Bleacher Report - Liverpool

Liverpool Transfer News: Andy Carroll Should Accept Permanent Move to West Ham

Tim Daniels — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:10:47 -0400

Andy Carroll must focus on restoring his status as a talented young striker with upside. It's a reputation that faded during his brief Liverpool stint, so although West Ham United might not be his first-choice club, it's the best place for him right now.

West Ham agreed with Liverpool on a £15 million deal that would make Carroll's loan at Upton Park become permanent, and now the Reds are hoping for a quick answer from the striker, according to Andy Hunter of The Guardian.

The report states Carroll remains unsure about committing to a full-time stay with the Irons. He still prefers making a return impact with Liverpool or going back to where he initially skyrocketed to prominence, Newcastle United, but those options are fading.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers said he already talked with Carroll about the situation and will continue to do so moving forward until a resolution is found:

It's a difficult one. I spoke to him and we had a good chat. The boy is a talent. It's just something we need to assess between now and the end of window. In terms of the money, that's something out of my control. But he's a talent so we will assess the whole situation. The objective at the beginning of the season was for him to go out and play. He's gone away to think of what we spoke about and we will talk again through the weeks.

Even though Carroll might want to mull his options before accepting the move, the England international needs to understand he's not in a position of great power right now. The fact Liverpool is so willing to sell him illustrates that.

His stock has fallen considerably since he netted 30 goals over his final season and a half with Newcastle. He parlayed that into a marquee move to Anfield. He's struggled to match the hype and expectations ever since.

With the Reds and Irons both trying to plan their summer transfer approaches, he will probably feel the pressure from both sides to decide his future sooner rather than later.

That's why his best option is accepting the permanent switch to West Ham. He can then focus completely on returning to full strength after a heel injury and then hope to reestablish himself as a coveted Premier League striker next season.

While Carroll might be thinking about the short-term concerns of staying at Upton Park, he should be thinking about his long-term future. If he can revitalize his career during a longer stay with West Ham, it will open up more opportunities moving forward.

There were signs of progress near the end of the campaign. He netted four goals over his last eight appearances, frequently flashing the form that helped him become a valuable asset. He needs more of that in order to restore his prior status.

West Ham, where he should receive consistent playing time while staying in the Premier League, is the safest bet. It's the best chance for him to show the Liverpool struggles were only a minor setback.

Liverpool and West Ham eagerly await his decision.

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Liverpool Transfers: 4 Players Who Shouldn't Be Loaned Out, and 4 Who Should

Karl Matchett — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:21:41 -0400

Liverpool have been linked with a number of transfers for the forthcoming summer window already—even though the Premier League campaign has only just finished. While it is probable that the Reds will be bringing a few players in, there is also plenty of speculation about who might be leaving the club, be it permanently or on temporary deals.

Stewart Downing is the latest to be linked with a move away from Anfield, after Mirror Football reported that Fulham wanted to take him on loan for the 2013-14 season.

As a senior player for the Reds first team, it seems unlikely that the club would contemplate letting him go on loan, but Liverpool have set a tiring precedent in recent seasons of letting high earners and expensive acquisitions leave for a season, rarely benefitting Liverpool themselves in the process.

There are a few players who fit that profile this summer, as well as a few younger lads who could benefit from a spell away. Here are four players who shouldn't go on loan and four who should.

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Why Liverpool Should Fight to Keep Goalkeeper Pepe Reina

Mark Jones — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

Plenty of people have a comfortable pair of slippers―something that they know will always be there no matter how tough the day and how difficult the situation.

These slippers make you feel completely at home whatever the setting and almost never let you down.

Until the weekend, Liverpool’s comfortable pair of slippers was surely Jamie Carragher.

The long-serving defender was turned to whenever his club needed him, such as this January when manager Brendan Rodgers bemoaned the lack of characters in his team and brought the club’s vice-captain back for a home fixture against Norwich City. The Reds beat the Canaries 5-0, and Carragher was only on a losing Premier League side on one occasion for the rest of the season.

Rodgers knew that Carragher wouldn’t let him down, but now he’s retired the Reds boss will need to rely on someone else.

The logical choice would surely be the next longest-serving player after Carragher, Steven Gerrard, but there is nothing about the skipper that can be described as "comfortable." He’ll continue to buzz around the pitch and not let anybody down because that’s simply what he does best. He can’t be described as an old pair of slippers.

But then who can?

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina may have had his moments where he has looked far from comfortable over the past couple of seasons, but he can still be relied upon to be a crucial part of Liverpool’s plans as and when he’s needed.

There might still be swirling transfer rumours that centre on the Spanish international’s future at the club he’s called his home for the past eight years―with the most recent of those rumours linking Reina with a return to his former club Barcelona, as reported by the Daily Mirror―but Liverpool really should be doing all they can to keep hold of a player who has served them with such distinction throughout his career in England.

That career began in 2005, when Rafael Benitez plucked Reina from Villarreal and brought him to the then-European champions.

He’s deserved to win far more than just an FA Cup and a League Cup between then and now, but for years Reina was a solid, dependable last line of defence who seemed almost superhuman at times. He played in every single one of Liverpool’s Premier League games in 2007/08 and 2010/11.

Just recently, though, that superhuman stance has softened somewhat with niggling injuries and losses of form blighting his performances and ensuring that the campaign just gone saw him play the least amount of matches he’s ever managed for the Reds in a season: 39 in all competitions.

You can read into that what you want, but Reina is still an important part of Liverpool’s present and future. He doesn’t turn 31 until the opening weeks of next season, whilst he still has three years remaining on the extremely long-term contract he signed with the Reds in 2008.

He’s still one of the best goalkeepers in the business too, and after demonstrating an upturn in form in the closing months of the 2012/13 season, the Reds would surely be foolish to get rid of a player who seems at home bringing his young family up on Merseyside.

As with all foreign players it is highly likely that he’ll return to his homeland one day, but with goalkeepers able to go on playing for many years, Liverpool and Rodgers should be determined to keep him around for at least the foreseeable future.

After becoming as trusted and comfortable as an old pair of slippers Reina surely isn’t in the mood to be replaced, and Liverpool shouldn’t be looking to replace him either.

There’s life in the old favourite yet, and next season he can prove that.

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Complete Guide to Liverpool's 2013 Summer Tour: Indonesia, Australia, Thailand

Vince Siu — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:59:14 -0400

Has it really only been just four days since the season ended?

At the time of writing, the Premier League wrapped up merely four days ago, and for Liverpool, Anfield bade farewell to a true legend on Sunday as Jamie Carragher made his final appearance in a Red shirt.

Over the past few days, a few other high-profile Premier League teams have already embarked on their postseason tours: Chelsea and Manchester City are currently in the United States, where the latter has made a media splash following the announcement of a 20th MLS franchise, New York City Football Club, in which City will hold a majority stake, according to The Telegraph.

Of course, Liverpool had made plans for a postseason tour of their own in South Africa, only for a late decision by the South Africa Premier Soccer League to cancel a planned May 21 friendly against Ajax Cape Town, as confirmed on the official Liverpool website.

So, instead of a tiring trip to the southern hemisphere after a grueling season—the postseason tour seems to be a recent addition to the already busy fixtures facing Premier League clubs—Liverpool will have to wait until July 20 before their first friendly action this summer.

Over the course of eight days, the Reds will be visiting Indonesia, Australia and Thailand as part of a campaign to reach out to the fans in the region, with the first two fixtures Liverpool’s first ever visits to those countries.

Read on for a detailed guide and introduction to Liverpool’s 2013 summer tour.

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Liverpool's All-Time 5 Best EPL-Era Transfer Signings

Karl Matchett — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:47:29 -0400

Liverpool are constantly in the world media gossip columns as summer approaches as a result of speculation over their transfer targets for the coming months, with fans hoping that any new signings will live up to the high expectations placed on them.

The Reds enjoyed a thoroughly successful most recent transfer window, with Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho arriving in January and having an instant impact on the team's Premier League form. In time, they could yet both be seen as two of the side's best signings, especially the Brazilian who joined for a particularly low fee considering his quality.

Picking Liverpool's five best transfer signings of the entire Premier League era is no easy task as the criteria to judge them on can change from one year to the next, but to try to do so, the quality and consistency provided to the team has been taken into account. In addition, the price tag of the player, trophies they contributed to and the quality of Liverpool teams they played in are all worthy of consideration.

That said, the Reds' managers down the years have managed to pick up some fantastic signings—but here are the top five.

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Liverpool Transfer News: Andy Carroll's Injury Seriously Hinders Any Summer Deal

Dan Talintyre — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:44:10 -0400

Liverpool's hopes of parting ways with star striker Andy Carroll over the summer transfer window have taken a huge hit with the news that the striker could miss up to four months of action due to a foot injury.

According to the BBC, Carroll's loan club West Ham United were thought to be interested in taking the striker on a permanent deal next season and had offered Liverpool a £15 million fee for the striker—which the Reds had reportedly accepted.

The move was not yet official, however, with Carroll reportedly refusing to accept his future away from Anfield and not agreeing to the move.

That may have been a good thing for West Ham, with the London club now reportedly not so keen on pursuing a deal for the striker, according to The Daily Mirror:

[Andy Carroll] was forced to pull out of the England squad for the upcoming games against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil with injury. Late last night he discovered he will be out of action for between three and four months with a heel problem he is understood to have picked up in West Ham's final game of the season against Reading.

West Ham are now considering all their options with the worst case scenario that Carroll—who cost the Reds £35 million in January last year—missing the first four to to five weeks of the new season.

The report goes on to state that while West Ham are still keen on picking up the 24-year-old on a permanent basis, the injury is serious cause for concern. And if it does rule Carroll out for several weeks of the 2013-14 Premier League season, it will no doubt affect his transfer value and Liverpool's asking price—which completely changes the nature of this deal.

I had previously noted that despite the fact Liverpool were selling Carroll well short of their original purchase price, this was actually still a good transfer.

It allowed them to get a fringe player on big wages off their books and get £15 million for a player that may never reach that amount again—something that is definitely a good thing for Liverpool. Especially when he doesn't really fit into their new style and formation anymore.

Carroll was clearly loved by West Ham fans and managerial staff, and thus a permanent move to Upton Park could also help rejuvenate the 24-year-old's career.

It may have even got him a permanent place in England's World Cup team.

However, thanks to the injury, this entire transfer changes, with the Hammers now having to assess whether it's still worth pursuing the star striker.

This injury marks the third time this season that Carroll has spent at least four weeks out due to injury. And since, according to Transfermarkt, his career before that date also featured notable spells of two and four months on the sidelines, respectively, West Ham must also evaluate how much the striker's health should be taken into consideration with their asking price.

By all accounts, £15 million is still a very good deal for a player with Carroll's proven quality and represents a great purchase for the future of the club.

But with injuries continuing to dominate his career, the East London club must be wary of the risks that having Carroll on any team brings.

Liverpool still have every right to ask for £15 million, and West Ham should still take that amount. The reported deal should be okay for both parties—despite the injury.

Having said that, it did just get seriously complicated, and it wouldn't be surprising to hear a whole lot more on this transfer before the summer is out.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

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Luis Suarez Must Remain at Anfield for Liverpool to Contend in 2013-14

Patrick Clarke — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:10:50 -0400

Liverpool finished 12 points out of a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot this past season, finishing seventh in the English Premier League despite scoring the fourth-most amount of goals.

Led by world-class striker Luis Suarez, the Reds poured in 71 goals in 38 league matches in 2012-13, scoring an impressive 38 goals away from Anfield, ranking second behind only Manchester United in away goals.

But Suarez was a huge part of that production, accounting for 23 of those 71 goals. That's why the 26-year-old Uruguayan international must return to Liverpool next season if Brendan Rodgers' squad hopes to have any chance of contending for the Premier League and a future berth in the UEFA Champions League.

Recently, Rodgers has maintained that Suarez is content at Anfield and that he's not for sale this summer, according to NESN.com:

There’s certainly no pressure for the club to sell him. We’re trying to build that bit of quality so he’s not for sale. I don’t have any doubts there will be interest in him this summer, because he’s up there.

One quick glance at the stat sheet is all it takes to see why Suarez is such a coveted piece at the moment.

Only Manchester United's Robin van Persie (26 goals) scored more goals in league play than Suarez last season. And like van Persie, Suarez recorded two hat tricks of his own in wins over Norwich City and Wigan.

While Suarez has been a star on both the international and club football stages for some time now, his remarkable production last season in one of the most recognizable leagues on the planet has made him a household name across Europe.

Assuming he can keep up his blistering goal-scoring pace after returning from a six-game suspension next season, Liverpool won't have to worry about finding a go-to option at the top of its lineup this summer.

With talents like Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard—who combined to score 19 Premier League goals last season—there to play a supporting role alongside Suarez, the Reds possess the attacking prowess required to contend with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the league table.

If the Reds lose Suarez to another club this offseason, then the best they can hope for in 2013-14 is another seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

Luis Suarez's presence on Liverpool's squad is the biggest advantage the club has right now, and keeping him at Anfield is the only way Rodgers and company can ensure contention next season.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

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Liverpool Transfer News: Reds Must Continue to Avert Luis Suarez Interest

Tim Daniels — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:03:12 -0400

Brendan Rodgers was able to keep Luis Suarez at Anfield during his first summer with Liverpool. The manager figures to face a similar struggle during his second offseason with the club and must do everything in his power to keep the talented striker.

Suarez enjoyed another tremendous campaign leading the Liverpool attack. He scored 23 goals and chipped in 10 assists in 33 Premier League appearances, which was good enough to put him in the running for the top individual awards.

Unfortunately, an incident late in the season, in which he was suspended 10 matches for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, overshadowed his success. As has become the case with Suarez, the club often has to accept the good with the bad.

The incident hasn't caused Liverpool to lose faith in him, however. In fact, Rodgers said he's not for sale, and the club's ownership agrees with that stance, reports David Maddock of the Daily Mirror.

Listen, every player has their price but there's certainly no pressure for the club to sell him. We're trying to build that bit of quality so he's not for sale.

I don't have any doubts there will be interest in him this summer, because he's up there.

There's a small percentage of players who are world class and he's in that bracket, so I don’t think it will be too dissimilar to when I first came in last summer, with clubs making their interest known.

People will want to take him, but I think we all recognize how integral he is. The owners have been absolutely unequivocal in their resolve in terms of wanting to keep him.

Obviously, the comment about every player having a price will probably be worrisome to Liverpool fans, but the overwhelming theme of Rodgers' comments is that he wants to keep Suarez and the club is on board with his desire.

It's good news for the Reds because replacing him would be an incredibly difficult, and potentially impossible, task. He's established himself as a top-tier striker with tremendous poise and finishing ability in front of goal.

Those types of players don't come easy. So when a club like Liverpool, which isn't able to spend big every summer like some of its Premier League counterparts, strikes gold with one, it can't afford to let him go.

Along with Suarez, the January addition of Daniel Sturridge, who scored 10 times in 14 appearances after the move, gives the Reds a solid base for their attack heading into next season. Losing Suarez without an elite replacement would shift all the pressure to the former Chelsea striker.

It was clear when Rodgers arrived from Swansea a building process would have to take place. After a slow start to the season, Liverpool made noticeable progress in the second half. Add in signings like Sturridge and the future is getting brighter.

Moving a player of Suarez's caliber would stop that progress in its tracks. So while clubs around Europe will surely check in on his status, as Rodgers expects, Liverpool shouldn't even entertain the idea unless it's truly an out-of-this-world offer.

In other words, unless another club is willing to massively overpay for Suarez, Liverpool should continue to maintain their no-sale stance and keep him on the squad.

Suarez is a vital piece of an improving squad. Liverpool wouldn't be the same without him, so the Reds should do everything in their power to keep him.

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Liverpool's 5 Best Moments of the Season

Sean Butters — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:40:06 -0400

Despite not achieving any of the club goals, such as getting near the top four or even qualifying for the Europa League, Brendan Rodgers has easily had the best effect of any of the managers since Benitez.

Looking back to the beginning of the season and then flashing forward to now, there is chasm of difference—not just in the way that Liverpool are playing, but it also seems like the old confidence is back.

Rather than a list of the best goals or passing moves, let’s take a look at some of the moments from 2012-13 that either were the catalyst for or defined this rebirth at Anfield.

All stats are courtesy of Transfermarkt, unless linked otherwise.

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Liverpool Transfer Rumours: Kolo Toure Is Terrific Stopgap Target for Reds

Tim Daniels — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:04 -0400

The retirement of Jamie Carragher leaves a void along the Liverpool back line. Filling the spot is one of the top summer tasks for manager Brendan Rodgers. Manchester City defender Kolo Toure is an ideal target to start the process.

Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph reports Liverpool are closing in on an agreement with Toure, who's available for a free transfer after a rocky run at City. He's one of three players linked to the Reds, along with Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Tiago Ilori.

Brendan Rodgers has identified numerous targets to reinforce his central-defensive options, and Toure - available on a free transfer - is poised to have a medical at Liverpool after Manchester City's tour of the United States after next weekend.

The 32-year-old Ivory Coast international has seen his contract run out at the Etihad Stadium having rarely featured since being suspended for six months after admitting accidentally taking a banned substance in 2011.

At 32, Toure is not the long-term answer to Liverpool's questions in the center of defense. That said, he's a veteran with big-match experience that would help cover up the absence of Carragher until a younger option emerges for the Reds.

The fact it would be a free transfer, which would preserve the club's funds for other potential summer moves, is a bonus. It also limits the amount of risk because all Liverpool would have to worry about is wages should Toure struggle.

He started his career at Arsenal, where he quickly emerged as one of the most reliable center backs in the Premier League. His move to City was supposed to bolster the club's defense, but he wasn't able to rediscover top form after that 2011 suspension.

A return to full-time football would give him a chance to show he can still play at an elite level. The good news for Liverpool is that they should only need a couple of solid seasons from him before Sebastian Coates and Martin Kelly are ready to take the next step.

By adding a player like Toure, it would also give Rodgers some flexibility for the rest of the summer. He could still pursue another defender, but the need wouldn't be as pressing. The Reds must try to secure more attacking options to keep pace with the Champions League sides.

So the Toure link makes a lot of sense for Liverpool. The veteran would step right into an important role without the club having to pay a hefty transfer fee. There's a good chance he would be able to regain most of his peak form.

It shows what the Reds need to do in order to keep pace. They can't go out and spend big to fill every hole on the squad. They have to take some chances, like Toure, and hope they work out. Daniel Sturridge is a good example.

Assuming a deal gets done, Liverpool hope Toure provides a similar spark next season.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool Should Stop Dragging Their Heels and Buy Christian Eriksen

Richard Morgan — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

Liverpool have missed out on signing a Danish superstar once before in the past when the great Michael Laudrup opted to join Lazio 30 years ago rather than move to Anfield, and the Reds are in danger of history repeating itself once again this summer unless they act fast and snap up Ajax’s Christian Eriksen.

According to the Daily Mirror, a source close to the coveted Denmark international claimed that the Merseysiders have been sending “mixed messages” to the player of late, and that, “one minute there was a concrete interest and Liverpool were willing to pay the fee, but now they are taking their time.”

The 21-year-old’s contract at the Amsterdam ArenA only runs until June 30 2014, and Eriksen has already made it clear that he will not be putting pen to paper on a new deal with the Eredivisie champions, telling Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (h/t The Express):

“I didn't hear anything from my agent but, if something shows up, I feel like trying.”

However, the worry for Liverpool fans is that they are most certainly not the only club currently interested in the highly talented playmaker, with the same article from The Express reporting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, as well as fellow Premier League giants Manchester City, according to Metro, and UEFA Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, according to The Guardian all reportedly keen on landing the player when the transfer window reopens for business at the start of next month.

In fact, Eriksen has already made it quite clear that he would be partial to a transfer to the Ruhr Valley next season, especially if Jurgen Klopp’s side are crowned champions of Europe at Wembley on Saturday.

Eriksen told De Telegraaf (h/t The Guardian):

Dortmund are a club where I would like to play. I think I would be a good fit with the football there. Dortmund play nice, attacking football.

The Bundesliga has never really been my preferred choice and a few years ago I would not even have considered it, but now I do. The competition is getting stronger and it is no coincidence the two Champions League finalists are German clubs.

I know there has been contact between the two clubs, and both Ajax and Dortmund have already talked to my agent. I will consider all the clubs and quietly make a decision. I want clarity when preparing for the new season, that's the best thing – for everyone.

And yet when you actually delve deeper into the background behind Eriksen’s mooted move to Anfield this summer, the more and more it seems like a marriage made in heaven, especially when one takes into account his reported transfer fee of just £15 million, according to the Mirror.

Firstly, the player has already turned down mega-rich City due to understandable concerns that he will not get regular first-team football at Eastlands next season, as reported in this article by Metro, a factor that compatriot and former Liverpool star Jan Molby also feels will play a part in whoever Eriksen does eventually decide to join.

“What I would say is that Christian needs to play regularly. Maybe that would count in Liverpool’s favour slightly, that they can offer him, you would think, regular first-team football,” Molby told the Liverpool Echo.

Perhaps just as important is that Eriksen has also seen the strides that his former captain at Ajax, Luis Suarez, has made under the tutelage of Reds manager Brendan Rodgers since deciding to swap Amsterdam for Anfield in January 2011.

However, it is believed that the in-demand attacking midfield player has actually been most impressed by the longevity of the Merseyside club’s pursuit of him, with Liverpool having sent scouts out to the ArenA to watch Eriksen in action for the entirety of last season, according to the Daily Mail.

And yet now we hear through sources close to the player himself that Rodgers and Co. have been dragging their heals at the most crucial point of the entire negotiating process.

Now, this would not be the first time since he became Liverpool manager last June that the Northern Irishman has taken his time in deciding whether or not to sign a player, with the Daily Mail reporting that Rodgers opted against bringing Daniel Sturridge to Anfield from Stamford Bridge last summer to allow him more time to investigate the striker’s character traits to ascertain whether he would be a good fit at the club or not.

That delay actually ended up costing the Reds dearly, as they were forced to survive with just Suarez in attack for the first half of the previous campaign, before Rodgers did eventually correct his initial error by poaching the England international in the January transfer window.

One factor that is apparently also concerning Rodgers is where exactly Eriksen will fit into the team next season, especially since the arrival of Brazil international Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan at the start of the year and whether he will have too many impish, ball-playing attacking schemers all operating in the top end of the pitch?

However, if Rodgers is having those thoughts, then he should get rid of them, and quickly. If he really is going to propel the Reds back into the top four of the Premier League next season, and with it a long-awaited return to the UEFA Champions League, then he will need players of the creative quality of Eriksen to help him achieve that tough-looking aim.

In fact, Rodgers need only have watched the youngster’s eye-catching displays for Ajax in the group stage of last season’s Champions League, when Eriksen more than held his own when faced with the likes of Real Madrid, City and Dortmund, and none more so than his man-of-the-match performance against the then-Premier League champions in Amsterdam, to have been convinced about the Dane’s star quality.

“He’s a classy player. An old-fashioned number 10 in many ways. He has two great feet, he sees passes and has added goals to his game in recent weeks. He has all of the tools in his locker to be a real top class player,” is Molby’s assessment of his compatriot in the same aforementioned Liverpool Echo report.

“I’d love to see him at Liverpool, and he is exactly the type of player Liverpool should be looking at, but there will be some serious competition I am sure.”

And that glowing tribute was also shared by England midfield player Frank Lampard, who said this of Eriksen following his man-of-the-match showing against the Three Lions in Copenhagen in February 2011 according to Tribal Football:

“I didn’t know much about Eriksen before the game, but Fabio Capello was very aware of him. He is going to be a top player.”

However, perhaps the final word should be left to the man who has been nurturing the youngster’s talents for the past two years in the Netherlands, Ajax technical director Marc Overmars, whose view on Eriksen should surely be final confirmation, if it were needed, that this is a player Liverpool must sign, and quickly:

“The day he leaves, he will be ready to play for the very best. He is a player that even the biggest clubs in the world could do with having in their squad.”

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

8 Reasons for Liverpool Fans to Be Excited About Next Season

Mark Jones — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

After the tributes to the retiring Jamie Carragher ended and fans drifted away from Anfield for the final time in three months following the final day win over QPR, Liverpool were left with the kind of transitional 2012/13 season that many had predicted.

Following a seventh-place finish in the Premier League the club must now look forward to a 2013/14 campaign which simply has to show more tangible signs of progress than the previous one did. The Reds simply have to get closer to the elite now for fear of being left behind them forever.

Fortunately for the club's fans there are plenty of reasons for excitement ahead of the new campaign due to events both at Anfield and beyond.

Here are just eight of them:

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Liverpool Transfer Rumors: Reds Parting Ways with Andy Carroll Is Smart Move

Dan Talintyre — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

Andy Carroll will seemingly move on from Liverpool this summer, with reports beginning to emerge that the Reds have agreed on a transfer fee with West Ham.

The England international—who spent the year on loan at Upton Park—has reportedly been subject to a bid of £15 million from the London club, and the Reds are believed to have accepted that bid, though no official confirmation has been given by either club.

The Daily Mirror reported the news:

Liverpool and West Ham have agreed a fee to make striker Andy Carroll's loan to the Hammers permanent. ... The Press Association is reporting that Liverpool agreed several weeks ago to accept a fee of £15 million—rising with various add-ons—to get the 24-year-old off their wage bill, as they prepare to start their own summer spending.

However, as the report goes on to state—and Chris Bascombe at The Telegraph highlights further—the deal is still dependent on Carroll agreeing to move.

Carroll held talks with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in the last 24 hours when he was informed he could move to Upton Park on a permanent transfer. Instead, the former Newcastle United forward said he remained determined to prove himself at Anfield despite knowing he would only be a squad player.

Liverpool will have to convince Carroll that it is unlikely he will ever establish himself on Merseyside and he would be wiser to move on.

That, it seems, might be difficult for the Reds, but there is a relatively easy argument to be made for Carroll leaving Anfield in order to benefit his long-term future.

With the 2014 World Cup approaching with every passing week, Carroll will desperately want to prove himself as a great asset to the team. However, without regular starting appearances, he is unlikely to do that, and thus will likely end up making the switch to Upton Park in order to play first-team football.

Especially since he's out injured for the upcoming international fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil, Carroll needs to be playing constant football in 2013 if he's going to make the squad. Thus the decision to move away will seemingly be an inevitable one from the striker—especially given that Rodgers can now highlight his lack of necessity to the current Liverpool squad.

And given his lack of necessity, this is actually quite a good deal for Liverpool.

Having played the season without the 24-year-old, it was clear that the Reds do not need him, per se, next season. They probably do need another striker this summer to add depth, but from a financial standpoint, they could likely get someone much cheaper (and potentially even better) than the forward, whose style and strong points don't really suit the system now in place at Anfield.

With Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, the Reds' attack is no longer centered around a dominant big man up front, which is what Carroll provides.

And given his wages, it's therefore smart to part ways with him.

West Ham—having seen firsthand just how good Carroll can be—will no doubt love the move and potentially got themselves a steal at just £15 million.

For despite the fact that Carroll isn't the £35 million he was originally transferred for, he's still a very, very good striker. He brings great athleticism in the air and gives the attack a big man to target, which the Hammers showed could bring them great success in the English Premier League.

And whilst their success might seem like a poor decision from Liverpool, the fact that they don't need his style means that parting ways with him is a good move.

Not only will it swell Rodgers' transfer kitty for the season ahead, but it will get the large and unnecessary wages of Carroll off Liverpool's books and allow them to upgrade a position that better suits their system. And with the attacking talent already existent at the Merseyside club, that could turn out to be an inspired decision in the 2013-14 season.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

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Liverpool Transfer Rumours: Reds Have Bigger Needs Than Adding Danny Rose

Timothy Rapp — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:07:06 -0400

The latest rumours involving Liverpool suggest the team has eyes for Tottenham's left-back Danny Rose, who played for Sunderland on loan this season.

The question is, why would Liverpool go after Rose with so many other needs on the team?

First the rumour, from the Daily Mail:

Liverpool have revived their interest in Tottenham left back Danny Rose.

The England Under 21 star was one of Sunderland's best performers during his loan spell, and boss Paolo Di Canio is keen on the 22-year-old.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers failed to sign Rose in the last two transfer windows and is struggling to make his £20million budget stretch.

He will have to offload Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique, and Pepe Reina may also go.

It's understandable why the Reds would be intrigued by the young, talented left-back. And I get moving on from players like Carroll, Downing and Reina. But why exactly would Liverpool sell off Enrique, who was pretty solid at left-back for the team this year?

Why focus on a position that has been solidified, at least with Enrique as the starter, when there are more pressing needs at centre-back, defensive midfield and on the wing?

Yes, Enrique is 27 and can be inconsistent, but with a Who Scored match rating of 6.93 on the season, he was far from Liverpool's biggest issue. Only Leighton Baines of Everton, Patrice Evra of Manchester United, Gaël Clichy of Manchester City and Kieran Gibbs of Arsenal graded out higher in league play at left-back.

In my opinion, Liverpool's first priority should be adding a replacement for the retiring Jamie Carragher at centre-back. That's easier said than done, of course, but solidifying the center of the back line is a must.

Then, it should be on to winger. While the attack is generally strong up the middle with Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and youngster Philippe Coutinho, there are questions about the quality of options on the wing.

And while Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva are a nice pair in central midfield, adding a more rugged holding midfielder would be a priority if I were manager.

Besides, we don't even know if Tottenham would be keen on selling Rose. Given his strong form this season and the fact that Benoit Assou-Ekotto is 29 years old, Spurs may be satisfied with loaning him out for one more year or even allowing him to challenge Assou-Ekotto for the starting gig next year.

Simply put, I don't envision Rose ending up at Liverpool. With more pressing needs and plenty of reasons to think Tottenham will either keep him to challenge for a starting spot or loan him out again this season, this rumour is coming up more thorns and less Rose for Liverpool.

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Scouting Guide: Rumoured Liverpool Target Kolo Toure

Karl Matchett — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:39:10 -0400

Liverpool are set to make their initial move in the transfer window according to recent reports, with Manchester City defender Kolo Toure their first target of the summer.

The Ivory Coast central defender is available on a free transfer and is set to join the Reds in July according to the BBC, when his contract at the Etihad Stadium comes to an end. The deal would be seen primarily as an opportunity to replace the retiring Jamie Carragher, who played his 737th and final game of his Liverpool career on Sunday.

Toure is an experienced defender but is also far older than Brendan Rodgers' signings so far, so is this a step up for Liverpool or a break from the norm as a sign of things to come?

Kolo Toure: A Background

At 32 years of age, Toure has been at Manchester City for the past four seasons, with the team winning the FA Cup and the Premier League during his time there. Toure was banned for the 2011 FA Cup final after failing a drugs test earlier that season, but played 14 games the following year to win a league championship medal.

Earlier in his career, Toure played from 2002-2009 at Arsenal, where he won another Premier League title and two further FA Cups.

Though he plays primarily as a central defender, Toure earlier in his career operated as a right-back as well and can fill in as a deep holding midfielder if required.

He has won more than a century of caps in his career, totalling 106 for the Ivory Coast so far and is twice a runner-up at the Africa Cup of Nations. His younger brother, Yaya Toure, of course also plays for Manchester City, while Ibrahim Toure plays in Libya for Al-Nasr.

2012-13 Season

The past season has seen Toure in and out of the side at the Etihad Stadium; he is not an automatic first choice in the centre of defence with Roberto Mancini preferring Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic, but he did play 18 times in all competitions and 15 times in the Premier League this season.

For what is arguably City's fourth-choice defender, it's an indication that the manager was still confident enough to call on him in a variety of situations. Toure finished the season in and around the team, featuring in six of City's last 12 league matches.

He also missed part of January and February while away with his nation on AFCON duty.

Statistically, Toure enjoyed a better campaign than rival and teammate Joleon Lescott and indeed averaged more tackles, interceptions and clearances per game than Jamie Carragher. While this is not to compare the players involved directly, it is an indication that Toure is still an effective defender in his own right.

Toure's Biggest Strengths

Four or five seasons ago, Toure was seen as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League and his move to Manchester City was a big loss for Arsenal. Toure played 31 times in the league in his first season at the Etihad, quickly showing his best form. As City's spending increased though, that was his most prolific campaign for them in terms of matches played.

Toure's assets in his prime included his exceptional pace and acceleration, his strength in ground battles and his ability to bring the ball out of defence. Now, entering the latter stage of his career, he is not as quick of course, but reads the game particularly well and, importantly to Liverpool, is a constant talker in the back line.

With Carragher absent, this is a key area the Reds have to fill.

Toure will order the players in front of him around, offer direction at set pieces and keep the lines of communication between goalkeeper and midfield very much open.

His experience is also important, with the Reds having a young squad, but perhaps most important of all is that Toure is a proven winner.

He has a history of winning major trophies and of managing expectation at big clubs, which is something the club have managed to dispense with from their playing staff over the past three or four years.

While quality and value are of paramount importance, it is also vital that the Reds bring in players with a winning mentality who can push the younger players that bit further, which is needed to compete for major honours.

Limitations or Drawbacks to the Deal

Toure is 32, making him the oldest potential signing of the Brendan Rodgers era so far. He's not going to offer a resale value, he's not going to be a part of the building for three or four years and he's not going to improve technically, tactically or physically from his current point.

A free transfer is all well and good, but Toure is likely on very good wages at Manchester City. He will almost certainly have to take a hefty pay cut to join Liverpool, and even then it might be a high cost, low benefit scenario to consider.

It is probable that the Reds will want to sign another first-choice central defender as well, leaving Toure as a backup option, so getting in an experienced player on a free deal makes sense for Liverpool, considering that is effectively what they are losing with Carragher's retirement.

Toure-plus-one means that Liverpool will have too many central defenders at the club next season considering no continental involvement; that points to exits for Sebastian Coates (almost certainly) and Martin Skrtel (quite possibly).

Good Call by Rodgers?

As a first-choice partner for Daniel Agger in Liverpool's defence, it is likely that Liverpool could do far better than signing Kolo Toure on a free transfer. While he is far from his prime, he's also far from completely washed up and would still offer depth to the squad and a presence in the dressing room.

Arguably the most important aspect might turn out to be the fact that he can offer the guidance and experience that this young team needs, which is that he has been at top clubs battling at the top of the Premier League. Liverpool need players like this to get themselves back there.

The wage bill might take a bit of a hit, though it is likely to be an incentivised contract if any move does materialise, and the capture of a free transfer nice and early in the summer provides emphasis and optimism that Liverpool have already identified their targets and are prepared to go and get them this summer.

Signing a player from a rival Premier League team always provides a bit of a boost too, so while Toure isn't at his peak it is still an indication that as a club, the Reds have plenty to offer players of all types.

This could turn out to be a bit of a steal for Rodgers, even if the Ivorian doesn't make himself an undroppable first-team player.

Follow @karlmatchett

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Is Raul Albiol a Potential Successor to Jamie Carragher at Liverpool?

Richard Morgan — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Sunday afternoon at Anfield represented veteran Jamie Carragher’s swan song as a Liverpool player after 17 glorious years on Merseyside, but in football you can never stand still even for a second, and so Reds manager Brendan Rodgers will already have a list of potential defensive replacements for the 35-year-old next season.

In fact, from the moment that Carragher announced his decision to call it quits in February, the Northern Irishman has been linked with a whole host of possible centre backs to take over from the one-time England international. According to t he Daily Express, Swansea City’s Wales international Ashley Williams is an option, along with Feyenoord captain Stefan de Vrij, according to the Daily Mail and highly-rated Vasco da Gama defender Dede, according to ESPN.

However, with Williams appearing to favour a summer move to UEFA Champions League qualifiers Arsenal, reports the Mail, instead, De Vrij having just signed a new deal, reports Goal.com, that keeps him in Rotterdam until 2015 and Dede now a Cruzeiro player, reports the Metro, most of Rodgers’ first choices are no longer available as we approach the time when the transfer window reopens for business on June 1.

All but one of them, that is, as there still remains the opportunity to bring experienced Real Madrid central defender Raul Albiol to the club for next season as a successor to Carragher, a move that the Reds boss and his scouting team must now be giving serious thought to.

Albiol has been linked by the Daily Express with a summer move to Anfield in recent weeks and despite having only put pen to paper on a new five-year contract with the Spanish giants at the beginning of this campaign, the 27-year-old’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu is still very much open to debate.

For one thing, the centre back has featured in just 41 matches for Los Blancos in the past two seasons, less than he made in his entire debut campaign in the Spanish capital in 2009-10, and Albiol’s role since head coach Jose Mourinho arrived at the club three years ago has been mainly that of back-up defender to the likes of first-choices Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho and, more recently, Raphael Varane.

As a result, the Reds would not only be securing a vastly experienced and high-quality defender desperate to prove himself by getting much-needed game time ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil, but they should also be able to secure his signature for a fee similar to that which Madrid bought him from Valencia for in June 2009, 15 million euros.

If that were the case, it would represent a smart piece of business by Rodgers. This is a player with 38 Spain caps to his name since making his international debut six years ago, during which time Albiol has picked up two UEFA European Championship and one FIFA World Cup winners’ medals.

Meanwhile on the domestic front, the centre back has also won La Liga (2012), the Copa del Rey (2008 and 2011) and the UEFA Cup (2004), and so this is a player with big-match experience who has done it at the very highest levels and at 27, should just now be entering the prime of his career.

And remember that with Rodgers having lost a player with 737 matches worth of experience to his name, he will be looking to bring in a replacement with a similar type of profile, as opposed to a young up-and-coming defender, with Albiol fitting that bill nicely having played more than 300 games for Valencia, Madrid and Spain since 2005.

In fact, Rodgers could even opt to start the next campaign with the central-defensive partnership with which he kicked off this season, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, while Albiol is given valuable and much-needed time to acclimatise to life in a foreign league for the very first time in his career.

However, having slowly been bedded in to and got accustomed to the vagaries of the Premier League, it should not take the Spaniard long to adapt to the physicality and extreme pace of the English top flight, in comparison to what he would be used to back home in La Liga.

For one thing, the defender is 6'3" and so a rainy day at Stoke City in December should hold few fears for the player, while Albiol’s all-round physique would also be well suited to the demands of the Premier League, especially the aerial nature of the game in England.

Equally, the centre back’s pace and ease at both bringing the ball out of defence or when operating with the ball at his feet would make him an instant hit at Anfield, while his versatility at being able to also play at either right back or as a holding midfield player are added attractions to signing Albiol.

And do not forget that this was a defender that the whole of Europe were chasing when he came on the market in June 2009, a reputation that soared even higher after his outstanding first season at the White House, and so Rodgers should be looking no further than Madrid when it comes to nominating Carragher’s successor this summer.

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Why Liverpool Should Go After Wigan's Callum McManaman

Mark Jones — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

The mid to late '90s didn’t seem like a stellar period for Liverpool at the time, but looking back on them now will leave many Reds fans feeling more than a little nostalgic.

Consecutive league finishes of fourth, third, fourth, third and then seventh in the five seasons before the 1999/2000 campaign would be broadly accepted as somewhat of a success in these days of multi-team Champions League qualification, but back then Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier’s teams were largely looked upon as also-rans.

They did, however, contain top-class players such as the prolific Robbie Fowler, an extremely young and even more promising Michael Owen and an exciting wide player by the name of Steve McManaman, who blossomed in those five aforementioned seasons before moving on a free transfer to Real Madrid.

Fast-forward to the here and now, and whilst the names of Evans, Houllier, Fowler and Owen don’t look like returning to Anfield any time soon, could we soon be seeing a McManaman back in the famous red shirt?

Wigan Athletic’s Callum McManaman―a distant relative of Steve’s and the man of the match in the relegated Latics’ remarkable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City at Wembley earlier this month―is interesting current Reds boss Brendan Rodgers as reported by the Daily Express. The Northern Irishman could do a lot worse as he seeks to ramp up his remodelling of the squad during the summer transfer window.

Liverpool’s transfer policy has largely been based around young, promising and more often than not British players during the regime put in place by owners Fenway Sports Group, and there is no doubt that McManaman ticks all of those boxes.

The youngster had been called into the England under-21 squad for the summer’s European Championship finals in Israel, but will miss the tournament due to an ankle injury. Nevertheless, the call-up was a just reward following a breakthrough season which featured him scoring three times on Wigan’s ultimately successful run to the FA Cup final.

The flip side of that remarkable Wembley success was of course relegation to the Championship for Wigan, and with that raising question marks over several of their prized assets―including manager Roberto Martinez of course―Liverpool might have to move quickly in order to wrap up a transfer should Rodgers want to add the wide man to the squad.

Although initially infamous this season for that challenge which so endangered the health of Newcastle United’s Massadio Haidara, it is unfair to simply tarnish the Liverpool-born McManaman with that mistake throughout his fledgling career.

He’s proven himself to be promising Premier League performer, and Liverpool need as many of those as they can get their hands on.

Whilst Reds fans will of course be desperate to see plenty of the world’s biggest names queuing up outside Liverpool’s Melwood training ground this summer, the club simply have to accept that without Champions League football they can’t attract them.

Right now they are in a position where they need to take a few calculated gambles on young players who can go on and achieve much for them in the future, and whilst some of those gambles have proven to be expensive mistakes―i.e. Andy Carroll―others certainly look like paying off―i.e. Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson.

The 22-year-old McManaman surely wouldn’t command a transfer fee as big as the ones that Liverpool paid for those players, but viewed as a lively squad addition he certainly makes some appeal.

With young players such as Raheem Sterling and the club’s newest first-team debutant Jordon Ibe likely to impress in those wide positions next season you could say that McManaman isn’t needed, but he’d fit in well in a rapidly evolving squad.

Just as his namesake did in the mid to late '90s, when Liverpool reached highs that they’d love to sample again next season.

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Liverpool's Best and Worst Signings of the 2012-2013 Season

Vince Siu — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:32:27 -0400

Philippe Coutinho scored a 25-yard cracker, Jordon Ibe made his first-team debut and Liverpool dominated in a 1-0 home victory over relegated QPR.

Even if Jamie Carragher hadn’t announced his retirement, Sunday’s win at Anfield seemed like a perfect match to put an end to a season whose theme has been transition and progress.

But as it happened, Sunday was Carragher’s 737th and final match for Liverpool, adding a touch of symbolism to the season’s final Premier League game as the old made way for the new.

An important summer awaits—and, if recent reports are to be believed, an exciting transfer window too. But before transfer season starts in earnest on July 1, let’s take a look back on the best and worst signings of the season gone by.

Starting with the worst.

Nuri Sahin: An expensive half season

When Liverpool announced the loan capture of Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid last summer, heads were turned.

After the infamous wasted spending that blighted Kenny Dalglish’s second reign at Anfield, Sahin seemed to present a new era of transfers: young (23 years old), talented (he won the Bundesliga Player of the Season in 2011, aged just 22) and with experience at two top European clubs, he seemed to represent a new generation of Liverpool players, even if he had only joined on loan.

And it started well, too. By the end of September, he had notched three goals and three assists in a Red shirt, and he was already being linked with a permanent move to Anfield at the end of the season, according to ESPNFC.

Soon, however, Sahin lost his place in Brendan Rodgers’ side. A deep-lying playmaker by trade, he was often played in the No. 10 role behind the strikers, a position that he didn’t enjoy and didn’t want to play in, as reported by the Guardian. The relationship between player and coach soon soured to the extent that the loan deal was terminated prematurely.

By then, the previously ignored financial aspect of the loan deal resurfaced: According to Goal.com, Liverpool paid a £5 million loan fee and promised to cover Sahin’s yearly salary. Even providing for the premature termination, which could have saved the Reds from his second half-year wages (around £1.1 million), Sahin ended up costing a princely £6.1 million to play for a half a season.

Even when compared to the oft-injured and pricey Fabio Borini and the spectacularly faded Joe Allen, both of whom hold long-term contracts at Anfield, that’s bad.

Philippe Coutinho: An exciting bargain

Before we talk about our main man, let’s first pay tribute to the good work that was done in the January transfer window, when the new scouting team, recruited from Manchester City, first got their chance to flex their muscles.

Daniel Sturridge has scored 10 Premier League goals in 11 starts and in truth, was neck-and-neck in the admittedly two-horse race to be named Liverpool’s best signing of the season.

But alas, an £8.5 million Brazilian prodigy is too exciting to pass up for the nomination.

Before Philippe Coutinho first stepped onto the Anfield turf, the question was why Liverpool would want to sign an overhyped youngster that Internazionale were willing to let go for such a low fee.

After he twisted and turned many a Premier League defence inside out, scoring three league goals in the process and becoming Liverpool’s joint-second-highest assister (five) for the season, the question became why Inter even considered selling him at all.

It’s been a few years since Liverpool last had an exciting No. 10—Luis Garcia wore it until 2007, when it was taken over by Andriy Voronin and Joe Cole—but in Coutinho, the Reds might have another gem to add to the list.

Mazy dribbles, powerful shots, mouthwatering through-balls, admirable work rate. With all these qualities to his game, watch out for the 2013-2014 season, when Philippe Coutinho could announce himself as a Premier League force in a Liverpool shirt.

How Liverpool Might Line Up Next Season

For more extensive coverage on the Premier League, check out my Bleacher Report writer’s profile and follow me @theredarmchair.

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Liverpool: Rating Brendan Rodgers' First Full Season in Charge at Anfield

Karl Matchett — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:31:03 -0400

Progress.

How do you measure that which, in itself, is not an end result?

The 2012-13 season, for Liverpool at least, was never going to be about challenging for major honours, but instead about putting in place the foundations for which the years to come would be based upon. And those seasons, perhaps one, two or even three years yet into the distance, would be about titles and silverware.

Or at least, that remains the plan.

In the meantime though, as a club with an expectant fanbase and a history of winning trophies to uphold—yes, a recent history too, Liverpool won a cup last season—there has been plenty of work for manager Brendan Rodgers to get through in his first season at the club.

The year has presented plenty of challenges for the new boss, but his role was to get the club heading, on the pitch, toward the way he wanted them playing for future seasons. So how has he fared in the various aspects of his job?

Transfer Ins and Outs

The season can be rather clearly defined for Liverpool in the success of the two transfer windows: Summer 2012 saw frustration, anxiety and an annoying habit of Tottenham doing better than Liverpool, a theme which carried on into the season itself.

January 2013 was far better for the Reds and thus so was the second half of the season.

Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Oussama Assaidi may go on to prove themselves good acquisitions for Liverpool, but their first season on Merseyside does not dictate a guaranteed path of success. All are young players and have had excellent performances, but similarly all three have been out of the side regularly. Injury curtailed the middle and latter thirds of the campaign for Borini, while Allen started on fire and gradually cooled.

Nuri Sahin arrived on loan to much fanfare—but lasted only half the season before departing. Samed Yesil came as one for the future and should not be judged, but the three senior signings did not have enough of an impact for Liverpool to be entirely happy with Rodgers' first window.

Thankfully, vast improvements were made in the winter window. Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho came in, for a combined £20 million or so, and have provided 13 goals and eight assists between them in half a season.

Lessons were learnt, quality was identified and good value was sought.

With regards to outgoings, experienced attackers Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Craig Bellamy signalled a changing of the guard. All three offered goals and a certain mentality, neither of which were initially adequately replaced.

A scattering of youngsters departed, Jay Spearing and Andy Carroll only secured loan moves, while Charlie Adam and Alberto Aquilani were expected and necessary departures for different reasons. January then saw Joe Cole finally offloaded for good, along with Alexander Doni and a further flurry of loans.

If the summer window provided potential depth for the future with an element of risk and over-payment, the winter edition was a complete success. Balancing the two out, Liverpool can take their transfers for 2012-13 as good—but with room for improvement.

Transfers: 7 out of 10

Tactics and the Long-term Game Plan

The idea was to get Liverpool playing a passing game, focusing on ball retention and movement in the final third. High-pressure pressing off the ball was a key facet of Rodgers' approach, and the early signs of both aspects were promising.

A home game against Manchester City, defending league champions, showed how well Liverpool were progressing along those lines—and also where there remained much work to do.

Tactically, it is arguable that the Reds were indeed shifted back a step or two as the season progressed. The return of Jamie Carragher to the side was necessary but meant that the defensive line dropped deeper. That in turn created more space higher up the field—meaning the entire block had to shift deeper, stopping the ability of the forwards to consistently press a high line.

Whether the players are in place yet to do that remains to be seen.

It is difficult to appreciate whether there has been a large amount of success from the Reds in this regard. At times, there is no particular structure or methodology to the attacking play, rather that the hope is that Philippe Coutinho or Luis Suarez are able to create chances between themselves.

This area of Rodgers' job is key as to why it is precisely him that has the job, and as such, he needs to ensure that big (and rapid) strides are made along this line early next season. On the other hand, he has shown an adaptability and flexibility which is both necessary and impressive. Rodgers might not have all the starting pieces he wants yet, but he has been able to make the most out of what he has on a number of occasions, which bodes well for the future.

Possession is better, Liverpool are dominating games and creating plenty of chances—but that has sometimes come at the cost of protecting the defence, maintaining balance in the team and fitting in all the best 11 players at once.

Tactics: 7/10

Cup Runs on Three Fronts

The League Cup, which Liverpool were defending, was a complete disappointment. It's far from the most important tournament, but the Reds simply should not be losing knockout games at Anfield against supposedly weaker opposition.

Similarly, the FA Cup saw the Red bow out to a sacred "giant-killing act", beaten by Oldham Athletic.

The Europa League at least had the positives of giving youngsters at the club significant playing time, and there were fairly memorable wins at Udinese and Young Boys to show for it. But for all the drama and tension of the away goals defeat to Zenit St. Petersburg, the fact is Liverpool exited Europe at the Round of 32 stage.

Not good enough, in all three cup competitions.

Cup form: 4/10

Premier League Results and Standings

And so the big one, the main focus of Rodgers' job, the Premier League.

Liverpool finished eighth in 2011-12, so the seventh place finish is a technical upgrade, but that's hardly the most important point given the relative anonymity both placings offer.

The Reds desire to return to the top four of the table, and they ended the season 12 points off the pace—an improvement on last year's 17-point gap. There were also positive trends in terms of games won, goals scored and total points gained, as well as total clean sheets and a big change in points won off teams finishing in the bottom half of the league—43, up from 28 last term.

Downsides, of course, therefore came in points won against the top half—18, down from 24 last season—and in total goals conceded.

A vast improvement came in how Liverpool finished each of the campaigns.

Taking into account only league results from Jan. 1 until the end of the season each year, Liverpool placed 17th with just 18 points taken in the last 19 matches in 2011-12, whereas this time around the Reds took 33 points from 18 games, good for sixth-best over that period of time.

Ultimately, there have been definite signs of "getting better" and a whole lot more of not being anywhere near good enough.

Premier League form: 6/10

Overall Assessment and Expectations

Before giving an overall grade, it's important to take note and remember: A mark out of 10 is given judged against what the club aim to achieve, long term.

If the aim is merely progress each year, then Rodgers deserves a 10 for his Premier League form this year. He has progressed. Liverpool have gotten better and have achieved a better finishing point. But that's not what the club want from him, and so he gets a six. Qualifying for the Champions League might have warranted an eight or a nine, and winning the league a 10.

But the other part to take into account is, is a six acceptable this time around?

Clearly, nobody expected the Reds to finish top this year. So a 10 was never in the reckoning.

So although the scale (as all great scales should) goes up to 10, did Brendan Rodgers really have a glass ceiling of seven, or eight, in the Premier League rating?

Year Zero for Liverpool—as has been termed this season—was all about putting plans into place. Silverware, continental football, fantastic signings; all of that figures in the plans for the team, but not just for one year. For many. And so, at the expense of instant success, time and effort (and, yes, money) have been put into the club to ensure that any success that is eventually attained is sustainable and earned, rather than fleeting and fortunate.

Brendan Rodgers, therefore, has perhaps almost met expectations for this season.

There will be some who, rightly or wrongly, question his signings. Others his formation, or his substitutions, or post-match press conferences. What matters is the end game, and the fact that the manager realises that the bar will be raised higher and higher each season.

Whereas the glass ceiling might have been a seven this year for Premier League form, after three transfer windows there is perhaps far less room for error in attaining a top-four place after two seasons. An eight, or nine, is attainable.

But that is for next season, and this time around it is perhaps fair to suggest that Rodgers has certainly not exceeded expectations—but, thanks in no small part to a fine January window, he might have just about met them.

Brendan Rodgers debut season rating: 7/10.

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Liverpool Summer Transfer News: Tracking Latest Rumours, Updates

Karl Matchett — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:20:27 -0400

Now that the Premier League season has come to a close, the world media will start to ramp up in a big way the numbers of players linked with transfers to Liverpool over the summer months.

The Reds will likely be active in the window as Brendan Rodgers aims to significantly improve on his seventh place finish in his first season in charge, which means plenty of both out-goings and in-comings around Anfield over the next couple of months.

All the latest transfer news concerning the club can be found right here, regularly updated for you with new rumours over the next week.

————Latest Update: Wednesday, May 22

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Liverpool Transfer Rumors: Thomas Ince Would Be Smart Addition for Reds

Timothy Rapp — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

As Liverpool continues to rebuild under manager Brendan Rodgers, it's clear the team has a few pressing needs. Reinforcements defensively (namely at centre-back) are needed, while the club could also use another sturdy holding midfielder.

With that being said, one of the most important needs at Anfield is an upgrade at winger.

Though the team has options at the positions out wide in Fabio Borini, Raheem Sterling and Stewart Downing, adding a bit more flair while Sterling continues to develop and Borini bounces back after an injury-laden season is a must.

Truthfully, adding more goals from the wide positions is necessary for Rodgers in his 4-3-3 system.

Enter Tom Ince.

From Alan Oliver of the Mirror:

Blackpool's highly-rated winger Tom Ince will be given the chance to join his father's former club—and not only Liverpool, writes the Sunday People.

The Reds and Spurs are leading a host of Premier League clubs who want the £7 million-rated son of Blackpool manager and former Liverpool and England skipper Paul Ince.

But PEOPLE SPORT can reveal that Inter Milan have now thrown their hat into the ring.

Ince has been absolutely fantastic for Blackpool this season, totaling 18 goals and 14 assists. The 21-year-old combines solid pace and a smooth touch with a natural goalscoring ability and an absolute cannon of a left foot.

He is perhaps at his most dangerous on the right side, where he can cut inside on defenders and let rip with his favored left foot. He is truly a threat from distance, and defenders have to be wary of allowing him inside and must force him wide.

But Ince is versatile and could also play on the left side or even slide more centrally as a second striker if needed (though Philippe Coutinho probably has that role locked up for the time being).

While Daniel Sturridge was an excellent midseason addition, there's no doubt that Liverpool needs to add another goalscorer to its lineup to take some pressure off Luis Suarez.

Scoring goals wasn't the main problem for Liverpool this season—the team's 70 goals was fourth most in the Premier League—but the team often became too reliant on Suarez to score. With another natural goalscorer on the pitch—truthfully, a role Borini was supposed to play this season—the Reds could be very dangerous next season.

Liverpool will have no shortage of competition for Ince's signature, of course, but the Blackpool winger would be the perfect addition for the Anfield side this summer. Don't be surprised if Rodgers' first piece of summer business is to ensure Ince is wearing red next season.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Jamie Carragher: 10 Reasons to Love the Retired Liverpool Star

Ryan Bailey — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:15:40 -0400

After 737 games, a shelf full of silverware, 195 Premier League clean sheets and 16 years at Liverpool, Jamie Carragher finally hung up his boots after Sunday's Premier League match with QPR.

The former England defender was given a guard of honour by both teams as he stepped onto the turf at Anfield for the final time, and received a roaring ovation as he was substituted in the 86th minute.

To put his stay at Liverpool in perspective, Reds debutant Jordan Ibe was 13 months old when Carra made his first appearance.

Here's 10 reasons to love the retired Liverpool legend.

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Daniel Sturridge Has Proved His Potential for Liverpool This Season

Mark Jones — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

They were quite big weren’t they? The question marks that seemed to encompass all discussion over Daniel Sturridge’s move from Chelsea to Liverpool in January.

Well, they were big everywhere else but Anfield, where Brendan Rodgers was convinced that a player he had seen at close quarters throughout his youth career could go on to fulfil his potential over a long-term contract at a club who are now in a position where they need to take a few calculated risks on what they hope will be the road back to success.

Sturridge was―and let’s face it, still will be for many people―one of English football’s great enigmas: a player who looks like he can achieve so much if only he could screw his head on in the right direction.

His move to Liverpool and to a setting in which he was wanted and needed to do well surely appealed to the much-discussed ego within the forward, though.

After so long on the bench at Chelsea where he was considered as the understudy to first Didier Drogba, then Fernando Torres and sometimes both, here Sturridge had the chance to form a partnership with Luis Suarez, which will surely determine so much of what happens to Liverpool under Rodgers.

Whereas at Chelsea he was often described as selfish, here Sturridge had the opportunity to show that he was much more than that.

So far, he’s done all that and more.

With the campaign now closed, Sturridge can look back upon a hugely satisfactory total of 11 goals in his first 16 games for Liverpool, whilst he has also become the third fastest player to reach 10 Premier League strikes for the club after Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres, and those two didn’t do too badly, did they?

There is still so, so much for the 23-year-old to see, learn and achieve with the Reds, of course, but it is already possible to see Sturridge as one of England’s main forwards at next summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil. His qualities certainly stack up favourably against the likes of Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe in any case.

Not that Liverpool’s fans care much about the national team, of course. They are mostly concerned with seeing Sturridge succeed for their team on a regular basis.

His recent hat-trick at Fulham and the brace at Newcastle showed just what damage the forward can do when given space behind a defence who are determined to play a high line, but any description of him as merely a flat-track bully can be met with the counter argument of goals against Manchester United and former clubs Manchester City and Chelsea so soon into his Liverpool career.

Sturridge simply looks settled at Anfield, and Liverpool fans can only hope that their famous old ground is the forward’s home for years to come.

Perhaps it has been telling that he seems to have come to the fore even more in the wake of Suarez’s much-discussed suspension, but if that has helped Sturridge ease into the team even more then it can only be considered a good thing.

Of course, Liverpool are a much better team when their two premier goal-getters can play together, but you get the impression that Sturridge thrives more and more with increased pressure put upon him. That can surely only be promising in the long run.

That long-term outlook might not have been apparent with Sturridge’s career so far, but if his critics can take a step back and appreciate his potential, he could still win a few more people over yet.

Those question marks over him no longer exist at Anfield, though.

Perhaps they’ll disappear everywhere else soon too?

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool Transfer Rumors: Reds Should Use Pepe Reina Interest to Reshape Roster

Justin Onslow — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:48:27 -0400

Liverpool finished the Premier League season in a respectable seventh place, but the Reds have their sights set on much loftier goals. In order to break through the EPL barrier and make a run at the top four next term, they will have to make some difficult decisions this summer.

One of those decisions may include the departure of veteran keeper Pepe Reina.

According to David Maddock of Mirror Football, Spanish side Barcelona are interested in the 30-year-old, potentially using youthful forward Cristian Tello as the piece to acquire him:

Liverpool will demand exciting young striker Christian Tello in exchange for Barcelona target Pepe Reina.

The Spanish giants believe the knowledge and experience of former Nou Camp starlet Reina make him the perfect candidate to replace their first-choice goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who is expected to leave the club in the summer.

Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers has consistently maintained he doesn't want to lose the Spanish international, but he would be prepared to listen if Barca throw Spain Under-21 forward Tello into the mix.

Should Brendan Rodgers decide the risk is worth the reward, Liverpool will be in position to make some major changes for next term—changes that could include a new keeper and some additions to their back line.

Veteran defender Jamie Carragher played his last match at Anfield Sunday, as he's set to retire this summer. With Carragher out the door and Reina potentially following, the Reds will have an opportunity to make sizeable changes—not always a bad thing considering the futility they have experienced in Premier League play of late.

But adding Tello would make that entirely possible. The addition of a tremendous young winger like the Barca product will open up several options on the summer transfer market, allowing Liverpool to use their resources to build in other areas.

One could argue swapping Reina for Tello would be a lateral move, putting Liverpool in a situation in which they need to address another major need. But the 21-year-old has massive potential that extends far beyond what the keeper could offer in the long term. Reina may have turned the corner this season, but he won’t be capable of playing at such a high level forever.

The keeper is arguably Liverpool’s most valuable asset on the transfer market, much to the dismay of Reds fans hoping to keep the top-end veteran in net going forward. Sometimes the long-term benefits outweigh the risk, though. This is one of those cases.

A defensive overhaul wouldn’t be a terrible option this summer, either.

With the addition of a winger like Tello to augment an already talented group, Liverpool won’t have to chase down another top-shelf forward—as so many other clubs will surely be doing this summer. Instead, the Reds can allocate their funds for cheaper defensive options and enter next term with a rebuilt roster on a much tighter salary than would otherwise be possible.

That’s not to say that Reina can be easily replaced, but opportunities to acquire a 21-year-old striker with so much potential are few and far between. If value and forward thinking play into the decision, Rodgers has to consider pulling the trigger and starting a rebuilding project in the defensive end.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool vs. QPR: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Justin Onslow — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:16:04 -0400

Queens Park Rangers have been relegated for next season, and they certainly looked the part against Liverpool on Sunday. The Reds—already assured of the No. 7 spot in the Premier League tables—dismantled their counterparts 1-0, boosted by strong outings from Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Ibe.

Liverpool jumped out to a hot start with constant pressure on QPR keeper Robert Green. Coutinho was the architect of the aggression, and he would see to it that Liverpool’s effort wouldn’t go unrewarded.

In the 22nd minute, the midfielder took a pass from Ibe and scorched a shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner past Green for a 1-0 Reds lead.

The Reds had very little to play for in this match, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying the moment (via Liverpool FC):

Coutinho and Lucas celebrate our first goal in the new home kit: #RiseUpLFC @lfcbrasil @warrior_ftbl twitter.com/LFC/status/336…
— Liverpool FC(@LFC) May 19, 2013

The following minutes would be all Liverpool as the home side continued turning the screws on QPR’s back line. The Reds tallied 11 shots and held possession for 65 percent of the first 37 minutes of action.

As John Bradley pointed out, Liverpool looked impressive, and QPR looked much like a relegated squad:

Even defender Jamie Carragher got in on the action in the 34th minute, peppering a shot that was eventually blocked. He spent his final time on the pitch at Anfield with ringing cheers and generous support from Liverpool supporters, and even his blocked shots were reason for fans to celebrate their club’s vice-captain (via Steven Gerrard):

Guard of honour for Jamie Carragher prior to kick off in his last game for the club #thankscarra twitter.com/Gerrard8FanPag…
— Steven Gerrard(@Gerrard8FanPage) May 19, 2013

QPR did manage to get a little momentum going in the final minutes of the first half, but their attack looked mostly disoriented and out of sorts. Pepe Reina did his job to stave off the attack, though, and Liverpool carried a 1-0 lead into halftime with little reason to worry.

In the first 45 minutes of play, Liverpool attempted 13 shots (three on target), while QPR flailed their way to just three shots and none on net. It was a dominant first-half performance from a superior club, who controlled possession for 62 percent of the opening half.

Liverpool could have easily been ahead by two or three goals at the half, however. The Reds were far more aggressive than their counterparts in the opening half, but a sloppy attack limited their scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. They would have to tighten things up in the final third in order to build on their lead in the second half.

QPR were the only side to make any halftime adjustments in their starting XI, bringing on Esteban Granero in place of Stephane Mbia. For Liverpool, there wasn’t much need to shake things up.

The Reds would again open the half with a couple scoring opportunities in the initial minutes, keeping the pressure on QPR’s back line. Ibe saw a tremendous scoring opportunity in the 48th minute, but his effort missed the mark by a few feet.

As Michael Fitzgerald noted on Twitter, the 17-year-old looked impressive in the start. He certainly wasn’t fazed by the Premier League’s big stage:

The Reds would get another huge opportunity in the 50th minute when Glen Johnson attacked down the right side with a strike to the net, forcing Green to make yet another strong save. Liverpool attacked from the right side early and often in the contest, and Ibe did a tremendous job of locking down the left side opposite Johnson and Stewart Downing.

While Liverpool still retained possession for much of the second half, QPR did seem to stabilize their attack and find some confidence in holding at midfield. QPR appeared to be building a small amount of momentum, and it seemed Liverpool would have to find a way to score again to put the match out of reach.

Carragher did his part in attempting to build his club’s lead with a 40-yard strike that just missed the mark. Everyone at Anfield seemed to want to see him net a goal in his final contest before retirement, and he certainly appeared content on pleasing his fans (via Liverpool FC):

Oh my word - Carra blasts one from 40 yards and hits the post. Anfield stunned #LFC 1-0 #QPR
— Liverpool FC(@LFC) May 19, 2013

Ibe’s debut ended in the 64th minute as he was relieved in favor of Fabio Borini, but he did well to preview his future with the club. It was a strong outing, highlighted by an assist on Coutinho’s 22nd-minute goal, though his overall play eclipsed any tallies on the stat sheet (via LiverpoolScout):

The final minutes of the match were more a show in honor of Carragher than a competitive contest. QPR were completely outmatched all day, and Liverpool were able to keep the pressure in QPR’s half and have a little fun with their veteran defender in his final minutes on the pitch.

Carragher came off in the 86th minute to enjoy his final time on the sidelines with his teammates, and his final match couldn't have gone more perfectly. He didn't manage to find the net (much to the dismay of his generous supporters), but a victory in his final contest is all the veteran leader could have asked for from his club.

The Reds were unable to tack on another goal in the final minutes, but the writing was on the wall from the onset. It was an impressive win from the home side in their final match.

Liverpool

Player	Grade
Pepe Reina	A
Glen Johnson	B
Jamie Carragher	A
Martin Skrtel	C
Jose Enrique	C
Jordan Henderson	C+
Lucas Leiva	C+
Stewart Downing	B
Philippe Coutinho	A
Jordon Ibe	B+
Daniel Sturridge	B-
Substitutes
Fabio Borini	B
Suso	C
Sebastian Coates	N/A

QPR

Player	Grade
Robert Green	B+
Michael Harriman	B
Clint Hill	B-
Nedum Onuoha	B
Armand Traore	A
Andros Townsend	C
Stephane Mbia	D
Shaun Derry	C
Park Ji-Sung	C+
Loic Remy	C-
Bobby Zamora	D
Substitutes
Esteban Granero	C
Jamie Mackie	C
Junior Hoilett	N/A

Philippe Coutinho (A)

Coutinho's impressive strike in the 22nd minute took all the pressure off Liverpool. With a 1-0 lead, the Reds were able to coast through much of the contest, turning the screws on QPR's defense in the final third.

There was never much question Liverpool would dominate in this contest, but Coutinho certainly put it out of reach. Ibe's debut and Carragher's finale stole the show, but it was Coutinho who did most of the damage before coming off in the 75th minute.

Jordon Ibe (B+)

Ibe got the start with the intention of seeing what he could do on the big stage with the first team. By the time the match ended, there was little doubt he has a bright future with the Reds.

While he got the credit for the assist on Coutinho's opening goal, it wasn't anything spectacular from the youngster. But that wasn't why everyone seemed so impressed with him.

With tremendous pace and poise, Ibe put his potential on display, constantly finding himself in the mix in the final third. Even against a relegated club like QPR, Ibe's impressive play shouldn't go unnoticed.

Robert Green (B+)

Liverpool had plenty of chances to tack on more scoring in their final contest of the term. If not for Green, the Reds may have come away with a much more lopsided victory.

There's really not much bad to say about the keeper's performance on the day. Coutinho's strike was nearly unstoppable, and Green did plenty to keep his club in the contest. Unfortunately for QPR, the rest of their squad couldn't say the same.

Jamie Carragher (A)

After 737 appearances, Carragher walked off the pitch for the last time in a Liverpool uniform. The contest was as much a tribute to him as it was a competitive match, and Liverpool fans did well in honoring their veteran vice-captain in his final appearance.

And while Carragher deserves an A for his career at Anfield, he also played pretty well in the 1-0 victory. It's not often we've seen him peppering shots from 40 yards, especially shots that miss the mark by mere inches.

What's Next?

All attention now turns to the summer for both clubs. Liverpool may be headed for a bit of a rebuild on the defensive end with Carragher's retirement and the possibility of Reina departing. Time will tell what is to come of that situation, but for now, Liverpool can hold their heads high after a dominating win in their final match.

For QPR, the future is even more uncertain. They finished last in the Premier League with just 25 points, facing relegation for next season. It was a disappointing (albeit fitting) end to the season for a club in desperate need of direction going forward.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool's 2012-13 End-of-Season Awards

Richard Morgan — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

So that is it for yet another season at Anfield, folks; don't worry, we at Bleacher Report are here to announce our end-of-season gongs.

There is a whole host of awards up for grabs, ranging from the best and worst players of the season, to the campaign’s most memorable and most forgettable moments.

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Liverpool Transfer News: Players Reds Could Use to Beef Up 'Shallow' Squad

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:01:22 -0400

Asked what his main goal with Liverpool over the summer transfer window would be, manager Brendan Rodgers' response was simple.

"I think there will be a natural transition in the summer because we need to improve our depth because the squad was very shallow," Rodgers said, via ESPN. "You want to do your business as early as you can and we will look to reinforce but come the beginning of the season we would hope to have a squad ready to challenge."

With a transfer kitty reportedly around £20 million, Rodgers will have plenty of options available to him as he seeks to build that squad over the summer transfer window.

Read on to see some of the players he could use to beef up his "shallow" squad in the offseason, and which names could have a huge impact at Anfield next year.

Christian Eriksen, Ajax

Perhaps the biggest name linked with a move to the Reds recently has been Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen, who would no doubt be a great signing for Liverpool.

He would seemingly fill the centre-attacking midfielder role that Rodgers would love to solidify next season—allowing him to play around with the likes of Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge at the top of the attack. Moreover, it would create great depth in midfield and allow for a seamless transition when Steven Gerrard opts to end his career at the Merseyside club.

The latest reports from The Daily Mirror suggest that Liverpool are in a close battle with Borussia Dortmund for the £15 million-rated Danish playmaker.

And with Dortmund left possessing a lot of money from their Mario Gotze deal, Liverpool will seemingly have to move fast if they want to sign Eriksen.

Asmir Begovic, Stoke City

Many don't like the move here to say that Liverpool need another goalkeeper, but the reality is that neither Brad Jones nor Pepe Reina are world-class players. And whilst the man mentioned here—Stoke City's Asmir Begovic—isn't that either, he is probably an upgrade on either shot-stopper this summer.

The key for me, however, isn't that he's an upgrade.

Reina has long been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, and if that transpires, Rodgers will need to have a ready-made replacement.

Brad Jones simply isn't a replacement, and the Reds can ill-afford to start the season without a legitimate No. 1 goalkeeper. If Reina leaves late in the transfer window, that could very well happen, and Liverpool must therefore be ready to sign Begovic if the opportunity is there from the Potters.

Stoke signed Jack Butland over the winter transfer window, so there's no issue for them in terms of having a goalkeeper to turn to if they lose Begovic.

The biggest question will just be as to whether Liverpool will pull the trigger on Begovic or not, and whether Rodgers is prepared to pay £15 million for him.

Christian Tello, Barcelona

Barcelona striker Christian Tello has reportedly fallen under the watchful eye of Rodgers this summer, with the Reds' manager fancying a move for the 21-year-old.

According to David Maddock of The Daily Mirror, Tello "has a release clause in his contract priced at around £8.5 million, and, after failing to force his way into the starting line-up at Barca on a regular basis this season, will seriously consider his options in the summer."

As far as Liverpool is concerned, it's a great deal all around if they can manage to pull it off. He's young and relatively inexpensive and comes with a great skill set that the Merseyside club would no doubt be able to use in the seasons ahead.

Suarez and Sturridge are the future of the Reds' attack, but there isn't a whole lot of depth in terms of striker behind that. Rodgers will know that, and having already highlighted his desire for depth, could well be encouraged into making a move for the Barcelona star over the summer transfer window.

And what a good move it would be indeed.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool's Biggest Summer Transfer Window Needs to Boost Reds into Top 4

Mark Jones — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

Change, it seems, is everywhere in football at the moment.

As the old guard departs and new hopeful heroes are ushered into the limelight, it has scarcely never been more important for teams to get their new acquisitions right.

For Liverpool―a club looking up at four of the six teams who’ll finish above them this season experiencing a change of manager over the summer―that need seems more pressing than most.

Brendan Rodgers’ first season in charge at Anfield has seen plenty to be positive about, but it has also flagged up several negatives.

Liverpool are still some way behind the elite group of teams in the Premier League―a group that they used to take it for granted that they’d be a part of―and it’s going to take something special to get back amongst them.

The winds of change are already blowing through Anfield with the forthcoming retirement of defender Jamie Carragher following Sunday’s final game of the season against Queens Park Rangers, and it is replacing the club stalwart that is Liverpool’s most pressing concern over the summer months.

Carragher’s impressive form over the second half of the season has ultimately limited the first-team chances of the likes of Martin Skrtel and Sebastian Coates, adding to the possibility that it won’t just be one centre-back that Rodgers and the Reds will have to replace this summer.

Whether it is one, two or maybe even three central defenders who leave the Reds in the close season, this position is clearly the imperative one that Liverpool need to improve on.

Just as it was the attacking department which needed to be replenished this time last year―and for an uncomfortable amount of the 2012/13 season come to think of it―so it has to be the defensive ranks now. Unlike last year, Rodgers and Reds owners Fenway Sports Group don’t have the excuse of naivety to hide behind to mask transfer failings.

At least one and potentially two fast, mobile and uncompromising central defenders need to be signed, and if they are comfortable with the ball at their feet then so much the better.

Such players are hard to find, of course, but with the likes of Toby Alderweireld (Liverpool Echo), Ashley Williams (Guardian) and Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Sabotage Times) all linked to the Reds in recent weeks, Rodgers certainly seems to be on the lookout for them.

These are the types of players that need to be Liverpool’s main focus over the summer, but there are other positions that need addressing too.

The Reds have a wealth of talented young full-backs in their squad, but perhaps some higher-profile competition for left-back Jose Enrique would spur the Spaniard’s level of performance on even more. Toulouse’s Aymen Abdennour (Daily Mail) and Lille’s Lucas Digne (Daily Mirror) have been linked.

Further forward, some muscle in the centre of midfield would also be well received and provide a different option to the likes of Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen in the deeper holding role. Celtic’s Victor Wanyama (Daily Mail) is sure to be a name on the shopping lists of many a team this summer, and the Reds could do a lot worse than bring in a player of the Kenyan’s ilk.

Ahead of him, Rodgers must also look at adding a different element to his team’s attack ahead of the new season.

In Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho he has some terrific attackers who are well-supported by the likes of Raheem Sterling, Fabio Borini and Stewart Downing.

An extra option could give the side an even greater threat though, and whilst a link with a player such as Christian Eriksen (Daily Mail) might have to be treated as just a fantasy purchase, the signing of another player who can contribute to Liverpool’s goal tally―a player such as Kevin Gameiro (Daily Express) perhaps―would give the squad a more stronger look if it was completed along with the moves listed above.

It’s quite likely that there will be names not listed here who end up at Anfield this summer, but the most important thing is that these gaps in the squad are filled.

In this summer of change, only then can the Reds say that they’ve changed for the better.

Bleacher Report's Premier League coverage has been nominated in the 2012-13 EPLTalk awards. Cast your vote here.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Liverpool Transfer Rumors: Latest Buzz on Players Leaving Anfield

Sean Frye — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:48:05 -0400

There are plenty of rumors circulating around the Liverpool football club that indicates some players may be leaving Anfield.

With Liverpool targeting certain players this summer, here are some guys that could be departing the team in the coming weeks.

Pepe Reina

According to David Maddock of Mirror, Pepe Reina may be traded to Barcelona in exchange for striker Cristian Tello, one of the best young strikers in the game.

Tello could be a perfect fit for Liverpool as a versatile striker, something that Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers looks for in young players.

Reina would have no trouble fitting in at Barcelona, where he played from 2000-02. That familiarity is a big reason why Barcelona has been targeting Reina.

Tello only made 11 starts this season, so a big part of a possible transfer will rely on how Tello sees his future. Regardless, Tello is the asking price for Reina, and Barcelona is certainly anxious to get the goalkeeper back on its roster.

Martin Skrtel

Although manager Brendan Rodgers came out and said that Skrtel is not for sale, according to Phil Kirkbride of Liverpool Echo, recent activities by the club to pursue Kyriakos Papadopoulos may be indicative of something else.

According to Adam Davies of Fanatix, Liverpool is closing in on a deal with Papadopoulos, who is one of the top prospects in the world at just 21 years old.

That puts the future of Skrtel in jeopardy, who was already benched this season in favor of the soon-to-retire Jamie Carragher .

If Liverpool ends up getting one of the hottest prospects on the market, don't expect the club to hold on to Skrtel for much longer.

Andy Carroll

According to a report in late April by Alan Hankin of Mirror, Carroll committed himself to Liverpool this summer to try and secure a future with the club.

Now though, it seems that Carroll's days in Anfield are numbered. In a Mirror report by Ed Malyon, Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan doesn't think that Carroll has a future under Rodgers.

If one of the biggest names in Reds history is saying there's no future for Carroll, it's probably pretty accurate.

Carroll is currently on loan to West Ham United.

Expect Carroll to be out of Anfield by summer's end.

Read more Liverpool news on BleacherReport.com

Christian Eriksen to Liverpool: Tracking the Evolution of the Rumour

Laura Greene — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Christian Eriksen has been on Liverpool’s radar for a long time.

The final whistle of the season has not yet blown, but as we edge closer to the opening of the summer transfer window, a slew of rumours abound.

Summer would just not be the same if we didn't have Europe’s top clubs making eyes at every hotly tipped footballing prodigy.

Eriksen is one such player. With just a year remaining on his current contract at Ajax, he has been linked with a host of clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (The Independent), Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.

It’s difficult to predict if Eriksen will be wearing a Liverpool shirt next season but one thing is certain—there will be a lot more rumours about the 21-year-old between now and then.

Here we look back at the evolution of Eriksen’s links with Liverpool.

Bleacher Report's Premier League coverage has been nominated in the 2012-13 EPLTalk awards. Cast your vote here.

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