Liverpool Transfer Round-Up for January 2011

Analysis of The Ins and Outs of Liverpool's January Dealings

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
February 1, 2011

Liverpool fans can look forward to a bright attacking future for their club as the arrival of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll put a stamp of intent in the books by new club owners, Fenway Sports Group. The investment in the clubs future certainly has many talking about how this is a much welcomed change. Yesterday on LFC.tv Tony Barrett of The Times stated, "Before Liverpool would have been paying £30-£40 Million on interest fees, so it is great to see that being spent as investment on the pitch in player assets." With that said and firmly agreed with, Kenny Dalglish also stated, "The support from the owners has been fantastic."


After all has been said and done I thought a look back at the month to go over the ins and outs from moves to loans would be in order to just take stock of where the club and players now will be at the start of the run-in till May. Another key point is that with the Ins and Outs of the window Liverpool Spent £58 Million but brought in £57 Million through the sales of Ryan Babel and Fernando Torres, and with the players out on loan that are additionally gone, the club actually only spent £1 Million Pounds. Not bad business at the end of the day.

The Ins


Player: Luis Suarez

Position: Striker

Age: 23

Nation: Uruguay

Former Club: Ajax, Gronigen, Nacional

Transfer Fee: £23 Million Pounds

Player: Andrew Carroll

Position: Striker

Age: 22

Nation: England

Former Club: Newcastle United, Preston (Loan)

Transfer Fee: £35 Million Pounds




Player: Yusif Mersin

Position: Keeper

Age: 16

Nation: Turkey

Former Club: Millwall

Transfer Fee: Undisclosed

Player: Conor Thomas

Position: Midfield

Age: 17

Nation: England

Former Club: Coventry

Transfer Fee: Loan to Liverpool

The Outs

Player: Fernando Torres

Position: Striker

Age: 26

Nation: Spain

New Club: Chelsea FC

Transfer Fee: 50 Million Pounds
 

Player: Ryan Babel

Position: Forward

Age: 24

Nation: Neatherlands
New Club: TSG Hoffenheim

Transfer Fee: £7 Million Pounds

Player: Paul Konchesky

Position: Left Back

Age: 29

Nation: England

New Club: Nottingham Forest

Transfer Fee: Loan

Player: Victor Palsson

Position: Midfield

Age: 19

Nation: Iceland

New Club: Hibernian

Transfer Fee: Free

Player: David Amoo

Position: Striker

Age: 19

Nation: England

New Club: Milton Keynes Dons

Transfer Fee: Loan

Player: Nathan Eccleson

Position: Striker

Age: 20

Nation: England

New Club: Charlton Athletic

Transfer Fee: Loan

Player: Stephen Darby

Position: Defender

Age: 21

Nation: England

New Club: Notts County

Transfer Fee: Loan

With all the movement, it will be interesting to see what is to come of the all this. Fernando Torres will look to have his revenge against Liverpool next Sunday as the Reds travel to Stamford Bridge in must win fixture for both clubs.

The Second Flying Dutchman

Ryan Babel Goes to Hoffenheim


by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
January 25, 2011

As the transfer window gets hotter and heavier this week it is now down to the last six days. Despite reports Monday that Liverpool forward Ryan Babel was going to stay at the club to fight for his place, it is now confirmed that he will indeed leave for Bundesliga Club TSG Hoffenheim. The move comes after it appeared to be dead, and the in and out of favor forward will bring in £7 Million for the Reds.

Further confirmation became relevant when team mate Lucas Leiva wrote on Babels Twitter page wishing him the best of luck. The forward had targeted a return to Ajax which was expected to possibly be a part of the Luis Suarez deal in order to further sweeten the offer, but this will not be so.

This grip on new funds will surely be put to use for the Luis Suarez Deal since Babel himself is not included as a swap. The career of Babel on Merseyside was up and down with flashes of brilliance such as his thundering long distance strike against Chelsea in the Knockout stages of the 2007-2008 Champions League at Stamford Bridge. However, failure to truly iron out a consistency level in his performance is most likely one of his main reasons for being told to move on.

Flying Dutchman?

Ajax and Liverpool Continue to Debate the Fate of Luis Suarez

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer

January 24, 2011

The need for a potent strike partner for Fernando Torres is still the debate of the transfer string pullers for the Liverpool Reds. Kenny Dalglish is adamant to add to his squad is at all possible and the chance for the rising Uruguayan star to head from Dutch Giants Ajax to Merseyside would be a signing of master class in the eyes of many.

Suarez rose to worldwide prominence alongside countryman Diego Forlan at the 2010 World Cup as Uruguay had a great cup run. This followed on the back of a third straight dominant year in the Dutch Eredivisie where he hauled in 49 goals in all competitions in 2010 after 22, and 28 goal tallies in 2008 and 2009. At only 24, a partnership between youth, speed, and dominant desire between Torres and himself could take the premiership by storm.

Talks have been ongoing for over a week, and the two sides are still back and forth over price. Dirk Kuyt voiced his opinion that Suarez would be, "welcomed with open arms," as the attacking options are lacking at Liverpool.

The move seems to be more and more likely to fizzle as the two clubs remain far apart in the transfer fee. Liverpool has made an offer believed in the £17 Million range, but Ajax appears to be holding firm to an asking price above £25 Million. It is thought that because of this and the remaining two and a half years on his Ajax contract that the Striker will not be allowed to leave until the summer.

However, there was confirmation this morning that Ryan Babel will be remaining on Merseyside rather than making a move. He desired a return to Ajax, which could have possibly sweetened the deal for the Dutch, but that seemed to not be in the cards at all. And he is not willing to move to the Bundesliga despite the Club accepting a transfer fee of £7 Million from Hoffenheim. These recent developments have more than likely ended the negotiations and the deal as of the current window.

Liverpool Turning it Around

No Fernando Torres, No Steven Gerrard, No Jaime Carragher? Yes, and the Reds Produced

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
December 8, 2010

It was a frigged Monday night at Anfield Road in Liverpood. The Reds without there three most prized and loved players. Steven Gerrard out with a hastring injury left over from International Duty with England. Jaime Carragher out for three months facing surgery on a dislocated shoulder. Fernando Torres not injured but about to welcome a new Red into the world as his wife Olalla Torres was in labor and he missed the game to be by her side as she delivered their second child, a son named Leo. With all this afoot, could the remaining charges dismiss Aston Villa and Gerrard Houllier on his return to his once home in front of the Kop?

The simple answer is, YES. Aston Villa, though depleted by injury as well, were clinically put to the sword. Liverpool cruised to an easy victory on the Back of early first half goals by David Ngog, and unlikely hero Ryan Babel. Maxi Rodriguez would finish off the night with a second half counter attack goal that was brilliantly executed and sublimely finished. All in all it was a great night for the Reds as a result was desperately needed to keep hopes alive for a Champions League Place for next season.

Former Liverpool boss Gerrard Houllier recieved a warm welcome by the fans, but his players were deceimated on the pitch. The Villian team, a far cry from that of Martin O'Neil's side which defeated the Reds last year at Anfield, was simply not up to the task. Houllier was forced to deputize, same as Roy Hodgson, with players from the youth system and the reserve bench with the likes of Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker being lost to injury. However, the youth and fringe charges of the Liverpool Reds did there job looking anything like youth or inexperienced.

This result proves vital to the Reds English Premier League campaign as they have now risen to 8th place in the table. The victory also proves that despite not having their star players the Reds can win. New signing Raul Miereles is proving his ability to distribute in the absence of Gerrard, and Maxi is coming into his own as he appears to have fully adjusted to life in the Primeirship following his arrival from La Liga's Athletico Madrid. Following this display of form Roy Hodgson perhaps can feel some respite from the crushing pressure and criticism he has felt for the majority of the season.

However, the Reds are not out of the woods yet. With a trip to Newcastle on the weekend, the Magpies will look to stifle the Reds resurgent form. But with the Toon reeling from the surprising and albeit ridiculous sacking of Manager Chris Houghton it will be a different Newcastle team that the Reds will see on the Weekend. In respect to Houghton, if winning promotion with a League Championship, and having a team picked for relegation in the middle of the table at nearly Christmas is a bad job, I am at a loss for words. I guess Mike Ashley just needed to get back in the news.