Olympic Call For Suarez

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been included in Uruguay's 2012 Olympic squad, along with club colleague Sebastian Coates.

A strong 18-man line-up also includes Napoli's in-demand forward Edinson Cavani, who continues to be linked with big-money moves to Europe's top clubs.

Suarez, Cavani and Arevalo Rios have been selected as over-age players.

Suarez's involvement at the London Games means he will miss part of Liverpool's pre-season preparations.

The Reds will, however, believe that his involvement in competitive football can only be beneficial to their 2012/13 plans.

Reigning Copa America champions Uruguay are considered to be among the favourites to claim a gold medal this summer.

They have been placed in Group A for the 2012 football tournament and will face the United Arab Emirates, Senegal and hosts Team GB.

Liverpool Reveal New Mascot

Liverpool will be hoping their new mascot 'Mighty Red' can give them a boost on the commercial front, but he won't be turning up to any matches just yet.

The club's American owners are trying to increase commercial revenue and see the new mascot as a good way to appeal to the younger Liverpool fans.

The reception the big red bird received from kids when he made his debut at a children's party on Sunday appeared to suggest Mighty Red is set to become a hit at Liverpool.

However, it seems it was a good decision not to allow him onto the touchline at Anfield just yet as he didn't go down too well with the older supporters, with some reacting negatively to the new member of Liverpool FC.

One fan told the Daily Mail: 'It looks ridiculous. We'll be a laughing stock if this thing appears on the touchline. It's just more Americanisation of the club.

'While it's fine for the kids - it will be good at children's parties - and is marginally better than the utterly dreadful Olympics mascots, just keep it away from Anfield.'

Although the fan did concede the new mascot was a hit with the kids.

The supporter added: 'I was there for the launch of Mighty Red and he went down brilliantly with the kids, who are the intended targets for this mascot.

'They ran like mad to get their goodie bags off him, they danced around him and queued up to have their pictures taken. They loved him!'

The mascot is based on the symbol that appears on the club's badge.

Rodgers Invited To Watch Spain Train

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been invited to watch Spain train and discuss coaching methods with Vicente del Bosque, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 39-year-old, who was brought in at Anfield to replace Kenny Dalglish last month, was due to watch Spain's training camp before Euro 2012 in May but had to pull out because of his move to Liverpool.

But the offer of watching the European champions has been extended as Rodgers attempts to implement his methods at Liverpool ahead of the new season.

“It is obviously a ­difficult time to find a date at the moment, but Brendan has an open invitation to meet Del Bosque and watch Spain train," a source told the Mirror.

“I’m sure he will take up the offer at some point ­because Brendan loves to talk to people about the game, particularly very successful people.”

Cole Wants To Make Reds Impact

Joe Cole is determined to prove he can be a success at Liverpool and is delighted to be back with the Premier League club.

The midfielder joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2010 from Chelsea, but he made just nine Premier League starts in his debut season before spending last term on loan in France with Lille.

With Brendan Rodgers having replaced Kenny Dalglish as manager, the 30-year-old has been given a second chance to make an impact at Anfield and it is an opportunity Cole is eager to grasp.

"I don't want to leave Liverpool one day having not been a success here or having left something here," Cole told the club's official website.

"I want to make an imprint at the club. I've been a success at West Ham, Chelsea and Lille - I don't want people to be able to say that I haven't here.

"I'd like to be given the opportunity to play, learn and improve, and join this great team. It's a great group and I would like to be involved in this team and really push on."

After failing to perform to his best under previous Reds bosses Roy Hodgson and Dalglish, the England international is looking forward to a fresh start under Rodgers.

He added: "It's a clean slate for everyone, so I'm delighted to be back.

"You have to remember, I've only been at Liverpool one season, really, but this is the third manager I've played for.

"It does feel different this time - it feels like it's ready to go.

"I came here for one reason - because I wanted to be a part of the resurgence of this club. It excited me coming here because I knew what a big club it was with a rich history and I wanted to be part of something. I still do.

"The fire still burns in me to be a part of it - I want to be part of this club moving in the right direction."

Liverpool Enter Chase For Sturridge

Liverpool have thrown their hat into the ring in the race to sign Daniel Sturridge this summer, with Tottenham and Manchester City also in the hunt for the Chelsea forward.

The Reds are ready to table a £10 million bid for the unsettled striker who scored a career-best 13 goals for Chelsea last season, but ended the campaign having fallen out of favour with interim boss Roberto di Matteo, who has now been handed the role full-time.

Sturridge has only twelve months left on his deal at Stamford Bridge and is said to be considering his options having failed to nail down a spot under Di Matteo, which caused him to miss the Champions League final and cost him a place in England’s Euro 2012 squad.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has previously expressed his anger that Sturridge was allowed to leave the club to join up with Chelsea in 2009, and the Italian is believed to keen on taking the talented youngster back to the Etihad Stadium.

Tottenham are also keen on Sturridge, with the north London club hopeful that his relationship with recently announced Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas could persuade him to make the move across the capital city.

Villas-Boas handed him a starting spot during his doomed spell as Chelsea manager last season, and the young striker could be tempted to move to White Hart Lane if he is guaranteed a starting spot, something that looks highly unlikely at Stamford Bridge after the arrival of Eden Hazard.

But for that to happen Sturridge will have to reject the overtures of Liverpool who, according to Goal.com, are preparing a £10 million bid for him as boss Brendan Rodgers looks to make the first major signing of his time at Anfield after missing out on Gylfi Sigurdsson to Spurs.

The website report that the Reds are ready to make their intentions perfectly clear by tabling the sizeable bid, and are willing to offer Sturridge a wage packet in excess of the £65,000-per-week he is currently earning with Chelsea.

The 22-year-old is currently being treated for viral meningitis but is expected to take his place in Team GB’s football squad for the Olympics, before making a decision over his future.

Liverpool On Verge Of Landing Italy Star Borini

Brendan Rodgers is close to making Roma forward Fabio Borini his first signing as Liverpool manager following lengthy negotiations in Italy.

Rodgers worked with Borini as a coach in Chelsea's academy and again at Swansea when the 21-year-old came on loan from the Blues in March 2011, scoring six goals in just nine appearances in south Wales.

That temporary move did not lead to a first-team breakthrough at Stamford Bridge and Borini, who moved to London from Bologna as a teenager, returned to Italy after making just three senior appearances.

The Italy U-21 international, who made his full international debut against the US in February, moved to Parma initially, but was immediately loaned out to Roma, who are believed to have an option to buy for £7m.

Borini has flourished on his return to his homeland and Rodgers saw enough of him at Swansea to believe he is good enough to slot into the Liverpool team on the right of a three-man strike-force.

The deal is slightly complicated by the fact Borini is co-owned by Parma and Roma, with each holding a 50% stake, which means Liverpool will have to reach an agreement with both clubs to finalize the move.

However, it is unlikely Liverpool would be expected to pay much more than the £7m price Roma had agreed with Parma as part of their loan agreement.

Left Back Robinson Wanted On Loan

Liverpool left back Jack Robinson is wanted on loan by several Premier League and Championship sides, with Norwich City and Bolton having shown interest in the 18 year old.

Derby County is also looking to sign the Warrington born defender for the duration of next season.

With the departure of Fabio Aurelio this summer, Liverpool have only Jose Enrique as a recognized left back at present, although Glen Johnson was chosen as cover whenever Enrique was injured last season, ahead of Robinson.

Robinson became Liverpool’s youngest ever player when he came on as 16 year old at Hull in the last game of the 2009-10 season.

The following year he made two Premier League appearances under Kenny Dalglish, but last season made just two League Cup starts – at Brighton and Exeter.

Robinson signed a new long term contract at Anfield in October 2011.

Milan Closing In On Carroll

AC Milan's interest in Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is hotting up according to reports emerging from Italy.

Corriere dello Sport claim the England international has been identified as medium to long-term replacement by the Italian giants for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that a deal could be done before the start of new season.

Earlier in the week Pier Silvio Berlusconi, son of AC Milan owner Silvio, made it known that Carroll was a player he would like to see at the San Siro and he has again reiterated his admirer for the 23-year-old.

Berlusconi particularly enjoys Carroll's physicality and remarked on how the former Newcastle forward even looks like Ibrahimovic after seeing the two men on the same pitch during England's match against Sweden during the recent European Championships.

Carroll was signed by Liverpool from the Magpies for £35m on transfer deadline day in January 2011 by former manager Kenny Dalglish, but his successor Brendan Rodgers may now be willing to offload him according to the article as he doesn't fit into his style of play.

Rodgers Rules Out Bellamy Exit

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has ruled out a move away from Anfield for Craig Bellamy, saying he wants to keep the forward at the club.

Bellamy's future at Liverpool has been the subject of speculation with former club Cardiff expressing an interest in re-signing the Welshman.

However, Rodgers has no plans to offload Bellamy after holding talks with the 32-year-old earlier this week

"I had a really positive chat with Craig on Monday," Rodgers said.

"It was good to meet him and get his side of the Liverpool story. He's a big supporter of this club - he loves the club.

"He's a good guy. He has a real passion for Liverpool Football Club and that's the type of people I want here.

"I like his intensity, his work-rate and his passion so I would love him to be here.

"He's a player. It would take a really special and unique opportunity for Craig to walk out of Liverpool and for us to go our separate ways.

"If anything changes on that from a personal perspective then he and I will talk about that."

Liverpool Should Welcome Aquilani And Cole To The Rodgers Revolution

If two men best represent Liverpool’s status as a club still mired in the process of ‘transition’ it is Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani.

Both spent last season away from Anfield, loaned out to Lille and Milan respectively, but have signalled their willingness to stay this term should new boss Brendan Rodgers want them. It is undoubtedly news that the Northern Irishman will have welcomed, as having players want to stay – as Liverpool found out with Fernando Torres – is half the battle.

Yet, equally as important as the former Swansea manager’s judgement of their merits is the stance of Reds owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The Boston-based group is widely known to be keen to trim the club’s bloated wage bill and Cole and Aquilani’s presence amongst the top five earners following Dirk Kuyt’s departure is not a statistic that will please such frugal businessmen.

However, if getting such heavy burdens off the wage bill were as easy as simply loaning the midfield duo out then there would be little doubt over their futures. Last year though, Liverpool found themselves subsidizing a large portion of both salaries despite neither featuring for a single minute and that is not a mistake they will wish to repeat.

Now is the time for FSG to assess whether further loan spells with such expensive terms are genuinely good for the most important part of their product – the team. All things considered, they might as well give Cole and Aquilani a go.

It is not as if the pair have shown themselves to be incapable of succeeding at Liverpool. Aquilani’s situation is particularly baffling given that in his first season he appeared sporadically under Rafael Benitez and still regularly evidenced his quality.

A 20-minute substitute appearance at the DW Stadium was an unusual highlight given that it came at the sort of ground which the Italian’s alleged mental weakness should preclude him from shining at. Man of the match performances against Portsmouth at Anfield and, most impressively, against Atletico Madrid in a Europa League semi-final defeat also showed that the former Roma man clearly possesses the ability. So what gives?

Was the 28-year-old’s agent simply paying lip service to Reds fans by insisting his client is happy to stay at the club earlier this week? There are many theories over Aquilani’s willingness to make a go of things on Merseyside but regardless, Rodgers would be foolish not to at least attempt to find space for the Italian. A situation whereby a loan club is 0.5 appearances (a substitute's role) away from triggering a clause to buy - as Milan were last season - cannot be allowed to happen again.

As for Cole, much of the criticism directed at the London-born midfielder during his first season at Anfield centered on his perceived lack of fitness as he huffed and puffed his way through games. Yet, that Roy Hodgson’s teams rarely monopolize possession has since become a well-known fact; there is a logical argument that those early games forced the 30-year-old into running harder than he had before in his career – and it showed.

His performances in Ligue 1 last year were grounds to believe that he can still contribute in some capacity next season. 42 appearances and nine goals is an encouraging return in any league and his previous successes in a front three - much like that which is likely to employed by Rodgers - is another reason for his return to be considered.

So, the evidence points to the fact that both players could at least play important squad roles next term, even if there are plenty of reasons they might not command first-team spots. If there is anything Liverpool learnt during the absences of Lucas Leiva, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard last year it is that squad depth and quality must be improved this summer.

In fact, that oft-derided summer transfer flops Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam held down starting berths in the positions in which the returning pair do their best work is food for thought. It would be hard to argue against Aquilani and Cole being a significant upgrade on their incumbents.

The opportunity to forgo spending on transfers and simply take a hit on the wage bill is one FSG must now at least consider. The long-term aim of lowering weekly outgoings on players who contribute little is sensible given the imminent arrival of Financial Fair Play sanctions but they are just that – long-term.

After years of stagnation at Liverpool there is understandably a lack of patience amongst the club’s fanbase and perhaps it is in fact the owners who must now show that virtue with regards their vision for a club which is more financially efficient.

The rewards for such bravery will be seen on the only place that truly matters, the pitch.

Sterling and Suso: Two Liverpool Youngsters Who Could Break Into The First Team Under Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers is yet to make a new signing for Liverpool but there is a growing belief that he will look to implement a number of young players into the first team squad next season.

Liverpool admitted that they missed out on signing Gylfi Sigurdsson because they could not meet his wage demands and there is some concern that the club will struggle to bring many new faces to the club over the summer months.

Fortunately there are a number of talented young players at the club with the likes of Jon Flanagan, Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Robinson all pushing for a place in the first team squad.

However, perhaps the two players that are drawing the most excitement from Liverpool fans if the duo of Raheem Sterling and Suso. Let's start with the young Spanish midfielder.

Jesus Joquin Fernandez Saez de la Torre, more commonly known as Suso, was brought to the club by Rafa Benitez and is in a similar mould to a number of the current Spanish side with his diminutive frame and excellent passing ability.

"I was going to sign for Real Madrid but one day before it the phone rang and Rafael Benitez spoke to me. He convinced me that Liverpool was the club for me and after that I had to change my plans. I was going to come to Liverpool," revealed Suso.

Originally compared with Xabi Alonso, Suso has since been used on the right wing where he can cut inside and use his lethal left-foot. The 19-year-old impressed while playing in the NextGen competition last season and could well be pushing for action in the first team with a lack of options on the right hand side of midfielder for Rodgers.

Perhaps even more exciting is Sterling. The 17-year-old has already been included in a squad for the Europa League and last season was the star performer in the NextGen competition as Liverpool made the semi-finals of the inaugural tournament.

Signed from QPR, Sterling has pace to burn and his ability on either flank makes him a genuine threat. The winger admitted last week that Rodgers had wanted to take him to Swansea so there is a growing belied that he may see first team action next season.

He impressed Kenny Dalglish last season who handed his his Liverpool debut and he was picked by journalists Guillem Balague and Gabriel Marcotti as a player who could even break into the England team in 2014.

Reds Look To Complete Jigsaw

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has stressed that any new signings must 'fit the model' he is trying to install at Anfield.

The Reds are yet to sign anyone this summer and Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson turned them down this week in favour of a move to Tottenham.

But before pursuing other targets, Rodgers insists he will assess the attributes of the squad he inherited from Kenny Dalglish.

"I've got a bunch of wonderful players here," he told the club's official website. "I'm going to take time to have a look at that.

"I believe there's one or two areas that I'll need to improve on for sure, but overall the core of the group is strong.

"But like any manager, you want to add the other pieces that can complete your jigsaw and that's something that we're doing over a period of time.

"This window for the summer, you either had to get your business in early or it was going to run over towards the end of the window, just purely because of all the games and holidays and championships, and everything that was going on.

"We're doing a lot of work off the field in terms of potential players to come in, but it will only be a certain type of player that will fit the model here at Liverpool."

Rodgers felt Sigurdsson would fit that model after having him on loan at Swansea last season.

And having agreed terms over a permanent move to Wales before being appointed Liverpool boss, Rodgers was disappointed he couldn't lure him to Anfield.

Barnes Backing For Rodgers

Former Liverpool midfielder John Barnes has urged the club's fans to put their faith in new manager Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers was last month unveiled as the man chosen by Reds owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to take the Anfield outfit forward, succeeding the sacked Kenny Dalglish, under whom the team had finished the 2011-12 season in eighth place in the Barclays Premier League.

Liverpool also won the Carling Cup and was beaten FA Cup finalists last term, and despite their lowly final league position, Barnes feels the club were making progress with Dalglish at the helm.

That is something he is confident will continue next season with the new boss in charge, and Barnes is calling on Reds supporters to give Rodgers their full backing.

Asked what he thought should be expected of Liverpool under Rodgers in the forthcoming campaign, Barnes told Press Association Sport: "Improvement - we will finish better than eighth.

"If you look at the improvement Liverpool showed in the last months of the season - getting to the cup finals and the desire and resolve they showed on the field - I think there will be a natural progression of them improving, which would have happened either way.

"Brendan Rodgers is there now and I urge all the fans to get behind him, support him, believe in him and see where it takes us.

"I don't think we are necessarily strong enough to win the league but we should be looking to finish between fourth and sixth, and if we could get into fourth spot, that would be a great achievement."

Rodgers won plaudits for the work he did in his previous job as manager at Swansea, who in the two years of his tenure gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time and then secured an impressive 11th-placed top-flight finish last term - playing an eye-catching brand of flowing football all the while.

Tasked by FSG to bring the glory days back to Liverpool by employing a similar style, the 39-year-old Northern Irishman is yet to begin any major remodelling at Anfield and has made no signings yet.

Rodgers had appeared set to recruit Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson - who flourished during a loan spell under him at Swansea last season - for the Reds, but the Iceland international has since joined Tottenham.

Liverpool fans might be crossing their fingers for some big-name arrivals, but as far as Barnes is concerned, whoever the new manager does bring in, the most important thing is that they fit in with Rodgers' footballing vision.

"We have to be realistic and we have to trust the manager - know his philosophy and know he will bring in the players to suit that philosophy," Barnes, who played for the Merseyside club between 1987 and 1997, said.

"They might not be names we have heard of, like Gylfi Sigurdsson when he came in (at Swansea).

"No-one thought anything much of him, but you can see what he did.

"He is not coming to Liverpool, but if he (Rodgers) signs a player we have not heard of that he knows can fit into his philosophy and pattern, then we should support that, rather than saying 'unless we get big-name signings, we are not going to be optimistic'."

Rodgers Admits Liverpool Departures Possible

New Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident his vision for the club will persuade his star players to remain at Anfield.

Despite the Northern Irishman conceding that a lack of Champions League football could mean the Reds lose players, he felt that the future he had envisioned for the Merseysiders would be enough to soothe any doubts some may harbour.

“I am very confident in relation to the conversations I have had,” he told Sky Sports News.

“You can only sell the dream going forward. The reality is there is a lot of nostalgia about this club, and I have seen that in my early time here, but what is important is going forward.

“Of course, the club isn't in the Champions League and the top players want to play at that level, but hopefully in the next coming years we can strive to get towards that.

“If that is not enough for a player then they will go, it is as simple as that.”

The former Swansea City boss also shed some light on the situation around Gylfi Sigurdsson’s move to Tottenham Hotspur after it appeared he was close to a Liverpool switch.

The Iceland international was on loan at Swansea last season under Rodgers, and was impressive while scoring seven goals in 19 games for the Welsh side.

However, Rodgers admitted he was mistaken in thinking the guarantee of playing regular football would be persuade Sigurdsson to make the move to Anfield after pulling out of a switch to the Swans due to Rodgers’ departure.

The 39-year-old coach hinted that the price asked for the player by his former club Hoffenheim was increased once the move to Liverpool became a possibility, and Rodgers refused to pay over the figure previously agreed.

“Gylfi did fantastic for me at Swansea last season. He wasn't playing at Hoffenheim, I brought him to Swansea and he did very well for me there, scored seven goals in 19 games and was very, very good,” Rodgers told the official Liverpool website.

“He and I both sat and spoke and believed that playing football was going to be the most important aspect for him.

“But obviously it was important financially so we agreed a deal for him to go to Swansea and that was wrapped up.

“I then became the Liverpool manager, and that then wasn't something that was going to happen at Swansea. So he then had a choice of where he wanted to go. I knew what the market was and I wasn't prepared to pay anything over what I had known was agreed before.”

One player he is sure of keeping is star forward Luis Suarez, who has been linked with a move away from Merseyside.

Rodgers said the pair had spoken about the future and felt good about hanging on to the Uruguay international.

“I have spoken to him but focused very much on the future in terms of what I believe he can bring to how we are going to play,” he added on Sky Sports.

“He was fantastic, very open, and I think he was impressed with how we played last season.”

Hateley: Liverpool Striker Should Leave Anfield

Former AC Milan player Mark Hateley has urged Liverpool's Andy Carroll to consider quitting Anfield for a move abroad.

Speaking to talkSPORT, ex-Rossoneri striker Hateley believes that Carroll would become a better all-round player if he switched leagues, following suggestions that Milan could well be interested in him.

“As a future target I’d like Andy Carroll," he said. “I must admit that for his body build, and after seeing his header in the Euros, I would like to have Carroll at Milan."

It is rumoured that Milan are planning to move for Carroll, after the son of club owner Silvio Berlusconi admitted that they would be interested in the Liverpool striker.

Carroll appeared to struggle during his first full season with Liverpool following his £35 million transfer from Newcastle United in January 2011.

While the mammoth price tag was very much a factor in Fernando Torres' £50 million departure from the club, Carroll has seemed to be weighed down by the level of expectation placed on his young shoulders.

However, the 23 year-old finished the season strongly with Liverpool, and was subsequently picked for Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 England squad.

His goal against Sweden in England's 3-2 win the highlight of an impressive tournament for Carroll and now it seems as though Europe's biggest clubs have sat up and taken notice.

“At his age you’re still very young and very raw. You’re susceptible to taking on new projects and ideas,” Hateley continued.

“He’s got great strengths in his game already but he still has a lot of weaknesses. They [Milan] can deconstruct his game and build it back up again to the way a European centre-forward should be.”

Would Clint Dempsey Be The Perfect Signing For Liverpool?

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has now missed out on signing Glyfi Sigurdsson after the midfielder completed his switch to Tottenham, so should the club now turn their attention to Fulham's own goal-scoring midfielder Clint Dempsey?

There have been reports that Liverpool are preparing an offer in excess of £10million for the American who last season was the top scoring midfielder in the Premier League with 17 goals.

In fact Dempsey's return of 23 goals in all competitions was a phenomenal record for a player who has consistently improved season upon season since signing for Fulham from New England Revolution back in 2006.

If you look at the stats from last season then it is easy to see where Liverpool where let down. The Reds scored just 47 Premier League goals, that is one less than relegated Blackburn Rovers and 46 less than champions Manchester City.

Luis Suarez was the top scorer in the league with 11 goals, while the top scoring midfielder was Steven Gerrard who found the back of the net on five occasions, despite only starting 12 games. Andy Carroll scored just four, Craig Bellamy six, while Stewart Downing managed precisely zero.

Dempsey scored more than the combined efforts of Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jay Spearing, Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Carroll. It is clear to see where the problem lies.

Rodgers certainly needs to address this issue and Dempsey would almost guarantee goal. In his six seasons in England he has a return of 50 Premier League goals. An impressive return for any midfielder.

Rodgers Claims Sigurdsson Priced Himself Out Of Liverpool Move

Brendan Rodgers insists Gylfi Sigurdsson's wage demands scuppered his proposed move to Liverpool.

A deal had been struck with the Iceland international for him to return to Swansea, where he had spent the latter half of last season on loan, but when Rodgers moved to Anfield that move hit the rocks.

The Reds then appeared to be in pole position to secure his services because of the player's relationship with the manager, but when discussions began over finances, Rodgers discovered the 22-year-old was asking for more money than he had agreed at Swansea.

Rodgers did not feel that was justified and, as a result, Sigurdsson signed for Tottenham - with the midfielder claiming the London's club's ambition and quality squad persuaded him to move to London.

"He wasn't playing at Hoffenheim, I brought him to Swansea and he did very well for me there, scoring seven goals in 19 games and was very good," said Rodgers, who succeeded Kenny Dalglish just over a month ago.

"He and I both sat and spoke and believed that playing football was going to be the most important aspect for him.

"But obviously it was important financially so we agreed a deal for him to go to Swansea and that was wrapped up.

"I then became the Liverpool manager and that then wasn't something that was going to happen at Swansea so he then had a choice of where he wanted to go.

"I knew what the market was and I wasn't prepared to pay anything over what I had known was agreed before.

"Liverpool would have provided Gylfi with a wonderful opportunity to perform with a manager that he knows and at a club which is a real footballing institution.

"But he's decided to go to Tottenham, for whatever reason.

"I wish him the best, he's a good kid and there's no ill feeling. We've got other targets and we'll move on."

Lucas Eyes Start Of Season

Lucas Leiva hopes to be fit enough to return to action around the start of the new season.

Liverpool's combative midfielder suffered serious damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last November, undergoing surgery the following month.

Now back on Merseyside after a spell of rehab with former club Gremio in his native Brazil, the 25-year-old feels his long spell out of action is nearing the end.

"I think I am progressing very well in terms of the knee, strength and fitness-wise," he said.

"I am working every week and trying to improve every week and the main target is to be fit for the new season, if not for the start then after a few weeks."

The injury forced Lucas into the first long-term absence of his career, something he admits he found difficult to deal with.

He added: "It has been very hard for me because I have never been out for a month so you can imagine five months when I can't play and only watch the game.

"I just had to cope with the injury and the time. As soon as I got the injury I knew I would be out for many months and I started to think about other things.

"The most difficult period for me was when I was on crutches for two months, especially the first four weeks after the surgery when the knee was swollen.

"To be honest, for a few moments I thought I couldn't come back or even walk, because the way I looked at my knee I felt scared.

"But as soon as I started the rehab, it is unbelievable how your body reacts.

"My main target now is to be 100% recovered and be okay to play a part in next season."

Milan Vice-President Plays Down Carroll Rumours

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani says the club will not make any further signings this summer, despite being linked to Liverpool's Andy Carroll.

Pier Silvio Berlusconi, son of club owner Silvio Berlusconi, had acknowledged that he would love to bring the 23-year-old to the San Siro - having seen him at Euro 2012.

"As a future target, I'd like Andy Carroll," Berlusconi said, according to Mediaset. "I must admit that for his body build, and after seeing his header in the Euros, I would like to have Carroll at Milan."

Milan have allowed a number of players to leave the club this summer, including Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta and Filippo Inzaghi, and have already strengthened by signing midfielders Riccardo Montolivo, Kevin Constant and Bakaye Traore as well as defender Francesco Acerbi.

Mathieu Flamini was re-signed on a one-year deal despite Milan having indicated he would be released, and Galliani insists that the Rossoneri are not looking to strengthen any further.

"Milan's transfer market is closed," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We have nine midfielders and our market is closed."

Milan secured a big boost this week when defender Thiago Silva signed a new contract until 2017. The Brazil international had been set to join Paris Saint-Germain in a €46 million deal until the intervention of Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi.

Galliani said: "We must thank Silvio Berlusconi for keeping Thiago at the club and, hence, resisting the temptation to sell him. With regards to those that will depart, only perhaps Mesbah will leave the club."

Aquilani Heading Back To Liverpool

Alberto Aquilani is set to make a return to Liverpool after failing to get a permanent move away from the club.

The midfielder has spent the last two seasons on loan in Serie A to try and get his injury ravaged career back on track following a £20m move from Roma in 2009.

But the neither Juventus nor more recently AC Milan wanted to turn season-long loan deals for the 27-year-old into anything longer.

"At the moment Aquilani is a Liverpool player and will certainly start pre-season training with them, then we'll see what happens," agent Franco Zavaglia told TMW.

"The new manager will decide whether to keep him or not. I don't think he's coming back to Italy and he hasn't expressed any particular preference, but this time I hope Liverpool can tell us in time if he's not part of their plans so we can find him the right club.

"Recently, apart from a slight ankle sprain, Aquilani has had no major fitness problems. The real problems were when he had ankle surgery at Liverpool."