Liverpool have been placed on alert after target Albert Riera yesterday underlined his desperation to leave Espanyol.
Riera wants to exit the La Liga outfit after growing tired of criticism from supporters after the team’s poor ending to the season.
Espanyol sporting director Paco Herrera, a former coach and chief scout at Anfield, maintains Riera will only be allowed to leave should a club trigger the £16million release clause in the player’s contract.
Riera is one of several players Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has under consideration.
And the Anfield outfit are hopeful they could capitalise on Riera’s desire to depart to help significantly lower the asking price, with Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto a possible makeweight going the other way.
“I want to leave Espanyol,” said Riera, who is also interesting Blackburn Rovers. “I do not want to be part of a club that does not take care of or protect its players.
“I do not know if I will go to Liverpool or some other team. I am staying hopeful and I would really like everything sorted out within the next two weeks.
“It would be best for everyone concerned because I know that my transfer would clearly be beneficial. I do not want to cause any problems.
“I don’t want to be at a club where the supporters have no love for the players, or where it depends on whether the team qualifies for Europe or not.”
But Espanyol sporting director Herrera said: “If he says he is going to go then he has more information than his club – he must know that there is an interested club who will pay the amount of money needed.”
Sections of the Espanyol support held up large banners at their final game of the season against Almeria questioning the commitment of the players after they failed to win any of their last 10 games.
The sight dismayed Riera, who added: “The things with those banners last Sunday against Almeria was intolerable. All that about the European Championships and going on holiday was very unpleasant and should not have been allowed.
“There are some things that should not be allowed and we all know that in certain sections of the ground and with certain sets of fans the board allows almost anything to happen. That is not normal and cannot go on.
“I have had enough of all these stories about in-fighting, bad feelings between players and things causing problems. Every time we do not win this comes up. This does not help at all.”
Riera, who believes Espanyol’s poor form cost him a place in the Spain squad for next month’s European Championships, was on loan at Manchester City towards the end of the 2005-06 season.
The agent of Catania defender Juan Vargas has claimed Liverpool are also interested in the highly-rated Peru international left-back.
Gustavo Ghezzi said: “To know the future of Vargas will take some time, since there are so many teams chasing the player: in any case, I’m confident that Catania will sell him. They want £11 million cash.
“The teams? AC Milan, Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina, Roma, Palermo, Sevilla, Tottenham, Liverpool, Real Madrid. There is a queue.”
However, the 24-year-old is expected to join either Real Madrid or Fiorentina, with Liverpool having made Udinese’s £8million-rated Andrea Dossena their priority at left-back.
Meanwhile, Benitez has told Scott Carson that his transfer fee will only be determined by the club.
Carson this week called for a reasonable valuation despite Liverpool having agreed a price believed to be around £10m with Villa when the 22-year-old joined moved to the Midlanders on loan last August.
Villa must now decide whether to exercise their option to sign Carson on a permanent basis and Benitez is not prepared to reduce the fee.
“It is a matter between the clubs,” he said.
“We agreed the fee with Aston Villa last year.
“The fee has been there for one season so to talk about the fee now is not correct.
“We agreed with Martin O’Neill and that was the situation.”
Liverpool have confirmed their pre-season friendly in Villarreal will take place on Wednesday, July 30.
Riera wants to exit the La Liga outfit after growing tired of criticism from supporters after the team’s poor ending to the season.
Espanyol sporting director Paco Herrera, a former coach and chief scout at Anfield, maintains Riera will only be allowed to leave should a club trigger the £16million release clause in the player’s contract.
Riera is one of several players Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has under consideration.
And the Anfield outfit are hopeful they could capitalise on Riera’s desire to depart to help significantly lower the asking price, with Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto a possible makeweight going the other way.
“I want to leave Espanyol,” said Riera, who is also interesting Blackburn Rovers. “I do not want to be part of a club that does not take care of or protect its players.
“I do not know if I will go to Liverpool or some other team. I am staying hopeful and I would really like everything sorted out within the next two weeks.
“It would be best for everyone concerned because I know that my transfer would clearly be beneficial. I do not want to cause any problems.
“I don’t want to be at a club where the supporters have no love for the players, or where it depends on whether the team qualifies for Europe or not.”
But Espanyol sporting director Herrera said: “If he says he is going to go then he has more information than his club – he must know that there is an interested club who will pay the amount of money needed.”
Sections of the Espanyol support held up large banners at their final game of the season against Almeria questioning the commitment of the players after they failed to win any of their last 10 games.
The sight dismayed Riera, who added: “The things with those banners last Sunday against Almeria was intolerable. All that about the European Championships and going on holiday was very unpleasant and should not have been allowed.
“There are some things that should not be allowed and we all know that in certain sections of the ground and with certain sets of fans the board allows almost anything to happen. That is not normal and cannot go on.
“I have had enough of all these stories about in-fighting, bad feelings between players and things causing problems. Every time we do not win this comes up. This does not help at all.”
Riera, who believes Espanyol’s poor form cost him a place in the Spain squad for next month’s European Championships, was on loan at Manchester City towards the end of the 2005-06 season.
The agent of Catania defender Juan Vargas has claimed Liverpool are also interested in the highly-rated Peru international left-back.
Gustavo Ghezzi said: “To know the future of Vargas will take some time, since there are so many teams chasing the player: in any case, I’m confident that Catania will sell him. They want £11 million cash.
“The teams? AC Milan, Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina, Roma, Palermo, Sevilla, Tottenham, Liverpool, Real Madrid. There is a queue.”
However, the 24-year-old is expected to join either Real Madrid or Fiorentina, with Liverpool having made Udinese’s £8million-rated Andrea Dossena their priority at left-back.
Meanwhile, Benitez has told Scott Carson that his transfer fee will only be determined by the club.
Carson this week called for a reasonable valuation despite Liverpool having agreed a price believed to be around £10m with Villa when the 22-year-old joined moved to the Midlanders on loan last August.
Villa must now decide whether to exercise their option to sign Carson on a permanent basis and Benitez is not prepared to reduce the fee.
“It is a matter between the clubs,” he said.
“We agreed the fee with Aston Villa last year.
“The fee has been there for one season so to talk about the fee now is not correct.
“We agreed with Martin O’Neill and that was the situation.”
Liverpool have confirmed their pre-season friendly in Villarreal will take place on Wednesday, July 30.
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