Liverpool Consider Move For Real Madrid Midfielder

Nuri Sahin’s queue of potential suitors continues to grow, as Liverpool prepare to enter the race for the Real Madrid midfielder, Spanish reports suggest.

Marca report that the Anfield club is preparing an offer for the Turkey international that will meet the requirements set out by the La Liga champions. Real Madrid are understood to be more favourable to a season-long loan deal, or a permanent transfer which includes a reasonable buy-back clause. Despite only making two appearances last campaign, Real are reluctant to sell the midfielder outright.

Liverpool is prepared to accept Real’s requirements of the deal, as Brendan Rodgers seeks to add to his midfield numbers. Despite constant speculation linking the Anfield club with a move for Swansea’s Joe Allen, the midfielder’s ever growing asking price may dissuade the Northern Irishman from pursuing the deal.

Marca also suggest that Brendan Rodgers’ pre-existing relationship with Jose Mourinho may immeasurably help the Liverpool manager secure a deal for Sahin. Rodgers worked with the Portuguese manager while coaching Chelsea’s reserve side during ‘The Special One’s' tenure as club manager.

Despite playing in midfield for virtually his entire career, Nuri Sahin was recently deployed at left back in game during Real Madrid’s tour of the US. Arsenal has expressed the most notable interest in the tenacious midfielder, and it appeared at one point that an agreement between the Gunners and Sahin’s parent club was in agreement.

Liverpool Must Pay Big Money For Allen, Says Swansea Manager

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has warned Liverpool that they must prepare to pay at least £20 million for midfielder Joe Allen.

Former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has seemingly made 22-year-old Allen a high priority target as Liverpool seek to improve upon their disappointing 8th placed finish last season, but the Anfield club have already seen at least one offer turned down by the Danish manager, as he seeks to hold onto the metronomic midfielder.

Laudrup has identified the big money signings of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson in previous years at Liverpool as a benchmark in any negotiations for the Welsh midfielder, and feels that Allen should cost more than the two players.

"He is worth a lot of money because he's a good player," Laudrup told Sky Sports.

"The manager knows him and knows if he wants to change the way Liverpool play he needs a player in the midfield like Joe Allen.

"But he also knows he's very, very expensive. We saw they bought a couple of midfielders in the last few years for a lot of money, but with all due respect Joe is on a level above.

"In my opinion, if one is worth £17m then Joe is worth more, perhaps over £20million. I'm talking as a football man not as a chairman but if the chairman asks my advice then I will tell him the same."

Laudrup also seemed dismissive over any potential cash-plus-player deal for Allen, amid suggestions that Liverpool plan to offer the Swans £12.5 million, in addition to attacking midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on a season-long loan. The former Danish international rejected the idea of anyone not considered good enough for Liverpool’s first eleven joining Swansea.

“If we could have (Luis) Suarez ...,” Laudrup mused, when asked about the possibility of any swap deals. “We have good players here and they have good players, but I can't see a player not in the starting 11 at Liverpool being in the starting 11 in our team.

Liverpool And Arsenal On Alert As Barca Snub Spanish Starlet

Liverpool and Arsenal target Cristian Tello could be on the verge of leaving Barcelona after being snubbed by new manager Tito Vilanova.

The youngster looked set to be the latest star to emerge from La Masia, Barca's famously successful youth academy, under previous manager Pep Guardiola but he has not been given a shirt number in the 25-man squad for the coming campaign.

Atletico Madrid has also aired an interest in taking the 20-year-old on loan if Barca would prefer a temporary deal.

A number of lesser known Barca starlets have been named in the list for La Liga players which add gravitas to the idea that the former Espanyol man could be about leave the Catalan club.

Reds To Consider Agger Sale

Sky Sports understands Liverpool is considering selling Manchester City target Daniel Agger to raise funds for other signings.

As revealed by skysports.com last week, City has seen two bids rebuffed by Liverpool for Denmark international Agger.

City is expected to come back with a third bid with Roberto Mancini keen to bring the central defender to the Etihad Stadium.

Barcelona are also thought to be watching Agger's situation at Anfield with talks over of a new deal at Liverpool seemingly coming to nothing.

Agger's future has been the subject of speculation for some time and rumours intensified after he was left out of the squad for last week's Europa League victory over FC Gomel.

Liverpool were hoping to keep hold of Agger, but it seems they could cash in on him if City up their bid to £20million, freeing up funds for Brendan Rodgers to strengthen the squad elsewhere.

Rodgers is already thought to be drawing up a list of defensive replacements for Agger should City meet their valuation for the 27-year-old.

Rodgers Identifies Agger Replacement

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is ready to return to former club Swansea to sign Ashley Williams, as Daniel Agger is targeted by Manchester City.

According to the Daily Mail, the former Swans boss - who has also been knocked back in his attempts to entice Team GB star Joe Allen to Anfield - is facing up to the reality of the Danish defender's departure, despite still having two years to run on his existing contract.

Real Madrid have also been monitoring Agger's situation, as Jose Mourinho prepares a bid to rival the £20million that City are ready to lodge.

Williams has been capped 33 times by Wales, and impressed in his debut season in the Premier League. At 28, the uncompromising defender is about to enter the peak of his career, and Rodgers hopes he can play a big part at the heart of the Reds' back line.

Whilst Liverpool are under no pressure to sell Agger, American owner John W Henry is reportedly tempted to sell, despite knocking back two bids by Roberto Mancini.

Agger played no part in the Reds' Europa League tie in Belarus last Thursday, intimating that his long-term future lies away from Merseyside.

West Ham Give Up On Carroll Pursuit

West Ham has informed ESPN that they have given up on trying to sign Andy Carroll after three weeks of chasing the Liverpool striker.

The Hammers were hopeful that an eight-year contract worth £36 million would have tempted Carroll, along with his links to Kevin Nolan and Sam Allardyce, his former team-mate and manager at Newcastle United.

But the England forward has no intention of moving down to London and a West Ham source told ESPN: "Sadly, it is true, we have conceded defeat in trying to sign Andy Carroll."

The breakdown of the sale of Carroll will make it more difficult for new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to land top transfer targets Clint Demsey and Joe Allen, though the sale of Daniel Agger to Manchester City has been mooted as a way of raising money to fund a spending spree.

Allardyce, meanwhile, has been forced to turn his attentions elsewhere in his bid to find a player to spearhead the Hammers' first season back in the Premier League, with the former Bolton boss thought to have a shortlist of three potential forwards.

Aquilani - No Doubts Over Move

Alberto Aquilani says he had no doubts about leaving Liverpool to join new club Fiorentina in Serie A.

Aquilani completed his move back to Italy last Friday after making only 30 appearances for Liverpool since his £20million move in the summer of 2009, as a replacement for Xabi Alonso.

New manager Brendan Rodgers allowed Aquilani to talk to the Italian side last week after deciding he did not want him as part of his plans for the upcoming season.

Although Aquilani expressed his desire to stay with Liverpool and impress Rodgers, he has admitted he had no doubts about his move back to Italy.

He said: "I had no doubts about Fiorentina because they wanted me and the project here is very interesting.

"Now the most important thing is that I will never return there and I want to concentrate on my new cycle."

Critics of the centre-midfielder have suggested that Aquilani was not fit enough during his time with Liverpool, and as a result was loaned to Italy with spells with Juventus and AC Milan.

However, Aquilani has hit back at these claims, saying: "There's nothing wrong with my condition, I trained well with Liverpool and did the same as my team-mates.

"However the club decided to sell me. I had a great experience in England and if I went back in time I'd do it all again."

Liverpool Shirt Sponsors Accused Of Laundering Money For Iran

According to the banking regulator of New York state, Liverpool shirt sponsors Standard Chartered hid approximately 60,000 transactions worth over $250 billion that it made on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks and corporations over the past decade. The bank also sought to keep secret similar but less lucrative schemes with Libya, Sudan, and Burma.

Despite being a British bank, in all cases under investigation they routed the transactions through their New York operations, leaving "the U.S. financial system vulnerable to terrorists, weapons dealers, drug kingpins, and corrupt regimes" according to the regulatory agency. Moreover, there were systematic attempts by the bank to scrub their records of any such dealings, and Standard Chartered is further charged with having created "a formalized operating manual that showed staff members how to strip off any information from the transactions."

Standard Chartered is said to be reviewing their United States sanctions compliance in the wake of these accusations. There is no news as to whether Liverpool will seek a formal statement of apology from the bank for any damage to their brand that might come from being associated with an institution accused of breaking the laws of the country it was operating in to deal with sanctioned regimes and institutions in Iran and elsewhere.

Rodgers May Look To Loans For Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers may tap into the loan market if his bid to secure new signings for Liverpool looks like failing to bear fruit.

Rodgers has been at the helm of the Anfield club for a couple of months, but he has so far only brought in striker Fabio Borini from Roma.

Swansea's Joe Allen and Fulham forward Clint Dempsey are confirmed targets of the Reds boss, but deals do not look imminent and Rodgers is prepared to plug the gap with temporary measures.

"There is nothing imminent, and it may take one or two moves [elsewhere] to spark everything off," he said.

"I have also looked at one or two loan deals from abroad. There are some quality players in that market that I have enquired about."

Rodgers has assured Reds fans that new faces will arrive this month.

He said: "I want players in sooner rather than later - it is important to get the group together as quickly as possible.

"But if not, then I'd be happy as long as we have some in before the end of August.”The make-up of the group will change before the season starts and that will change the dynamic of the team also."

Suarez Told To Move Forward

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes Luis Suarez 'probably still feels a little bit of injustice', but has urged the Uruguayan to move on from the much-publicized events of last season.

Suarez was handed an eight-game suspension and a £40,000 fine in December after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in a Premier League match at Anfield.

The controversy was reignited in February when Suarez seemingly refused Evra's handshake as the teams conducted their traditional pre-match greeting in the return meeting at Old Trafford.

Suarez then reopened old wounds during an interview with a Uruguayan television show last month, where he accused United of having too much power and blamed Evra for the failure to shake hands.

The striker was jeered and booed by the crowd during Uruguay's Olympic Games defeat against Great Britain at the Millennium Stadium this week, but Rodgers has noted that rival fans only single out good players for criticism.

"The first point is that opposition fans only give people stick because they're good players - you don't see bad ones getting it," Rodgers said.

Rodgers continued: "Luis probably still feels a little bit of injustice about last season, but for me the message is that we have to move on.

"We have to move forward. What's happened has happened and let's let it go now, however hard it is. We want to be winning games and doing our best for the football club."

Suarez saw his participation in the Olympics come to an end with the loss to Team GB as the highly-fancied Uruguayans were dumped out.

Rodgers is now looking forward to welcoming the 25-year-old back into the fold with the Reds' season having already begun with Thursday's 1-0 victory over Belarus' FC Gomel in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round clash.

"It will be fantastic to have Luis coming back, and he is already fighting fit," said Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish in the Liverpool hotseat this summer.

"He will have a couple of days off and join up with us after the weekend. He's been playing games, so he will already be up to a decent level of fitness, maybe even higher really, because he's had more competitive games. I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Liverpool Make Offer For Gaston Ramirez

According to Italian website calciomercatonews.com Liverpool have made an official bid for Bologna star Gaston Ramirez.

The offer, around £12.5 million, is not thought to be enough to persuade the Italians to sell but is not far short.

Sources in Italy report that a bid of around £14 million plus add ons would be enough to bring the talented wide player to Anfield, who is free to sort out his future now that Uruguay have been eliminated from the Olympics.

Ramirez has been watched by the Reds for the last year and last week his agent visited London for talks with an unnamed Premier League club.

The news coincides with the news that Brendan Rodgers has done a deal with Fiorentina that will see Alberto Aquilani return to Italy in a permanent deal.

Juventus Reignite Interest In Liverpool Forward

Luis Suarez’s souring relationship with English football may open the door to a move to Serie A giants Juventus, reports from Italy suggest.

Italian outlet calciomercato suggest that Juventus are willing to offer the perturbed Liverpool forward a route out of the Premier League, as they consider alternatives should they fail in their attempts to lure Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie to the club.

Suarez recently vented his frustrations after he was on the receiving end of a constant crescendo of boos during Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat to Team GB at the Millennium Stadium, after which the Liverpool man said he thought he was booed because fans were afraid of him.

The Uruguayan also received a predictably hostile reception at Old Trafford prior to that, where his home nation claimed their sole victory of the tournament with a 2-1 win over United Arab Emirates. Suarez was relentlessly booed by a crowd which logically contained a large contingent of Manchester United fans, quick to remind him of the ugly racism spat with Patrice Evra which resulted in the Uruguayan picking up an eight game ban

Calciomercato conclude that Suarez has had enough of life in English football, and Juventus are more than happy to offer asylum for the Uruguayan. The Bianconeri are hopeful that the promise of Champions League football and the attraction of playing for the Serie A champions will be enough to lure Suarez to the club, as their persistent attempts to sign Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie continue.

The Serie A champions may see Suarez as more sensible long term investment, given the Dutchman’s injury record, wage demands and his almost four senior years on the Uruguayan.

Vargas Chase Hots Up With Genoa Ready To Rival Liverpool

Genoa have emerged as contenders to sign Liverpool target Juan Manuel Vargas, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Vargas, 28, has been made available for transfer by his club Fiorentina, and Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been tipped to make an offer for the Peru international, who can play in defence and midfield.

And news of Vargas’ availability has alerted Serie A side Genoa, who are looking to recruit a left-footed player this summer.

However, Genoa may struggle to meet Fiorentina’s asking price for the Peruvian, and could offer midfielder Juraj Kucka to Fiorentina as part of any deal.

Team GB Star Could Be On His Way Out Of Liverpool

Cardiff City have opened talks with Liverpool over the potential transfer of striker Craig Bellamy, reports suggest.

The Welshman is earning his plaudits as Team GB continue their quest for Olympic gold, but his domestic matters remain unresolved, after failing to get reassurances from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers over first team football next season, Metro reports.

Bellamy is to meet with Rodgers once Team GB’s campaign concludes, but reports suggest that Cardiff have already struck a deal with the Reds to bring Bellamy back to the Welsh capital once again.

The Bluebirds have reportedly struck an early deal with Liverpool, amid growing interest from newly promoted West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers, who are also considering bids for journeyman Bellamy. Cardiff have made an offer to pay Bellamy’s reputed wages of £70,000 per week, providing they do not have to stump up a transfer fee, an offer which the Liverpool hierarchy would settle upon.

Bellamy found himself limited to just 24 appearances for Liverpool last season, many of those as a substitute. As Brendan Rodgers seeks to bring in his own players and establish his own mantra at the club, Bellamy could find his opportunities limited again, despite his impressive form in the London 2012 games.

Pereira Could Leave Porto

Alvaro Pereira's agent says there have not yet been any official offers for the full-back but believes a move away from Porto this summer is a possibility.

The Uruguay international is under contract with Porto until the summer of 2016 and is valued at around €30million (£23.8m).

However, he has reportedly attracted the interest of a number of leading European clubs, including Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool.

Paris St Germain, Napoli and Juventus have also been linked with the 26-year-old, whose representative believes a departure from Porto could happen.

Flavio Perchmen told Antena 1: "I spoke with Alvaro last week and he is calm. We are waiting to find out if there is any offer.

"We think everything will go well and that he can leave the club, but right now we do not have any concrete offer."

Rodgers Pens Letter Of Thanks To Liverpool Supporters

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has penned a letter of thanks to the club's travelling fans who watched them beat FC Gomel in the Europa League on Thursday.

A small contingent of Reds fans made the 1,500 mile journey to Belarus to support their team in Rodgers' first competitive game as manager of the Merseysiders.

They were not to be disappointed as scorching strike from Stewart Downing gave Liverpool the win and the advantage in the tie with that crucial away goal.

Rodgers expressed his gratitude to the supporters and insisted their presence was not taken for granted and played a huge part in the victory.

He wrote: "I want to say a sincere thank you for making the effort to come to Gomel on Thursday night to support us in our first competitive match of the season.

"The players and I are fully aware of the trials and tribulations surrounding travel for games; in particular, the costs, the necessity for visas and the transportation issues involved with this trip, so we wanted to let you know that your efforts are greatly appreciated.

"It was a privilege to acknowledge your support on the evening at the ground, as we did following the full-time whistle, but I wanted to reiterate our thanks with this brief message.

"It was a special night for me personally and it was great to see you in the stadium and in great voice; you made me proud and you made the players proud. You are an integral part of this team."

Liverpool Youth Join U21 Premier League

Starting with the NextGen U19 European competition last season, the past year has seen a widespread and increasing focus on youth development and providing a platform for young players to further improve their games and bridge the gap between youth and first team football.

Now, the Premier League has revealed that for the coming season the fractured reserve league system in England will largely take a back seat to a new U21 Premier League consisting of the 23 clubs—17 from the EPL and six from the Championship—whose academies qualify for Category One status.

The structure of the competition will see the clubs broken up into three groups, with Liverpool in the seven-member National Group Three along with Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, and Wolverhampton.

Each club will play home and away against the other members of their group before entering a second qualification round in the new year where the clubs will be seeded based on finishing position in the first round, with the top finishers from that first round given preference for advancing into the final third round of four clubs who will then compete in a semi-finals and final.

On paper at least, it seems a sensible way to further aid in youth development and will likely be warmly welcomed by Frank McParland, Rodolfo Borrell, Jose Segura, and the rest of those in charge of Liverpool's youth and reserves system. The first game for Liverpool comes on August 20th when they host Wolves.

Match Report: Gomel 0 - 1 Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers' first match in charge of Liverpool ended in victory after a 1-0 win against Gomel in their Europa League third qualifying round first leg tie at the Central Stadion in Belarus.

Stewart Downing's 25-yard effort midway through the second half was enough to give the Reds the edge going into the second leg match at Anfield next Wednesday.

Gomel dominated the majority of the game and the Merseysiders were lucky to leave with the win after the hosts missed plenty of chances.

Liverpool's back four looked rocky throughout and it was poor finishing rather than the performance of goalkeeper Brad Jones which cost the home side.

Gomel, who are halfway through their domestic season, were full of energy and pressed Liverpool high up the pitch, giving the visitors little time to dwell on the ball.

Rodgers promised he would take the competition seriously and picked a strong side although Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll - both of whom have been linked with moves away from Anfield - stayed in the north-west.

Steven Gerrard was captain, while Jamie Carragher made his 700th Liverpool appearance and was partnered in the heart of the defence by Martin Skrtel.

Joe Cole, who spent last season on loan at Lille, also started - while summer signing Fabio Borini led the line in a 4-3-3 formation.

However former Chelsea man Cole lasted just 23 minutes as he hobbled off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, with 17-year-old Raheem Sterling his replacement.

Both teams began slowly although the visitors showed they were already buying into the Rodgers approach, with the vast majority of their football played on the floor.

Sadly for the Merseysiders it failed to yield opportunities and it was Gomel who created the first chance 25 minutes in.

Dmitri Platonov skipped past Gerrard and surged to the byline before delivering an accurate cross to Igor Voronkov, who headed over from close range.

Five minutes before the break and central defender Martin Skrtel was first outmuscled and then outpaced by striker Aleksandr Alumona, who shot straight at Jones - with the Australian deflecting the effort wide.

The danger was far from over and a short corner from Gomel caught the visitors out and Platonov should have tested Jones with a free header from 10 yards out, but mistimed and looped his effort over.

The hosts took just a minute to create an opportunity in the second half as once again the backline fell asleep as Platonov was played onside by Carragher and raced away down the left. The forward rounded Jones but his touch was too heavy as the ball ran away for a goal-kick.

Liverpool had another let off and it was Platonov who again went close after 65 minutes. Jay Spearing gave the ball away cheaply and Sergey Kozeka hit a rasping shot which cannoned onto the post with Jones well beaten. The rebound fell to Alumona who completely mishit his effort into the path of Platonov who, with the goal gaping, somehow shot wide.

Gomel were made to pay for their incompetence in front of goal as just two minutes later - following the introduction of Lucas for Jordan Henderson - the visitors were in front.

Downing cut inside from the right and unopposed from 25 yards fired past Vladimir Bushma into the left hand corner.

The goal deflated the home side, with Liverpool keeping possession well for the remainder of the game.

The visitors could have doubled their lead late on as Borini, who lacked service all night, burst through. However Bushma forced the Italian wide and parried the striker's effort away from danger.

However Liverpool left with a win and a clean sheet as they seek to make sure of an extended run in this season's Europa League.

Downing Happy To Be Versatile

Stewart Downing will willingly play on either wing if it means he features in the first-team plans of new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

The England international was on Thursday night the Anfield club's match-winner in their Europa League qualifying first-leg victory over FC Gomel in Belarus.

Downing played the full 90 minutes, operating on both the left and right wings, in what was Rodgers' first competitive game in charge of Liverpool since succeeding Kenny Dalglish.

The £20million summer 2011 signing from Aston Villa has failed to justify his price tag since being signed by Dalglish.

But Downing was happy with his performance against Gomel and he will continue to be versatile in order to fit into Rodgers' thinking.

"I'm not fussed, as long as I'm in the team," naturally left-footed Downing told Liverpool's official website with reference to playing on either the left or the right.

"That's the main thing. The competition for places is hot here and wherever the manager sees me playing, I'm happy to play there.

"I got the goal from the right, but if he wants me to play on the left I'm happy to do that as well."

Downing has also revealed how advice from Rodgers helped in his goal against Gomel, with the winger cutting in from the right before shooting left-footed into the back of the net.

"The ball fell to me and I thought about how the manager has been saying to come inside and get a shot off, so that's what I was looking to do," he said.

"Luckily for me it went in. I was happy with the strike."

Rodgers Plays Down Cole Injury

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers played down Joe Cole's injury after the playmaker was substituted during the Reds' 1-0 Europa League third qualifying round victory over Gomel.

Cole, who spent last season on loan at Lille, lasted just 23 minutes before he was replaced by 17-year-old Raheem Sterling at the Central Stadion in Belarus.

"Joe just felt his hamstring a little bit," Rodgers said. "I don't think it is totally pulled and it was just a little bit of tightness so we had to take him off.

"It disrupted our plans a little bit but it was better to have him come off rather than risk injury."

Glen Johnson was replaced by Martin Kelly just one minute into the start of the second period, but Rodgers said that was a tactical move and not forced upon him.

"Glen was only scheduled to play 45 minutes anyway so he was taken off as planned," he added.

Stewart Downing's second-half strike meant Rodgers' first competitive game in charge of Liverpool ended with victory, and the former Swansea boss was pleased with what he saw.

"It will take time until Liverpool start playing the way Swansea did last season (tactically)," he said. "Actually the way you play depends on the players you have.

"I saw two things which were very important for me, I saw desire and commitment. I am very grateful to my players for a good game.

"Obviously it was a serious test of the players' fitness and I am really happy with the result.

"This was my first competitive game in charge of Liverpool and for me it didn't really matter whether the game was played in Belarus or Brazil as I am really honoured to manage this side."

And the Ulsterman was impressed with Gomel, who on another day could have emerged victorious after wasting plenty of chances in front of goal.

Rodgers continued: "This game was a great test for us at this point of the season. We saw that Gomel is a very good club which is already into the season.

"Their tactical idea was to defend and counter-attack so it was difficult for us to find the open spaces in the first half but at half-time I told my players to be patient and that the chances would come.

"After the first 45 minutes I also changed the structure of the midfield and Steven Gerrard started to play a bit lower than the other two central midfielders.

"I am glad that Stewart scored the goal as we put him on that side to come in and shoot. It was a great shot."

Carragher Focuses On Rodgers

Jamie Carragher insists his 700th appearance for Liverpool was less important than Brendan Rodgers taking charge of the club for a first competitive game.

The centre-back on Thursday night played the full 90 minutes as a 1-0 win was secured over FC Gomel in Belarus in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie.

But Carragher, second in Liverpool's all-time list of appearances behind Ian Callaghan (857), was not interested in another personal landmark and instead wanted to focus on Rodgers.

The new Anfield manager only arrived earlier this summer from Swansea City and so, amid pre-season friendlies, it was his first meaningful fixture at his new club.

And Carragher told Liverpool's official website: "It was a nice night for me on that score (700 games) but it was more important, because it was the manager's first game.

"It's a big thing for a manager in his first game, especially playing in Europe.

"It's a big thing for Liverpool, great tradition, and it's great we got the victory for the manager more than anything. As I said, his first game was more important than my 700."

Liverpool failed to impress again Belarusian top-flight side Gomel, who are midway through their season, but Carragher thought that was due to the different stages of preparation.

"We're pleased with the victory," he said. "It was a tough game, as European away games always are.

"They're in the middle of a season and I think you could see that in the fitness levels - they were much better at times than us."

Rodgers Explains Agger Absence

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions of Daniel Agger's Europa League absence being an indicator of a move to Manchester City.

The centre-back was left out of the Anfield club's squad for Thursday evening's Europa League qualifier against FC Gomel and that sparked extra speculation.

Sky Sports sources on Tuesday had revealed Liverpool had rejected two bids from City for Agger and further reports had since suggested the Dane handed in a transfer request.

Agger's agent, Per Steffensen, on Thursday night did little to calm the situation by announcing his client was 'not injured in any way' before the Gomel game.

But Rodgers is adamant the injury-prone centre-back was only absent in Belarus due to fitness issues, as he said: "The plan was always for Daniel to stay behind.

"Everyone knows his history of injuries. He came back to pre-season training after everyone else and is still not up to speed.

"He is fit but I have to make sure he is up to speed before he plays, because everyone knows his history with injuries."

Agger is under contract with Liverpool until the summer of June 2014 and earlier this summer he admitted he would welcome the chance to discuss a new deal.

City could therefore find it difficult to convince their Premier League rivals to sell and reports have suggested the English champions are instead looking at Marseille's Nicolas N'Koulou.

Liverpool Reportedly Close To Agreeing Deal For Welsh Star

Liverpool are rumoured to be close to agreeing a deal with Swansea for midfield star Joe Allen.

According to reports in the South Wales Evening Post, the Kop giants have been in discussions with Allen's representatives over personal terms, while Swansea decide whether to accept a refuted £12.5 million offer.

Liverpool have recently appointed former Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers to the Anfield hotseat, with an agreement that he would refrain from plundering the Swans for their best players.

However, it appears as though Swansea officials have wained on this after the handsome offer for the 22 year-old Welsh international.

Allen is believed to have a £15 million release-clause in his contract, and this could see the club hold out for the full-amount, as they prepare for life without the midfielder.

Any deal will likely happen after the Olympic Games, with Allen currently on duty with the Great Britain side.

When asked to comment on the player's current situation, new Swansea boss Michael Laudrup said: “There’s no latest — he is with the GB team at the Olympics so I have not had the opportunity to talk to him since I arrived.

“There’s nothing concrete. I can read the papers talking about the interest — it’s normal there is interest because the new manager of Liverpool is the ex-manager of Joe Allen.

“We all know he is a very good player, but I can assure you there’s nothing concrete at this moment.

“Let’s see what happens — I can’t really tell you anything else right now.”

Liverpool Join Tottenham In Chase For Porto Winger

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are hunting Porto’s Christian Atsu, as both clubs seek to provide depth to their wide areas.

It was Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas who originally promoted the lively winger to Porto’s first team during his tenure at the Portuguese club, and the former Chelsea boss is interested in bringing the rapid wide man to north London, following an impressive spell out on loan to Rio Ave last campaign, Metro report.

Liverpool are monitoring the 20-year-old winger’s progress, following his impressive season at the Portuguese minnows, where he bagged six goals in 27 appearances. Brendan Rodgers’ penchant for swift, incisive wide players, as was evident during his tenure at Swansea, suggests he may look to strengthen that area of his team, following the sale of Maxi Rodriguez earlier in the summer and Stewart Downing’s poor form last season.

According to the Metro, Porto will allow the Ghanaian to go out on a season-long loan with an option to buy afterwards, but both Liverpool and Tottenham are keen to take the player on a permanent basis.

Tottenham Consider Shock Move For Liverpool Youngster

There is a belief that Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is keen to secure the services of the 17-year-old and would be prepared to make a substantial offer of around £7million for the teenager.

Liverpool would certainly want to keep hold of Sterling who cost just £600,000 when he made the move from QPR as Rodgers is believed to be a fan of the exciting young winger.

He has already represented England at Under-17 level and last season was one of the standout performers for Liverpool's NextGen side which made it through to the semi-finals of the competition.

Previous manager Kenny Dalglish handed Sterling his league debut last season when he came on against Wigan Athletic to become the second youngest player ever to play for Liverpool.

With Rodgers looking to play the same style of football that was so successful at Swansea City, there was a belief that Sterling could look to perform the same role that Scott Sinclair did so successfully lasts season working under the Northern Irishman.

Fiorentina Claim Aquilani Deal

Alberto Aquilani's difficult and disappointing time as a Liverpool player appears to be over after Fiorentina co-owner Andrea Delle Valle claimed the signing of the Italian.

Midfielder Aquilani was this summer expected to leave Anfield having made less than 30 appearances for the club since being signed for £20million in the summer of 2009.

Injuries and an apparent failure to adapt to the Premier League saw the former Roma star loaned to both Juventus and AC Milan.

And Aquilani, who had been signed by ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, has wanted to return to Italy.

It appears he has got his wish, with Italian newspapers claiming a three-year deal has been agreed and a medical is also said to be taking place in Florence.

Delle Valle has told Sky Sport 24: "Aquilani is ours."

Brendan Rodgers, who is the fourth Liverpool manager during Aquilani's time at the club, had on Monday explained he was waiting to make an assessment on the 28-year-old.

"The situation with Alberto is simple," said Rodgers. "I have wanted to assess him over the first few weeks of training.

"Over the course of the next week, I will make a decision on what's going to be best for us, whether he will be useful for the group or whether it's best for him to move on."

Bellamy Not Thinking Of Medal

Craig Bellamy is refusing to get carried away and start dreaming of winning an Olympic medal.

Team GB faces South Korea in the quarter-finals on Saturday after going through the group stages unbeaten.

Bellamy, who has been one of the stand-out performers for Stuart Pearce's side, is keeping his feet on his ground after experiencing so many disappointments on the international front with Wales.

Asked if it Team GB could claim Olympic glory, Bellamy said: "That's you English. That is what you lot do - I'm Welsh!

"I'm just grateful to be involved. We are not going to win it. We aren't going to come first, second, third.

"We are just trying to beat South Korea. You can't look too far ahead. You just can't because anything can happen.

"I watch it sometimes and think, 'Be careful - you could go out in the next game'. But that is what's great about football.

"Being Welsh has taught me that, with two minutes to go, anything can happen. I've come into this with a wider look. Now it is just pure and simple - let's have a go and enjoy it."

League Is Priority For Rodgers

As Brendan Rodgers prepares to begin Liverpool's Europa League campaign on Thursday, he insists the Premier League is the priority.

The Reds travel to face FC Gomel in the first leg of their third qualifying round clash in what will be Rodgers' first competitive match in charge.

But while the former Swansea boss would like to do well, he is adamant that the league is Liverpool's main target.

"I don't want to disrespect the Europa League, but there's no doubt the league is our priority and we want to finish as high as we possibly can," he told the club's official website.

"The Europa League is a competition we'd like to do well in.

"Obviously to do well in it you've got to play a lot of games and hopefully that will be the case.

"When you play for Liverpool every tournament and every game is a priority."

FC Gomel finished third in the Belarusian Premier League last season, but did manage to win the domestic cup competition.

They have never progressed beyond the first round of any major European competition, but Rodgers is refusing to underestimate the challenge Liverpool face at Central Stadion.

"We have done our homework on them," Rodgers added.

"They have done well to qualify for this stage, the pitch looks nice and they play a 4-2-3-1 system.

"But while I always respect the opponent we play and never underestimate them, I'm a big believer in focusing on our own game and maximizing how we play the game.

"If we do that then I believe throughout the course of the season we'll have a chance of winning every game."

Liverpool are without Andy Carroll, who has a minor groin strain, as well as Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy who are on Olympic duty. But new signing Fabio Borini could feature.

Liverpool Linked With Swoop For Portuguese Midfielder

Liverpool are being linked with a surprise swoop for former Everton midfielder Manuel Fernandes.

According to reports in the Mirror, the Merseyside giants are weighting up a bid for the £7 million-rated Portuguese, as new boss Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his squad before the start of the new season.

The 26 year-old has earned rave reviews in Turkey, where he currently plays for SuperLig side Besiktas, and now looks like a realistic target for Liverpool.

Fernandes, who enjoyed two loan spells at Everton in 2007 and 2008 respectively, failed to make Paulo Bento's Portugal squad for this summer's European Championships.

The former Valencia and Benfica star is believed to be keen on a return to England, and his valuation and wages are thought to fit perfectly within Liverpool's budget.

Last season Liverpool's midfield was a source of scrutiny, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Jay Spearing coming in for criticism.

Boost For Liverpool In Hunt For Peru Star

Liverpool have received a boost in their pursuit of Juan Manuel Vargas after Fiorentina put the Peru international up for sale.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Fiorentina have decided to part ways with the 28-year-old, who is currently training on his own in Florence while his team-mates are away at a pre-season camp in Moena.

Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade has already informed Vargas’ agent Carlos Delgado that his client is free to leave, with the Italian side looking to recoup a fee in the region of £3.9m to £4.7m for the full-back, who can also operate as a winger.

News of Vargas’ availability will interest Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who is thought to be looking to add to his squad before the start of the new Premier League season in two and a half weeks’ time.

Liverpool Consider Move For Butland

Liverpool could move for Team GB goalkeeper Jack Butland after the Birmingham City stopper impressed the clubs scouts during Great Britain’s match against UAE on Sunday night.

The Reds have been involved with transfer speculation almost everyday of late, most of it has linked key players away from Anfield, so this will be a welcome boost for Pool fans.

The news comes as Brendan Rodgers plans an overhaul of his goalkeeping options, with Brad Jones being given permission to talk to Norwich over a transfer, while Peter Gulacsi is set to return to the Championship on loan.

That would leave Liverpool with Brazilian stopper Doni as their only back up to first-choice Pepe Reina, and Rodgers wants better.

He has already expressed an interest in veteran Wolves 'keeper de Vries, who he worked with at Swansea, but Rodgers is now thinking longer-term, with the addition of a youngster to work under Reina seen as a better option.

Rodgers is in the process of drawing up a short-list of potential options, but already looks like making Birmingham City teenager Jack Butland his top target, after being handed a number of positive reports on the player by club scouts.

Butland is widely regarded as one of the finest young goalkeepers in the country, and has been watched by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in the last six months.

However, Liverpool believe they can beat their Premier League rivals to the 19-year-old, with club scouts impressed after watching him in action for Team GB during the Olympics.

Liverpool had representatives in the stands during the 3-1 win over the United Arab Emirates, to make checks on Swansea midfielder Joe Allen, but were left with a good impression of Butland, who was also a part of England’s Euro 2012 squad.

The only stumbling block to a potential deal would be convincing Birmingham to sell their prize asset, with Southampton already failing with a reported £6 million bid earlier in the summer.

It's thought that Birmingham would only listen to offers in advance of £8 million, but Liverpool could throw in the services of Jonjo Shelvey on a season-long loan to help sweeten the deal.

Liverpool will decide on whether to make a bid in the next few days.

Liverpool Sign Dublin Wonderkid Conor Masterson

A 13-year-old Irish boy has signed a deal with Premier League giants Liverpool in a move that's set to land him and his family a €1m fortune

Conor Masterson was also courted by both Manchester United and City but decided to sign for Liverpool having already been a fan of the team.

The young centre-back - who leaves Dublin side Lucan United to move full-time to Merseyside when he turns 16 - has already met manager Brendan Rodgers to discuss his future at Anfield.