Liverpool signed Aquilani from Roma in 2009 and he is under contract with the Reds until June 2014.

Charlie Adam: I Came To Liverpool To Learn From Some Of The Best Players In The World

Charlie Adam is eager to impress at Liverpool and feels he can improve a great deal as a player by learning from his new team-mates.

The former Blackpool talisman completed his move to Merseyside last week after months of speculation over where his future would lie.

The 25-year-old Scotsman believes the step up in class is only going to help him grow as a player.

"I want to learn. There are some of the best players in the world at the club, so if I can learn from them and I am going to improve as a player,” Adam told reporters.

As much as the former Rangers man is looking forward to playing with his new team-mates, he is also respectful of what Blackpool has done for his career, both in England and internationally.

"Obviously it was tough in January with the decisions, obviously I respected Blackpool," he said.

"But I've been able to come here, thanks to the manager and it is a step in my career that I am looking forward to."

Kenny Dalglish Confident On Fitness Of Absent Pepe Reina

Kenny Dalglish is confident goalkeeper Pepe Reina will be fit for the start of the season – despite the Spaniard missing out on Liverpool’s trip to the Far East.

Reina, Anfield captain Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson were not with the travelling party after the decision was made to keep them at Melwood in order to aid their recovery from injury.

Dalglish shared the disappointment of expectant supporters but says leaving the players on Merseyside was necessary if they are to be fit for the Premier League curtain raiser at home to Sunderland on August 13.

Gerrard is on the mend after a groin operation while Reina is progressing following surgery for a double hernia and the Liverpool manager believes both can be fit for the opening game of the new season.

Brazilian midfielder Lucas and January signing Luis Suarez of Uruguay have also not made the trip as they are on international duty in the Copa America.

“Steven is injured at the moment and that's why he's not here with us,” said Dalglish. “He has made fantastic recovery from his operation towards the end of last season.

“He just needs to get the final couple of niggles out of the way and then he will be fit for the start of the season against Sunderland.

“I know people are disappointed he isn't here with us but the disappointment would be far greater if he couldn't play the first game. That is why he has stayed at home, to rest and to have the best chance of being fit for the start of the season.

“The same situation applies to Pepe - he had a double hernia operation in June. He isn't fit and so had to stay at home. He should be ready for the start of the season.”

Although skipper Gerrard remains Liverpool’s most popular player to supporters worldwide, Dalglish says there is still a huge amount of talent in the squad which has made the 5940-mile trip, via Kazakhstan, to excite the crowds.

“We have some fantastic players here, all of whom have been looking really sharp in training at Melwood,” added the Reds’ boss.

“They've looked fit and looked hungry. Everybody here with us will be given the opportunity of getting some match minutes under their belts. Everybody who is here deserves to be here. Nobody who is here will let us down. We are without a few people because of the Copa America and injuries but the most important people for us are the ones who are here.”

Walton MP Steve Rotheram Wants Meeting With Liverpool FC Over Stadium progress

Walton MP Steve Rotheram has warned that Liverpool FC’s delays in deciding to stay at Anfield or move to a new stadium is causing tensions in the local community.

The Labour MP, who is also a Reds season ticket holder, is in the process of arranging a meeting with the club to discuss the situation.

He said: “We are trying to organize a meeting with owners for an update, the uncertainty for the residents is really starting to cause tensions. I hope that the football club is able to come up with the right decision for the club that helps the area.”

He said he understood that the new owners need time as the decision is crucial to the club and the surrounding area.

He added: “It has to be the right decision for everybody, this is a massive opportunity to regenerate the whole of the north of Liverpool not just Anfield.

“Residents have put up with a lot of issues over the past few years.

“My preference is that the local residents there get something they have been looking for – the opportunity for something to happen in that area.

“The broken promises of the previous owners have come back to haunt the current owners.”

He said he hoped to meet with the club’s hierarchy within the next “two weeks or so” to discuss the stadium question.

Joe Anderson: Don't Blame Us Over Liverpool FC Anfield Redevelopment Saga

Liverpool City council leader Joe Anderson today insisted the local authority is not to blame for Liverpool FC’s problems redeveloping Anfield.

He warned the club it would likely take three years to clear all the hurdles required to stay in its present ground.

In an interview with the ECHO, he spelled out the facts he sees standing in Liverpool FC’s way with one of the most significant being national planning restrictions.

Cllr Anderson said that the extra height of extended stands blocking daylight to nearby homes is a key consideration.

His remarks followed a statement from Liverpool FC chief executive Ian Ayre on Sunday, saying that redevelopment of Anfield was looking increasingly unlikely, due to land/property acquisition, environmental and statutory barriers.

Cllr Anderson said: “You can’t build something right next to someone’s house that blocks day light – whether Liverpool FC like it or not. That is something that exists.

“It existed 10 years ago when they were talking about it then, and it exists today.”

He also said issuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO) is not as easy as many people believe, as there have to be clear regeneration grounds.

Reds Staying Responsible

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists the club will remain responsible in the transfer market this summer.

The Reds have been busy during the close season with Charlie Adam joining last week on the back of Jordan Henderson's acquisition last month.

Roma keeper Alexander Doni is set to sign on a free transfer, however, Dalglish has warned fans the club will not be able to land all of their targets.

Liverpool are also keen on landing Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing, but Dalglish says the club will be spending owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner's money wisely.

"We won't get everyone we are after this summer but other clubs won't always get who they have enquired about," said Dalglish.

"That's just the way it is. We've done some business already and we'll continue to do what we are doing in a responsible manner.

"The owners know what they are doing and we have had great support from them.

"They know not to bankrupt the club and are running Liverpool in the right way.

"John and Tom will give us whatever they can afford. We have to use that responsibly."

Downing 'Prefers Liverpool'

Sky Sports sources understand Stewart Downing would prefer to join Liverpool, despite interest from Arsenal, and the deal could be finalized on Monday.

The Aston Villa winger was the subject of a £15million bid from Liverpool on Wednesday, but the offer was immediately rejected by Villa Park owner Randy Lerner.

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, who could lose Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas this summer, is thought to have attempted to hijack their Premier League rivals with an £18million bid.

But England winger Downing has set his mind on a move to Anfield and Liverpool are negotiating a price to buy a player who has two years remaining on his current contract.

Having already lost Ashley Young to Manchester United, new Villa manager Alex McLeish hopes the former Middlesbrough star will stay and the club is under no pressure to sell.

It had been reported, with Arsenal demonstrating their interest, Liverpool had lined up Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia as solution to their search for creativity in wide areas.

The fact Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli and manager Kenny Dalglish have travelled to the Far East for a pre-season tour was also thought to indicate there was no imminent transfer activity.

But Sky Sports sources understand a deal for Downing could be finalized in the early stages of next week.

It has been questioned whether the soon-to-be-27-year-old Downing meets the criteria for young talent sought by Liverpool, which has already resulted in the signings of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam.

But Dalglish wants quality in wide areas and Downing's crossing ability is viewed as a vital factor in the short-term target to return the club to the top four of the Premier League.