Liverpool & Arsenal On Alert As German Midfielder Considers Foreign Move

Werder Bremen star Marko Marin has suggested that he could be on his way out of the club but only to a team abroad, putting the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal on alert.

The 22-year-old midfielder has attracted the interest of a host of top European clubs with the Gunners and Liverpool both reportedly sending scouts to watch him this season.

Arsenal is keen to bolster their midfield following the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas and have reportedly identified Marin as a possible long-term replacement.

Meanwhile, Liverpool is eager to increase their attacking options and is thought to be impressed by the German international's creativity and versatility.

And Marin, who can play either as an attacking midfielder or on the wing, has admitted that he could leave Bremen but would only make a move for a a foreign club.

"Werder Bremen is a top club in Germany and I am under contract with Werder Bremen. Therefore I would just consider top clubs from outside Germany," he said.

"But I am actually focused on Werder Bremen and I do not plan to move on. We want to get back to Europe this season via success in the Bundesliga. This is of utmost importance for me."

Liverpool Bid For Angelo Ogbonna Expected By Torino

Torino is reportedly waiting for Liverpool to formalize their interest in Angelo Ogbonna.

The 23-year-old defender has consistently been linked with a move to Merseyside in recent days as the Reds line up potential targets for the January transfer window.

Now, according to various reports in the Italian press, Torino are expecting Liverpool to make an offer of €16 million in attempt to bring Ogbonna to Anfield in the New Year.

A move to Liverpool would certainly appeal to the Italy international who, over the weekend, revealed he was flattered by the Reds' interest.

"I am flattered by the interest from clubs, but I will continue to work hard for Torino in Serie B," he told skysports.com.

"Liverpool is a dream club. If they are interested in me, that is awesome. I love the Premier League and one day I might play in that league."

Tottenham To Rival Liverpool In Bid To Sign Senegal Striker

Tottenham and Liverpool are currently going head-to-head in a battle to sign Lille's prolific striker Moussa Sow, according to caughtoffside.com.

The 25-year-old Senegal international, with Gervinho and Eden Hazard, formed part of a lethal attacking trio last season that secured Lille's first Ligue 1 title in 57 years.

He finished the French season as top scorer with 25 goals and his fine form has not gone unnoticed with Spurs and Liverpool both reportedly circling.

Reds manager Kenny Dalglish is eager to add more firepower to his squad to support first-choice strikers Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli is thought to be in close contact with Lille and is confident that Joe Cole's loan move to the French club will work in their favour when it comes to negotiating Sow's transfer.

Meanwhile, Spurs are reportedly eager not to miss out on another forward target and will rival any attempts by Liverpool in the January transfer window.

Although the club brought in Emmanuel Adebayor on-loan, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is desperate to sign a permanent striker and is reportedly willing to sell Roman Pavlyuchenko to fund the deal.

It is thought Lille will reluctantly listen to offers as Sow has already expressed a strong desire to leave for the Premier League and the club will accommodate offers of around £12m.

Man Utd Rival Liverpool & Arsenal For Plymouth Argyle Starlet

Plymouth Argyle youngster Matt Lecointe is attracting interest from England's biggest clubs.

The Mirror claims Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are all chasing the 16-year-old right winger who has made ten appearances already despite his young age.

Lecointe has been attracting a host of top flight scouts and all of the clubs are likely to begin a battle to snap him up as quickly as possible.

Plymouth-born Lecointe has been compared to Arsenal sensation Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain because of his style and age.

Liverpool Defender Sebastian Coates Biding His Time At Anfield

Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates is biding his time at Anfield as he fights for a first team place under Kenny Dalglish.

The Uruguayan international centre back, signed from Nacional in the summer transfer window, has made two appearances for the Reds thus far, with a start in the League Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion and substitute appearance against Tottenham Hotspur his two tastes of English football thus far.

Whilst things didn't go according to plan at White Hart Lane (Liverpool lost 4-0), Coates believes he's a better player for the experience but understands that he will probably have to wait for more opportunities to come his way as he tries to settle into Merseyside life.

"I'm trying to adapt as quickly as possible. I had to play [against Spurs] and that was very good, although I understand that I will have to wait for my time as there are very good players at Liverpool who have many years in the club," the 21-year-old told Uruguayan paper Ocavion.

"Over the last week we've luckily played on very nice days, but the climate is quite strange. Learning the language also takes quite a lot of time, and we're both helping each other learn."

Coates is, of course, referring to club teammate and international compatriot Luis Suarez.

Having joined Ajax in 2007, the 24-year-old has much more experience when it comes to living and working away from home, and more importantly settling quickly to life in a new environment.

As well as helping the youngster, Suarez has taken his own steps to integrate with colleagues and fans of Liverpool, and took a major step against Everton after claiming the man of the match award at Goodison Park.

"I'm Seba's godfather here but it seems by now he's become a son. I think I have two kids now, a girl and a boy!" said Suarez when talking to the same paper.

"In the Everton match I had been voted man of the match and they asked me if I wanted to talk. I decided to try it and it turned out I did pretty well.

"It's part of what we have to experience there. I was emotional and excited, so some of it came out well and some came out wrong. I need to experiment further."

Liverpool Consider TV Future

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre believes the option for Premier League clubs to sell their overseas television rights on an individual basis would be a 'game-changer'.

The league's broadcast rights outside of the United Kingdom are presently sold in a joint package, which is worth £3.2billion for 2010-13 to be shared equally among the 20 clubs.

But Ayre claims the system is unfair on the higher-profile clubs, arguing they attract more viewers and more subscriptions, and he has advocated the adoption of the Spanish model.

There, individual clubs have the freedom to negotiate their own packages, meaning Real Madrid and Barcelona's earnings will dwarf those of the lesser Primera Division teams - and those of the top English sides, who are restricted to their share of the league's earnings.

Ayre said: "Personally I think the game-changer is going out and recognizing our brand globally. Maybe the path will be individual TV rights like they do in Spain.

"If you're a Bolton fan in Bolton, then you subscribe to Sky because you want to watch Bolton. But if you're in Kuala Lumpur there isn't anyone subscribing to Astro or ESPN to watch Bolton, or if they are it's a very small number. The large majority are subscribing to watch Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal.

"What we are actually doing is disadvantaging ourselves against other big European clubs. If Real Madrid or Barcelona or other big European clubs have the opportunity to realize their international media value potential, where does that leave Liverpool and Manchester United? We'll just share ours because we'll all be nice to each other? The whole phenomenon of the Premier League could be threatened.

"If they just get bigger and bigger and they generate more and more, then all the players will start drifting that way and will the Premier League bubble burst because we are sticking to this equal-sharing model? It's a real debate that has to happen."

Clubs Unimpressed With Ayre TV Claims

Rival clubs have distanced themselves from Liverpool's demand for more cash from television rights - with one top-flight chairman claiming the move would "kill the heart and soul" of English football.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said the bigger clubs should get a greater share of the £1.4billion overseas TV cash - currently shared equally between all 20 clubs.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all understood to be against a change to the collective selling principle.

Manchester City chief communications office Vicky Kloss said: "The subject has never been up for debate either inside the club or externally.

"We are well aware of the benefits of the collective selling of Premier League television rights."

United has always been a supporter of collective selling and chief executive David Gill told a Parliamentary committee earlier this year: "The collective selling of the television rights has clearly been a success and it has made things more competitive."

Meanwhile, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan reacted with outrage.

He told goal.com: "I have just read his [Ayre's] comments and I find them diabolical - I just can't believe what he has been saying.

"They are thinking 'how can we get more money?' You won't get more money by killing the heart and soul of the Premier League and killing the heart and soul of football in England.

"We invented the game and we have still got the finest league in the whole world and some of the finest supporters in the whole world and they want to rip the whole thing up."

Ayre pointed out that Barcelona and Real Madrid sell their own TV rights and earn considerably more.

He said: "Is it right that the international rights are shared equally between all the clubs?

"At some point we feel there has to be some rebalance on that, because what we are actually doing is disadvantaging ourselves against other big European clubs."

Whelan added: "The worst thing for English football is for teams like Liverpool - the top four let's say - who want to get rid of virtually half the Premier League. We will finish up like the Spanish league with just two teams in it, no competition, no anything, no heart and soul in the league.

"What we have is the finest league in the whole world and what Liverpool is calling for would absolutely wreck it. The likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves, Sunderland and Newcastle couldn't compete."

Henry Knew Little About Reds

Liverpool owner John W Henry admits he knew 'virtually nothing' about the club or English football before completing a takeover in October 2010.

His Fenway Sports Group (FSG) helped to oust fellow Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks from the Anfield boardroom last year.

Their arrival was greeted with much fanfare in the red half of Merseyside, with it felt that changes at the top were vital if the club were to move forward on and off the field.

FSG are set to celebrate their one-year anniversary as Liverpool owners on Saturday and believe they have made progress during that time.

New players have been drafted in, Kenny Dalglish has returned as manager and results have started to improve.

Henry is pleased with how his first 12 months at Anfield have unfolded, especially as he came into the post virtually blind to the challenge he was taking on.

He has, however, been a success in his homeland with the Boston Red Sox baseball team and believes parallels can be drawn between his two sporting enterprises.

Henry believes he can help revive Liverpool's fortunes both at home and abroad, but concedes that he knew little of the financial difficulties and the size of the task facing him when he arrived.

"We knew virtually nothing about Liverpool Football Club nor EPL (the Barclays Premier League)." He told The Guardian.

Tom Werner, who is now Liverpool's chairman, also had limited knowledge of the Reds, but claims to have been aware that FSG were buying into a global brand.

"I had been in sports so I was aware of the EPL and its strength globally," Werner said.

"But I didn't know the inner workings of it. I certainly knew about Manchester United."

Reds & Spurs Suffer Blow In Striker Chase

AC Milan have emerged as the favourites to sign Liverpool and Tottenham target Leandro Damiao, it has been claimed.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan sent sporting director Ariedo Braida to Brazil in order to open talks with Internacional regarding the proposed signing of the Brazil international.

Despite Liverpool and Spurs both tracking Damiao, Milan are thought to have the advantage due to their good relationship with Internacional.

Milan signed Alexandre Pato from the Brazilian club four years ago, and have maintained amicable contact ever since.

"Braida surely will take advantage of the preferential relations with Internacional, where Pato has already been taken," Stefano Castagna - an agent close to the deal - told TMW.

"He'll be able to work without intermediaries, but will have to deal with competition from half of Europe."

Reports have suggested Liverpool No.2 Steve Clarke has also scouted Damiao, and the Reds are since alleged to have been considering a January offer.

It has been claimed Liverpool are prepared to part with £17 million in order to bring him to Anfield.

Dalglish To Continue Pursuit Of Man City Winger With January Offer

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will continue his pursuit of Manchester City winger Adam Johnson by making an approach for the England midfielder in January.

The former Middlesbrough winger joined Manchester City in January 2010 on a four-and-a-half-year contract and it appeared as though he would go on to become a first team regular.

However, Johnson has struggled to make an impression under Roberto Mancini and has often found himself on the bench thanks to the superb form of David Silva and new signing Samir Nasri.

It is believed that Dalglish tried to sign the winger during the summer and is still interested in signing the 24-year-old when the January transfer window opens.

Liverpool strengthened their midfield over the summer with the arrivals of Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, but it seems the Scottish manager is still not happy with his options in wide positions.

Johnson has the ability to play on either wing and would certainly add more attacking options from wide positions for Liverpool.

The Reds may struggle to convince Manchester City to sell one of the players as the club has always stated that they will not sell to a rival Premier League club.

Should Johnson continue to find himself warming the bench then the chance to play regular first team football at Liverpool may be enough to convince the player to force a move.

According to footybunker.com, Liverpool would have to bid somewhere in the region of £10-£15million to persuade City to sell the exciting winger.

Kenny Dalglish Ready To Snap Up Nicholas Hunziker

Liverpool are ready to seal a deal for Swiss striker Nicolas Hunziker, according to The Mirror.

The 15-year-old scored a hat-trick for his country's youth team on debut and has received rave reviews from the Anfield.

Kenny Dalglish reportedly sent his chief scout to watch Hunziker during the weekend, leaving Liverpool as favourites to land the striker.

As well as spending over £100 this year on their first team squad, Liverpool have also installed a policy of bringing in young players to bolster their youth ranks, with striker Marco Bueno and Nacho both joining in the summer.

The signing of Hunziker would represent another attempt to secure a successful future for the club under Fenway Sports Group's tenure at Liverpool.

England youth internationals John Flanagan, Martin Kelly and Jack Robinson, all broke through during last season.

Big-Spenders Deny Move For Reds Skipper

Anzhi Makhachkala manager Roberto Carlos has rebuffed suggestions he wants to sign Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, as well as numerous other high-profile players.

The Brazilian World Cup winner has frequently been in the press in recent weeks having made ambitious claims that mega-rich Anzhi are eyeing some of Europe's top players.

Along with Liverpool captain Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Robin van Persie also feature on the supposed shopping list of the Russian club.

"I am having dinner with the president tonight and we'll speak about signings for next season, names like Lampard, Gerrard and Pires," Carlos is alleged to have said.

Billionaire backed Anzhi are attempting to become football's next superpower and, should they attempt to sign Gerrard from Liverpool, the Anfield club would do well no to entertain a potentially substantial fee.

However, the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal may be able to rest easy now, after Carlos claimed the quotes attributed to him are entirely false. The 38-year-old will now impose a media blackout.

"Words are attributed to me about mythical new signings, whose names at times are a total surprise," he told Ria Novosti.

"Not in one interview did I utter any concrete names. From this moment, I am not giving any more interviews to allow me to concentrate completely on my work as a coach at Anzhi."

Liverpool Star Reveals Relegation Fears

In the latest serialization of his new book, Pepe Reina has revealed he feared Liverpool would be relegated during the tenure of Rafa Benitez.

Despite coming agonizingly close to winning the title a year before, the Reds finished seventh during Benitez's final season at the helm.

This poor showing led to the Spaniard being sacked as Liverpool boss after six years with the club, and he was replaced at Anfield by Roy Hodgson.

And, although he did not like to admit it, Reina realized that Benitez's time on Merseyside had run its course.

"When Rafa left Liverpool at the end of the 2009/10 season, I knew that it was the right time for him to go," said Reina, to the Daily Mirror.

"It hurts me to say that, but the wheels had come off by then and there was no guarantee that he was going to be able to put them back on."

The Spanish shot-stopper first realized Liverpool was in for a testing season during a pre-season outing against Barcelona outfit Espanyol.

And, after being convincingly beaten by the La Liga side, Reina believed that, if this form was not addressed, relegation would become a distance possibility.

"I first began to realize we were in trouble when we played against Espanyol in a pre-season friendly at the start of August 2009,” he added.

"They beat us 3-0 and could have scored more. When I came off the pitch there was a part of me that thought: 'If we carry on like this, we are going to get relegated.'"

Gerrard Return Lifts Aurelio

Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio believes it is a 'massive help' that captain Steven Gerrard has returned to fitness ahead of the meeting with Manchester United.

The midfielder is due to make his first start for over seven months as the two rivals meet at Anfield in the Saturday lunchtime fixture.

Gerrard has come on as a substitute in the recent wins over Wolves and Everton following a groin operation that he underwent in April.

The England star was due to return to the Reds squad for their pre-season catalogue, but a setback in his recovery delayed his comeback.

The last time the 31-year-old started a game for Liverpool was on 6th March, when Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-1 at Anfield.

But Sir Alex Ferguson's team are still unbeaten this term and are already six points above their Merseyside opponents.

Aurelio told LFC Weekly: "We are all delighted that Stevie is back. He is the captain and a great player, and it is a massive help to the team to have him playing again.

"Gerrard's availability is an added ingredient into what should be an exciting but difficult game for both teams.

"After winning the derby we will go into it with a lot of confidence.

"It is always exciting (to play Manchester United). It's a pity that it comes just after an international break because it means you don't have as much time to prepare because players are away with their countries but that is the same for both clubs.

"It seems like they have a new team with new players coming in during the summer.

"Like us, they all seem to have settled in well. They are in good form so it will be difficult but we are confident."

Reina Recalls Blazing Carragher Row

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has revealed the details of an explosive row he had with Anfield stalwart Jamie Carragher, which spilled over into the dressing room after beginning on the pitch.

Reina and Carragher, both mainstays of the Reds rearguard since the Spanish shot-stopper joined the club in 2005, clashed in an unnamed game because of a disagreement about passing options.

"The veins in our necks were bulging, our faces were red with anger and neither of us were going to back down," Reina said in his autobiography Pepe, which is being serialized in the Daily Mirror.

"The row between me and Jamie Carragher started during the game - I can't even remember who we were playing against - carried on in the dressing room and didn't come to an end until we sent each other text messages apologizing.

"He went crazy at me, screaming at me, and I was screaming back at him. We were like that for fully five minutes shouting at one another and getting our point across. When we got back into the dressing room the row started again and it was even rougher than it had been on the pitch.

"The other players were just totally silent, watching us giving each other hell. It wasn't even over anything major. It was just a difference of opinion over whether I should knock the ball long or [if] he should give me an angle for a short pass.

"I ended up kicking the ball out wide to where I thought Carra should be, but he wasn't there and it went out of play. He shouted at me: 'You really think you're Franz Beckenbauer and you're always trying to play short passes when you should just empty it.'

"I responded: 'If I know one thing it's that you definitely aren't Beckenbauer, but just give me a bit of support when I've got the ball so we can try and play instead of just kicking it down the pitch.'"

Meanwhile, Reina has lifted the lid on an occasion when he was at loggerheads with former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez over alcohol consumption. "The biggest argument I had with Rafa was about a beer," Reina said. "We had lost 2-1 to Besiktas and not played too well. I decided to have a beer. I don't see a problem with that because for me it is healthier to do that than it is to have a glass of Coca-Cola or a drink like that.

"Suddenly, the bartender turned up and said: 'The club doctor, medical staff and manager have made it clear to me they do not want you to have a beer.' I still don't know why this was the case but whatever the reason, I was fuming. I grabbed my bags and stormed off to my room without even having dinner. That is how upset I was.

"For me, Rafa was in the wrong. It suggests the manager does not trust you to look after yourself in the right way. He saw it differently and, if he has a small weakness as a manager, it is that he did not have a massive career as a player before he moved into management."

Blackpool FC Ponder Loan Move For Liverpool FC Starlet

Blackpool is lining up a loan move for Liverpool starlet Danny Wilson, according to the Blackpool Gazette.

The 19-year-old Scotland international made eight appearances for the Reds last season and was high on Ian Holloway’s wish list in the summer, but a deal couldn’t be struck.

The left-sided central defender had recently been set to join Nottingham Forest until the sacking of Steve McClaren, which has paved the way for a move to Bloomfield Road alongside Liverpool team-mate Jonjo Shelvey.

Liverpool Set To Make £13m Bid For South American Wing Wizard

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is on red alert after the latest comments coming out from Gaston Ramirez's representatives.

According to reports on Insidefutbol.com, Liverpool have been monitoring Uruguayan international winger Ramirez for sometime now and it is believed the Anfield club are plotting a move when the January transfer window opens.

La Liga side Sevilla is also interested in the 20-year-old, but it is felt Liverpool are leading the chase for Ramirez.

The Uruguayan is currently with Serie A side Bologna and it is believed they will be willing to part with their prized asset if their £13million valuation is met.

Speaking about Ramirez, his agent Vincenzo D'Ippolito said: "The directors of his team know that if not in January, he will leave next summer because there are many clubs interested."

Kenny Awaits Deal For Marco Bueno

Liverpool will wait until Mexican teenage striker Marco Bueno turns 18 next year before stepping up their bid to sign him.

The Reds entered the race to sign one of the stars of this summer's World Under-17 championships in July and brought the Pachuca player over for a ten-day trial in August.

But Bueno returned without penning a contract and made his first-team debut for the Mexican top flight club over the weekend.

However, newspaper reports in central America claim Liverpool plan to sign Bueno when he comes of age on March 31 next year.

Andres Fassi, sports vice president of Pachuca, said: "We received a letter last week from Liverpool, who wants the player to go there when he turns 18.

"Maybe Liverpool will then make an offer, but that would not be until he is 18 years old, when FIFA's laws allow."

Liverpool & Manchester City Looking At US Starlet

Liverpool and Manchester City have joined the race to sign 21-year-old American international Brek Shea.

Scouts from both teams are believed to have watched his performance in the 1-0 victory against Honduras over the weekend where Shea set up the game's only goal.

The promising youngster from FC Dallas can play in midfield or up front and is highly regarded by USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

"There are some exciting youngsters coming through the ranks but Shea is definitely the one to watch. He is fast, physical, creative and with an incredible work rate," Klinsmann said.

But City and Liverpool face stiff competition to sign the attacker, with Chelsea and German outfit Schalke 04 also interested.

Henderson Eyes Starting Spot

Jordan Henderson has declared himself satisfied with the start to his Liverpool career but now hopes to kick on and start against Manchester United on Saturday.

The England Under-21 international made the move to Anfield over the summer from Sunderland and is happy with the way he has adapted to his new surroundings.

However, competition for places under Kenny Dalglish is fierce and Henderson started on the bench as the Reds claimed victory over Everton before the international break.

The midfielder recognizes that he must therefore keep striving for improvement as he looks to establish himself as a regular in the side.

"I think I have settled in okay. I am enjoying my time there and the lads have been brilliant, as well as the fans," he told Sky Sports News ahead of captaining England Under-21s against Norway on Monday night.

"I now need to kick on and do even better."

Steven Gerrard's return to fitness has given Dalglish an extra option in midfield but Henderson does not necessarily believe that will keep him out of the side.

"Hopefully not. I am not really worried about that, I think it's part and parcel of football," he said.

"Obviously Stevie is a massive player and is going to play in most games, but I just need to concentrate on what I need to do and make sure I work hard every day in training.

"Given the opportunity, I need to take it and make sure I stay in the team."

Henderson hopes to be selected for the visit of Manchester United to Anfield on Saturday, after admitting it was frustrating to miss out on the Merseyside derby.

"Obviously the derby is a massive game and everybody wants to play in it, so I was a little bit disappointed not to start, but the team did brilliantly and got a great result and I was fortunate to come on as well," he said.

"There were still a lot of positives to come out of the game and hopefully I can start the next one."