Werner Backs Boss On Carroll

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has refused to clarify Andy Carroll's future at Anfield but gave his full backing to manager Brendan Rodgers.

Carroll has been strongly linked with a move away from Liverpool despite becoming the club's record signing for £35million just last year.

Rodgers, who was appointed as Reds boss earlier this summer, is believed to be willing to allow the striker to leave the club this month and Werner appears comfortable with that scenario.

"The only thing I can say is we will do what's best for the club," he told Sky Sports News.

"At the moment, Andy is on the squad. He was an important member of the English team, he's got a lot of talent and we'll see what happens there.

"Brendan is clearly the leader here and hopefully the question will be answered shortly but at the moment Andy is on the team and we're looking forward to his contributions."

Werner and his fellow members of Fenway Sports Group have shown faith in Rodgers by sacking much-loved manager Kenny Dalglish in May and the chairman has once again defended that move.

"I don't think anybody could have been happy with our performance on the pitch last year," he added.

"No disrespect to Kenny, I think he's an iconic figure for Liverpool and he will always be appreciated for the stability he brought to the club.

"Brendan brings a very thoughtful, modern, attacking philosophy.

"I think our fans will be very delighted with the attacking philosophy that he brings to Liverpool and hopefully we'll see improvement."

Werner also reiterated his commitment to finding a new stadium for Liverpool and called for patience.

Werner said on Monday: "There's actually a call later this afternoon to try and move the ball forward but until we are sure of a solution we don't want to make any announcements and people have been disappointed before.

"There's no-one who would like to put this question behind us more than me but until we are clear about the solution and how it's going to unfold we're going to just say please exercise a bit of patience."

Suarez Swipe At English Media

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez hinted at his contempt for the English press as he prepares to return to Old Trafford this week.

The Liverpool forward is part of the Uruguay team taking on the United Arab Emirates in Group A of the Olympic football competition in Manchester on Thursday.

The fixture represents Suarez's first visit to the ground since triggering a row in February by refusing to shake hands with Manchester United's Patrice Evra - the man he was found guilty of racially abusing in October.

But Suarez does not regard that as an unnecessary distraction ahead of international duty for his country.

"I am representing Uruguay and that's all that matters to me," Suarez said.

"I said before that the English press is what matters least to me. I am proud to represent my country."

Suarez also brushed off suggestions that his knowledge of English football will help him, having played in the stadium before for his club.

"I don't really know Old Trafford that well," he added.

"I have played one match there. I have played just once at many stadiums, so I don't have to give advice to anyone on the stadiums we play at.

"It's a great stadium. What we have to do is play football at a spectacular ground."

Liverpool Make Early Move For Brazilian

Liverpool has offered a contract to a 15-year-old Brazilian wonderkid - after watching him on the Internet.

The Reds have moved to sign promising teenager William McLaren, after club scouts spotted him on Brazilian website Pnera, an online project aimed at discovering and promoting young players.

It certainly seems to have worked, with McLaren attracting interest from a whole of host of Premier League clubs, all of whom have since been to watch him in action, before confirming he is now considering an offer to join Liverpool.

'A representative of Liverpool saw me play, liked what he saw and the club sent me a contract,' McLaren told Globo.

'But other teams are also interested - Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. We'll see what happens.'

The exciting youngster, who lists his idol as fellow Brazilian Neymar, is already being compared to the 20-year-old Santos superstar.

Dries Mertens Finds Himself On Liverpool’s Shortlist

New Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is looking to strengthen the club’s attacking options for the upcoming season and is believed to have earmarked young Belgian winger Dries Mertens for this purpose.

The Belgian international moved from Utrecht to PSV Eindhoven last summer and stunned fans by adjusting quickly to life at the Philips Stadion. The 25-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date last season and went on to notch a tally of 21 goals in 33 appearances for the former Eredivisie champions.

According to Belgian magazine Footgoal, Mertens’ tremendous performances have alerted big European clubs including Liverpool, and the Merseyside giants are ready to splash €15M on the winger, a sum which – if tabled – is likely to persuade PSV’s management to part ways with their young talent.

Mertens was one of the Peasants’ best performers last season; the winger started his career with Gent in 2004 before moving to AGOVV in 2007.

After turning in impressive displays for the Eerste Divisie outfit, he was snapped up by Utrecht in 2009, where he excelled by racking up 16 goals in 65 appearances, before moving to PSV in 2011.

The 25-year-old belongs to a rare breed of wingers who chip in regular goals for their teams. Reds fans may hope that interest in the wide-man will soon materialize into a concrete bid as dearth of quality wingers in Liverpool’s squad has been considered to be one of the primary reasons for their poor performances in recent seasons.

Mertens is under contract with PSV until 2016, putting the Dutch club very much in the driving seat over his future.

Hoops In For Bellamy

QPR vice-chairman Amit Bhatia has confirmed that Craig Bellamy is on the club's shopping list as they plot their next transfer move.

Bellamy is currently preparing to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games, but speculation has continued to mount over where he will be plying his trade for the upcoming season.

Brendan Rodgers has expressed a desire to keep the Welshman at Anfield, while Cardiff are thought to be interested in their former player.

Bhatia has confirmed the Hoops are also keen, telling Sky Sports News: "Mark (Hughes) likes to have a long list of players so we'll see what happens.

"We've been a fan of Craig Bellamy for the last few years.

"His is definitely a name that has been mentioned but he's not the only name that we have discussed for that position so we have a few options.

"Mark has loads of names on his list and many of the players we want are wanted by other clubs.

He added: "Whoever Mark settles on, we will do our best to support him."

Liverpool Set To Offer Skrtel An Improved Contract

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers hopes Martin Skrtel will sign a new deal and is not aware of any bids for the defender.

Skrtel gave an interview in Slovakia, suggesting there had been interest in the 27 year-old, but just like the supposed interest in Luis Suarez from Juventus, Rodgers hasn’t received any formal offers for the player.

Liverpool hopes to conclude negotiations on a new deal with the Slovakian and are bemused by suggestions there has been any breakdown in those conversations. The club expects talks to continue in the coming weeks.

Skrtel featured in the opening game of Rodgers’ reign in Canada on Saturday, a low-key 1-1 draw with Toronto, and the Liverpool manager said he would fight to keep his centre-back.

He told the Telegraph: I’ve heard nothing from any other club. Martin has been fantastic and seems happy and contented. He fits into my plans and ideas. I will fight as hard as I can to keep the players that I want here and he is one of them.

“Unfortunately there is always that rumour, speculation and gossip and until the window closes that will continue.”

The Merseyside club is desperate to keep hold of their key players as Rodgers prepares for his first season in charge. He's already held positive talks with Suarez over the phone about his commitment to Anfield and hopes that like Skrtel, he will also sign an improved contract shortly.

Rodgers said: “I’m confident he is really looking forward to playing for us this season and is really looking forward to this way of football.

“I have spoken to him and had nothing but positivity from him. He is obviously at the Olympics and I wish him well, but I will wish him better when he comes back.”

The new Liverpool boss doesn’t have much time to make any changes to his squad, as their season will start in just over a week against opposition from either Belarus or Macedonia in a Europa League qualifier.

Robinson Glad To Be Back

Jack Robinson is hoping to put his injury problems behind him and impress new manager Brendan Rodgers.

The Liverpool left-back became the club's youngest ever player when he came on against Hull City as a 16-year-old in May 2010.

Rafa Benitez was the manager in charge then but Robinson has since seen Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish come and go before the appointment of Rodgers earlier this summer.

The England Under 19 international has spent much of the intervening period on the sidelines and was forced to sit out most of last season after featuring in the League Cup in the autumn.

Robinson is now targeting more involvement in the first-team as he looks to challenge Jose Enrique for a place in the side.

"It's great to be back playing after what happened last season," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"I started off quite well and I was getting on the bench for the first team but then the injury came and that kept me out for four months.

"I had to have an operation on my foot because I had a piece of bone floating around. They took that out and put me in a cast.

"I got back training and was doing okay but then I hurt my groin which really set me back.

"It was difficult and I hardly got to play at all last season. But now I'm back part of it under the new manager and it's just unbelievable to be part of this squad.

"Growing up as a kid this is what I wanted and now I'm in it I don't want to leave it."

Reds Overspent, Admits Werner

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has indicated that the big spending that marked Kenny Dalglish's second spell as Anfield manager is a thing of the past.

Dalglish spent £35 million on Andy Carroll, lavished around £20 million each on Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson and bought Charlie Adam from Blackpool for £8 million.

Despite the heavy outlay, the Merseysiders - although winning the Carling Cup - finished in a disappointing eighth place in the Premier League and Dalglish departed soon after the end of the season to be replaced by Brendan Rodgers.

"This is a very financially strong organization, LFC," Werner said. "I believe - not just in the previous season, but in the past - we have overspent for players, and the results were not what we have expected.

"We do have the resources to be competitive, but at the same time, we are going to operate in a way that will be a self-sustaining model.

"I think you will see that you don't necessarily have to go out and spend £50 million on one player to see success."

Werner predicted that Rodgers would make a positive impression on the Anfield faithful, adding: "I don't think anyone could have been happy with our performance on the pitch last year - no disrespect to Kenny. I think he is an iconic figure for Liverpool and he will always be appreciated for the stability that he brought to the club.

"Brendan brings a very thoughtful, modern, attacking philosophy - I think our fans will be very delighted with the attacking philosophy that he brings to Liverpool - and hopefully we will see improvement."

Carroll, in particular, has become symbolic of Liverpool's big spending, with reports suggesting the club is likely to take a hit of at least £15 million on the deal in any permanent sale only 18 months after signing him.

The England international, 23, has been linked with a return to Newcastle - who offered to take him on loan with a view to a permanent deal - while AC Milan expressed an interest in a loan after Rodgers hinted that the striker may not be part of his long-term plans.

Werner has insisted that the manager will have the final say on Carroll and suggested a decision will be made on the forward in the near future, insisting the club would not attempt to influence Rodgers in any way.

"Brendan is clearly the leader here," he told Sky Sports News. "The only thing I can say is we will do what is best for the club. At the moment Andy is on the squad, he is an important member of the England team and he has a lot of talent. We will see what happens."

It would appear that Werner does not expect the situation to drag on deep into the transfer window, saying: "Hopefully the question will be answered shortly, but at the moment Andy is on the team and we look forward to him contributing."

Rodgers Rules Out Suarez And Skrtel Sale

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has played down speculation linking a number of the club's leading stars with moves away from Anfield this summer.

Reds defender Martin Skrtel and last season's top goalscorer Luis Suarez have each attracted attention from a number of top European clubs, and Liverpool's inability to offer either player Champions League football has led to rumours they could both push for a transfer.

However, Rodgers insists that all his first-team players remain fully committed to the club, and have not been distracted by media reports.

Skrtel has two years to run on his existing contract, and after talks over a new deal stalled, his potential availability alerted the likes of Manchester City, Napoli, and big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Machakala.

"I've heard nothing from any other club," said Rodgers. "Martin has been fantastic. He seems happy and contented. He has fit into my plans and ideas. I will fight as hard as I can to keep the players that I want here and Martin is one of them."

Meanwhile, Suarez, who is currently on Olympic duty with Uruguay and will not return to Merseyside until later next month, has been attracting interest from Serie A giants Juventus, but Rodgers insists the 25-year-old is not for sale.

"I'm confident Luis is really looking forward to playing for us this season and is really looking forward to this way of football," enthused the former Swansea boss. "I have spoken to him and had nothing but positivity from him.

"He is obviously at the Olympics and I wish him well, but I will wish him better when he comes back.

"Unfortunately there is always that rumour, speculation and gossip and until the window closes that will continue. I'm just looking forward to getting every player back. It is important to get the whole group here and get some new signings here."

Dortmund Winger Grosskreutz Dreams Of Playing For Liverpool

Kevin Grosskreutz has revealed that it would be a "dream" to play for Liverpool in the future, but reiterated his love for current club Borussia Dortmund.

The 24-year-old was signed to BVB's youth team in 2002, but moved to Rot Weiss Ahlen a year later before being repatriated in 2009.

Under coach Jurgen Klopp, Grosskreutz has won two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal, and while he stated the feeling he has for his current employers, he also left the door open for a move to Anfield.

"I love Borussia, but I cannot rule anything out," Grosskreutz told Sports Image. "It would be a dream to play for Liverpool at some point. England is a dream for any footballer."

Grosskreutz had stated in November that he would prefer a move to Arsenal, but he appears to have had a change of heart.

Dortmund face Werder Bremen in the first Bundesliga match of the season on August 24.

Liverpool To Offer Adam To Fulham In Dempsey Deal

Liverpool are ready to up their bid for Fulham's Clint Dempsey to a player plus cash deal, with the inclusion of Charlie Adam, according to the Daily Mail.

The United States midfielder seems to be the top target for new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers and he is willing to let Adam leave in order to get his man.

However, the addition of the Scottish midfielder in that deal does depend on Liverpool’s discussions with Swansea player Joe Allen who is reportedly the subject of a £15m bid from Rodgers.

Adam and Allen play a similar role and it is thought the new Anfield boss would be willing to let the 26-year-old leave to help build his own Liverpool squad.

Signed from Blackpool last summer, for a fee in the region of £7m, Adam managed 26 league games and 2 goals before a knee injury ruled him out of the last two months of last season.

His future could now lie in West London with Martin Jol’s Fulham.

Reds Consider Sterling Loan

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is considering sending winger Raheem Sterling out on loan this season.

The 17-year-old has impressed in his three substitute appearances for the club, having made his debut against Wigan Athletic in March.

But Rodgers is keen to give the former Queens Park Rangers youngster some experience away from Anfield, rather than rushing him into the Liverpool team.

"He is a talent, but he's not ready for the first team yet," Rodgers told Liverpool's official website.

"One of the things I've done over my career is to manage the expectation of young players and the reality is he is still very young.

"There are very few players in the world who get into a Premier League team at 17, never mind a top club.

"He has certainly shown qualities and we'll decide over the next few weeks whether he stays, and he's involved now, or if he goes for a loan period."

Toulouse Ace Admits Premier League Lure As Liverpool Circle

France midfielder Moussa Sissoko has put Liverpool on red alert after revealing that he is keen to quench his 'thirst' for Premier League football.

Sissoko, 22, currently plays for Ligue 1 side Toulouse, where he has established himself as a key player since making his first-team debut in 2007.

The 22-year-old, whose athletic style has seen him draw comparisons with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, is out of contract next summer and he believes he would be well-suited to life in the Premier League.

"Everybody knows I’m thirsty to learn about other leagues, especially the Premier League, which I think suits my profile," he told French newspaper La Depeche du Midi.

"However, it does not mean that I have failed if I stay at Toulouse. I’m not unhappy here, I have a good position in a good club, where everything is set-up to succeed."

Laudrup Braced For Allen Exit

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has a contingency plan should Joe Allen leave for Liverpool, and says the midfielder will be allowed to decide his own future.

Laudrup made Rayo Vallecano midfielder Michu his third signing of the summer on Friday following the captures of Chico Flores and Jonathan de Guzman.

But it is the future of Allen that is attracting the most attention with speculation mounting that former boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to take the talented playmaker to Anfield.

The 22-year-old was one of the stars of Swansea's maiden Barclays Premier League campaign and secured a place in the Team GB squad for the Olympics.

He signed a new four-year contract at the Liberty Stadium last summer, but Rodgers is a keen admirer of the Wales international and reports have linked the Reds with a £15million deal.

Laudrup reiterated that Swansea have yet to receive any contact from Liverpool, but has a plan in place should Allen move on.

"You always have to be one step ahead so we have to be prepared for everything," he said.

"It's not only in this case, but with each position in the team.

"When the transfer window closes on August 31 you can breathe a sigh of relief, but you only have three or four months when people do not talk about transfers because then you look ahead to January 1. It will be the same then.

"You have to think about the present window as well as the future, which will be the winter window.

"But we obviously want to be able to have the best possible team available."

Although Laudrup would like Allen to remain in south Wales, he insists that should an offer come in then the player would be allowed to decide whether he would welcome a move.

He said: "I haven't spoken to Joe since I have taken over. I haven't spoken to any of the three Olympics players and we have not had any contact from Liverpool.

"I am in contact with the chairman every day. We agree that if there will be an approach then we will have to talk to the player.

"We cannot just answer 100% yes or no without having talked to the player.

"That's a problem because he has to concentrate on the Olympics but we will have to deal with that if and when it comes to that.

"You can force players to stay but how does that help? It doesn't work like that. It's better to find a solution that suits both parties."

Reds Held In Tour Opener

Lucas Leiva made his comeback from injury as Liverpool played out a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC in Brendan Rodgers' first game in charge.

The appropriately named Rogers Centre was the venue for the start of the new Liverpool manager's reign, and there were plenty of positives to take from an intriguing encounter in Canada.

Even without several senior members of his squad, Rodgers decided to select a different XI for each half and there were further substitutions as well, including a welcome return for Lucas following eight months out with anterior cruciate ligament damage.

There was little goalmouth action in the first half but the Reds looked eager to impress and Dani Pacheco caught the eye with a lively performance, with Alberto Aquilani also granted an opportunity to shine in midfield.

The game came to life after the interval and it was Toronto who broke the deadlock just before the hour mark when Peter Gulacsi could only parry a shot from Andrew Wiedeman and Quincy Amarikwa slotted home.

The lead lasted little more than ten minutes as Adam Morgan provided the simplest of finishes into an empty net after a brilliant run and shot from the impressive Raheem Sterling.

There were also some good touches from Suso as Liverpool pushed for a winner, but they ultimately had to settle for a draw on the first leg of their North American tour.

Rodgers Hails Brilliant Lucas

Brendan Rodgers has given Lucas Leiva a ringing endorsement and declared he will be integral to his new-look Liverpool team.

The 25-year-old has been out for seven months after he sustained a cruciate ligament injury last November, which interrupted his best Liverpool campaign to date.

Lucas' recovery is ahead of schedule and he has joined his team-mates on their pre-season tour of America.

It is something which has triggered praise from the new Liverpool chief, who views the Brazil international as integral to the success of the team.

"He's the ultimate professional," Rodgers told the club's official website.

"He is going to be a brilliant player for me in my career here at Liverpool and I'm looking forward to seeing him back fully fit.

"I've only been at the club a short period of time, and when I first arrived, everyone told me about how special he was as a player and a character, and he's even better when you meet him in real life and see how hard he works.

"The injury he's had is normally nine months before you get back at all, so he's back two months early. You only do that through one thing: sheer determination and hard work.

"I know that every day of his life he is fighting hard to get back, and as I said, he's not only a top footballer but a top guy as well."

Rodgers Full Of Praise For Adam Morgan

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Adam Morgan after the young striker scored the equalizer in the Reds' 1-1 draw against Toronto FC.

The 18-year-old netted in the 69th minute after Quincy Amarikwa had given the Canadians the lead in the pre-season friendly.

Morgan had only arrived in Canada on the morning of the match and headed straight to the bench to hug his new boss after converting from close range.

Rodgers told Liverpool's official website: "He's a really, really good kid. He's come in, he's taken everything on board that I've talked about.

"He's technically good, he's got a natural eye for a goal - if he doesn't arrive at that moment, the goal doesn't go in because the defender would have got to the line to defend it.

"He's got that natural instinct to score but I was also pleased with the cleverness in his pressing. He pressed the ball really well. That forced them into some mistakes.

"It was a great moment for him. His father flew in this morning from Liverpool, so to get here and to see the goal would have been a special moment."

The former Swansea manager was pleased that his tactical instructions were followed by the players as he tries to get the Reds playing his possession-orientated brand of football.

He added: "We've still got a long way to go. It's very important that we dictate games, we control games, we dominate games. You saw for large parts of the game we forced Toronto back.

"It's just that penetration that will get better as time goes on, because possession is no good on its own.

"Some of the movement patterns were very good and it'll get better."

Rodgers Outlines Tour Benefits

Brendan Rodgers could not hide his excitement at the prospect of embarking on Liverpool's pre-season tour of North America when he spoke to Liverpoolfc.com just before the squad departed from John Lennon Airport.

Rodgers and his team will spend two weeks stateside preparing for clashes against Toronto FC in Canada on July 21, AS Roma at Fenway Park on July 25, and Tottenham in Baltimore on July 28.

And the manager explained how he was looking forward to touching down in Boston and building on what he believes has already proved to be a positive and productive pre-season at Melwood.

"We've had a real good couple of weeks work at home and obviously when you travel abroad, especially to great countries like America and Canada, you find out different things about the group," said the manager.

"We're really looking forward to the sun - we had a bit of rain this morning in Liverpool! The whole group - the players, the staff - is looking forward to it."

A selection of youngsters joined Rodgers and his squad as they left Liverpool for the three-game tour and the manager revealed how he will use the trip to the US to analyze every player in his squad.

"It's a great pre-season for me because I get to look at the younger players and the senior players," said Rodgers. "So they all feel there's hope right through the club.

"I've also got some of the staff from the Academy coming with me. I feel it's important that they understand how I work, on and off the field, because when we come back, it all becomes really, really busy and you're getting into your focus for the games.

"So it's a great integration for the players and the staff and we will enjoy it and work hard which is important."

Liverpool will set up base at Harvard University when they arrive in the states. The university boasts fine training facilities including full-size indoor running tracks and three Olympic pools.

"I think Harvard University is one of the most renowned and historic universities in the world," explained Rodgers. "So for us it's a real privilege to go there and do our work.

"But the most important thing is our mentality. First and foremost, the objective is to go and work and work hard. And secondly it's to bring the great name of Liverpool to other supporters over in that part of the world. Most importantly, we're there to work and work hard."

Rodgers' first game as Liverpool manager will come against Toronto on July 21 and whilst the boss is excited to finally take up position in the Reds dug-out, he insists that results aren't everything in pre-season.

"When you're a player, a coach or a manager, you never want to lose any game that you play," he said. "But I certainly won't be losing sleep over it.

"Of course we haven't got the majority of our squad and some of the core players within our group here but the most important thing at the minute is that we're getting players up to speed.

"Our objective is the first pre-season game. We want to get that underway and then concentrate on the first league game which is on the 18th and that's when we'll look to be ready."

Adam - Reds Must Be Fearless

Charlie Adam hopes Brendan Rodgers can get Liverpool playing without fear, with his success at Swansea proving how important confidence can be.

Throughout his time in charge of the Swans, Rodgers never wavered in his belief that football is a passing game and is a sport which should be enjoyed by those fortunate to compete at the highest level.

The results he was able to generate speak for themselves, with the Welsh outfit having secured promotion to the Premier League and winning a host of admirers during their debut campaign in the top-flight.

Liverpool's owners were among those to have been impressed by his work at the Liberty Stadium and offered Rodgers the chance to succeed Kop legend Kenny Dalglish at Anfield this summer.

It remains to be seen whether the Northern Irishman can bring the good times back to the red half of Merseyside, but Adam is confident that the Reds have got the right man for the job.

The Scotland international midfielder told the Liverpool Echo: "The owners brought in a new manager who has been in the game a long time.

"It doesn't matter who you are, if the owners think you have got the right credentials to take the club forward in the way they want to do it, that's great.

"Just look at what the manager achieved at Swansea.

"They played some terrific football last season and deserved every plaudit.

"Brendan Rodgers identified the players who would be able to play the system of football he believes in and they played with total belief and absolutely no fear.

"If he can get his ideas to work here like he did at Swansea, then I am sure he will be a successful Liverpool manager."

Liverpool Poised To Test Fulham's Resolve With Dempsey Bid

Liverpool is set to make a £5m move for Fulham striker Clint Dempsey.

Martin Jol is desperate to keep last season's top scorer and has offered the American a new deal to keep him at Craven Cottage.

But with just 12 months left on his current deal sources close to the club have told talkSPORT they are bracing themselves for a bid from Liverpool.

Dempsey, 29, impressed with 23 goals for the Cottagers last campaign and was linked with a move across London to Arsenal back in January.

New Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to land the American and could pair Dempsey with Luis Suarez and new signing Fabio Borini in a new-look Anfield strikeforce.