Liverpool Transfer Talk: Scott Dann and 5 Players Who Could Join Reds in 2011

Liverpool FC are looking to bring in some fresh faces to their game. Among the likes of Scott Dann, Gary Cahill, Stephen Warnock and Joey Barton, they've captured the interest of a certain Bryan Kalbrosky as well. 

Allow me to offer a brief preface. As an American, soccer hadn't exactly been on my radar for the majority of my life. Recently, however, things have begun to change.

After getting entirely immersed in the World Cup last summer, I came to a bit of a realization: soccer is ridiculously entertaining to watch. I was initially drawn into the games because I was attracted to the nationalism that came with the territory of international soccer.

Once I was captivated, however, I quickly learned that I was just as attracted to the fast paced athleticism that drew into the tempo and art of the game. 

Once the Women's World Cup came along this summer, I jumped right back in and found that I was just as satisfied with the spectacles that I witnessed. After Abby Wambach's spectacular stoppage time goal in the Brazil game, it finally struck me. I really like this game.

Once the series would end, I knew that I would find myself missing the sport. One of the finer things about soccer? There are enough seasons to capture the craving of even the most casual of fans. 

Knowing that the English Premier League was coming up around the corner, it was time for me to pick a club. If I was looking for that same level of intensity in watching the sport, I would need to bring in my own personal club to match the nationalistic tendencies that I had through out the World Cup. 

While I didn't want to pick a lower level franchise with no chance of winning the season, I would feel too much like a cheap if I had picked a favorite. Despite my wild fandom of Wayne Rooney, I had decided that I would have felt too much like a generic international bandwagon fan if I had picked Manchester United as my club, and Chelsea seemed to fit a similar fate.

Arsenal didn't quite fit the mold for the type of team that I was looking for, and if I decided that I would root for Manchester City, I wouldn't be prepared to live in the shadows of Manchester United. Welcome to the insights and subtle neuroticism of a sports fan.

I was left with a tough decision, but when I looked at what was left, there was an obvious choice. Not only did Liverpool bring a rich history that I was attracted to, but they also brought fond memories of listening to the Beatles as a child and watching only documentaries about the impact that the city had on the band.

I quickly remembered how beautiful the city looked in my fantasy version of it, how much I wanted to waste away in old time sports bars "watching football and drinking ale" and how ready I was to follow the English Premier League this season.

As a ginger myself, The Reds colors would look good when I decided to buy a jersey or a hat and as a music fan, their anthem You'll Never Walk Alone, which was borrowed from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, is one of the most exciting and inspirational songs that I've ever heard upwards of 40,000 drunken British men sing.

Perhaps the most ideal reason for my newfound fandom with Liverpool? The club is under new ownership, which means that they'll be working on their own business plan for a new identity that I can form as quickly as they do.

The man that bought the team? American John W. Henry, business executive and principal owner of the Boston Red Sox. With a man from the United States owning the club, there is a significantly greater chance of the team getting more media coverage in the States and more fans may begin to pick up Liverpool as their favorite club in the English Premier League as well. 

With my signature officially transcribed to the Liverpool bandwagon, it was about time to get some research done.

Which players would I be welcoming in with me with this season? Which players would be leaving for a different club (translated to: who should I learn to "boo" when I see them on my television screen)?

Listed are the latest transfer rumors involving Liverpool and the players most likely to join or leave the club by the time that this season starts.  

5. Joey Barton

Last year, Liverpool FC faced one of the more difficult and traumatic seasons that the fans could have possibly seen. With the recent appointment of Kenny Dalglish as their manager, however, the future looks to hold stronger days.

Dalglish already comes with a rich history of Liverpool success, and in 2011, he looks to bring more success to his club. Dalglish has been famed, however, for making the "right decisions" throughout the entire summer. 

While Henry has given his new coach lots of money to help improve the club, sometimes it may be smarter to save the money for the sake of better chemistry for the clubs operation.

One option of a signing for the coach would be to look at Joey Barton. Barton is a midfielder for Newcastle United, a team that has lost many of their star players this offseason. 

If he joined Liverpool, he would face high competition for his position and it may be difficult for the coaches to determine playing time at midfield. With Barton has come much controversy in the past.

He has been arrested multiple times, and in 2008, he was forced to leave Manchester City after a violent run in with a former teammate. 

Barton is an exciting and flashy player, but may not be the best fit for a team looking to rebound by working with chemistry. That being said, it is very possible that the Reds look to sign Barton due to the upside that he could show.

4. Stephen Warnock

At left-back last season, Liverpool was starting a 17-year-old kid named Jack Robinson. Regardless of Robinson's talent and potential, Liverpool needs more depth at the left-back position.

An easy way to fit their needs would be to reunite with a former Liverpool player, Stephen Warnock. Warnock is an English left-back that represents England in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played his youth career with Liverpool and continued with the club until 2007. 

Since then, Warnock had moved on to play with the Rovers and then with Aston Villa. Unlike Barton, Warnock is a more conservative and conventional type of signing.

If he's still available for a transfer by the Aug. 31st deadline, he should look to take his talents back to his home team in Liverpool. Their fans would greatly appreciate the type of impact that he would immediately bring.

3. Gary Cahill

In many sports, the saying rings true. Defense wins championships. That's why two teams who didn't make the Championship last year, Arsenal and Liverpool, are in hot pursuit and competition with the top defensive names on the market.

Arsenal and Liverpool both have a certain Gary Cahill on their radar. Cahill, a 25-year-old English soccer defender that plays for Bolton, is seeking a contract around €12 million. While it may be a steep price to pay, his talents are some of the most elite for position value in the entire Premier League.

This has been a buying offseason for Liverpool, and Gary Cahill could be a fantastic addition to an already wildly successful shopping spree. In what was already a market in which Liverpool has seen success, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Liverpool got more aggressive as the bargaining got closer and they were able to reel in Cahill.

Cahill is one of the top young talents at defense in the game and could benefit whatever team ends up owning his contract.

2. Paddy McCourt

This is one of my favorite moves for Liverpool to make. Paddy McCourt is an Irish left winger who plays for the Celtic FC.

Last season was unlucky for Liverpool. What would be a better way to improve their luck than to bring in a player named Paddy McCourt?

The "Derry Pele" of Northern Ireland would represent a newer look for the team, and after McCourt scored against Liverpool early last season, the club had been rumored to have had their eyes on the young player.

McCourt is a really fun player to watch, and his transfer to Liverpool would be shocking to say the least. He's the type of player that looks when incredible when he starts to play well and could be the sleeper pick for my favorite fire plug of a player if Liverpool is somehow able to convince him to make the switch. 

But at the end of the day, what would be better than a player from Ireland named Paddy McCourt playing the peak of his career for the Reds?

1. Scott Dann

The most coveted ticket for Liverpool at the signing deadline would have to be Scott Dann. Dann is 24 years old and currently plays for Birmingham City. 

Dann is another defensive player that is being targeted by both Arsenal and Liverpool. Dann, however, is from Liverpool and is a former Liverpool F.C. season ticket holder. While his personal bias may not play into the hands of his own decision, it could be a bigger factor than many would consider.

Dann has already begun talks with Arsenal, but conversations are not official until his pen hits the paper of his contract. Dann could look to sign for around €10 million, which means that if he went to one club, Cahill would likely go to the other.

At that point, the question is more a matter of preference, but I think that Dann would be a bigg benefit to the club.