15 Jan 2015

The End is Nigh: LFC to dump £11m star & sign £15m 'player of the year' this month for a bargain price

Liverpool continue to be linked with a January move for Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, and new reports suggest that the deal hinges on Lucas Leiva's long-mooted exit from Anfield.

Last month, the reports claimed that Liverpool are favourites to sign £15m-rated Delph, and according to The Mirror this week:

* Liverpool plan to sell popular midfielder Lucas and sign Delph, who was Villa's 'player of the year' last season.

* Rafa Benitez is 'hopeful' of luring £11m-rated Lucas to Napoli.

* The Reds are preparing a cut-price £7.5m (€9m) offer for Delph.

Villa boss Paul Lambert is desperate to keep Delph, and in a recent interview, he argued that the 24-year old midfielder is destined for greatness:

"He [Delph] has been excellent over the course of the 18 months. There's massive potential there to be a really top player and if he keeps his feet on the ground, and keeps learning, we'll see where he goes"

Lambert also suggested that Delph can take Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard's place in the England team:

"With [Steven Gerrard] retiring, it gives him [Delph] the opportunity to get in. He has started the season really well so it's great for him and it's great for the club."

Reds legend Jamie Carragher is a fan of Delph, and in a recent column for Sky Sports, he hailed the midfielder's 'outstanding' talent, and argued that he deserves a regular place in the England team:

"Delph is playing every week for a big club [and] he gives a side real energy and aggression. Plus, because he is left-footed, offers you nice balance in the middle of the park, while he has strike on him, too"

The tabloids are taking great delight in peddling the ludicrous myth that Delph is a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard, but I doubt anyone at Anfield thinks of the deal in that way.

You never know, though. Rodgers and the infernal transfer committee signed Lambert to (partly) replace Suarez, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility. Whatever the truth, anyone at Anfield who posits the Delph/Gerrard theory deserves to be summarily dismissed for pre-emptive transfer negligence.

The deal is much more palatable if Delph is viewed as a potential replacement for Lucas (or Allen), both of whom are eminently expendable. The recent England international is arguably an upgrade on both, and £7.5m is an enticing fee for a player who has shown huge improvement over the last 2-3 years.

There are, admittedly, elements of risk to the deal:

* Delph's injury history is a major concern. Over the last four years, he's suffered seven injuries (including a cruciate ligament tear), and spent over 400 days on the sidelines as a result.

* Delph is currently a semi-big fish in a (comparatively) small pond; at LFC, he'd be a small fish in a big pond, and there's always a possibility he'll struggle to deal with the pressure and expectation.

* The burden of coming into the club when Gerrard leaves will be added pressure. The media will inevitably compare any incoming midfielder with the captain, and that will bring added pressure.

With Delph's contract due to expire in six months, Liverpool seemingly have the stronger bargaining position, and Villa may be forced to sell at a bargain price to avoid the midfielder leaving for free in the summer.

That said, given Liverpool's frustrating habit of paying through the nose for British players, it wouldn't surprise me if the Reds end up paying a King's ransom once again.

Author:


98 comments:

  1. Lucas has hit a bit of a purple patch in form; I think it would be disruptive to sell him when he's playing his part effectively in an improving side, especially to fund a move for another relatively inexperienced player. Interest in Lucas should be weighed up only in the summer now, IMO.

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  2. This transfer just stinks of lack of ambition. Teams around us sign players like Sanchez, Costa, Fabregas, Di Maria, and we get linked with Delph. I think Delph would be a good squad player for Liverpool and maybe develop into something better as he gets older, but if we are going to bargain a cut price deal for a nobody atleast sign a big name quality striker too to show ambition and fix our striker problem.

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  3. This would be a terrible move. If we were selling Lucas to fund a move for Lars Bender or someone of that ilk then fair enough but for Fabian Delph? Surely not

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  4. If we are going to get rid of Lucas then we have to upgrade, not downgrade. Should we sign Delph then it will prove that we are not able to attract better players under Rodgers.

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  5. Lucas is doing ok for us at the minute- keep him til the summer and then upgrade

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  6. If this is what we have turned out to be. It's sad really.
    Liverpool is a club steeped in it's history. Now we are making another history.
    The Transfailure history. Gosh. Delph??

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  7. Haven't you already been trying to say that it's been proven?

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  8. No. Just no. There are so many great central midfielders in Europe who are crying out for attention. As I have said before, hire me if you want to get PL players as I watch it regularly. We need to look higher than this but we most probably will not.

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  9. Lol you are quite a grumpy dude hey...


    I think JK needs to get laid lol

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  10. Anyway... Delph for Gerrard seems too steep. I would argue we already have potential Gerrard replacements in Can, Hendo and perhaps even young Rossiter (too optimistic?).


    Lucas has been doing well and has provided a great cover for our defense, and while admittedly I have not seen Delph play much, I would not see him as a Lucas replacement. Glad to see links to Song, he is a player that could be an upgrade on Lucas... I feel we need some pacey defensive power in the mid. Until then, there is no one better than Lucas. Delph may be a good squad player at a bargain, but nothing more at this point...


    If JC sees something in him, there must be something there... but step up immediately to LFC... I doubt it

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  11. i would happily take delph if it meant selling/replacing joe allen as that would be definitely be an upgrade to the squad in terms of quality depth. as far as im concerned though lucas should only be sold if we can get someone better like kramer, lars bender, matuidi, khedira etc but i highly doubt the allure of rodgers to these kind of players. lucas is actually still underrated by most and we play better with him than without and if anyone should be replaced its allen. we will also need someone in addition in the summer to replace gerrard like cabaye, pastore, isco etc but again i doubt this will happen. in short: delph is not the answer unless the question is who could we get to replace the atrocity that is joe allen?

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  12. You can't replace Lucas with Delph. In fact there are not many DM with the exception of Toure, "Carrick", Matic and may be one or two I could have in place of Lucas.

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  13. Delph? Like seriously???...Surely we re no longer ambitious. Fuck rodgers,ian ayre,dave fallows,barry hunter et al

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  14. I'd be gutted if we sold Lucas far more solid with him in the team Delph isnt a proper dm and that would leave us with no dm. We should be looking at better players than Delph we are Liverpool for God sake don't like this rumour and I don't like the rumour about lavezzi hes past it

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  15. Eum...we have Lucas so why waste 7.5 million when we can pick him up on a free in the summer? I'm sure Lucas will do fine for those 5 months since Delph will not be an upgrade. Everything Rodgers has said so far suggests to me that we will not sign anyone this month. 7.5 million for a player whose contract runs out in June is a joke. We should be telling them you either take 2 million now or ef all in the summer. Like Madrid did with us for Owen. It would be different if we really needed Delph. But we don't. Ever really.

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  16. Delph would make a great squad signing as he offers something diffrent from the current midfielders we have at the club. I think fans and media pundits and most importantly the club have got to try to avoid this thing of looking for the "next Gerrard" because it will set the club back. We have already seen with losing Suarez that you can't buy new players and just slot them in these massive boots without playing to their strengths. If we are looking for a Gerrard figure from a leadership point of view then I feel that the club are already have that with Jordan Henderson.

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  17. Been watching this player since he was at Leeds. He has a nice weight and accuracy of pass, is progressive and positive in his decisions, he's a decent blocker and tackler, reads the game well, has a great physique and pace for a central midfielder, some flair and goals in him too. I like that he's not afraid to play up close to the opposition, to get involved in duels and tight challenges. He's mature and experienced and uses his athletic ability intelligently. Lots of positives.

    He doesn't have great feet, he doesn't always take the best option when shielding the ball and protecting possession, and he's not got a great range and vision on his passing, even though he puts a fair bit of quality on the work that he does do. I'd rate him a good squad player for us, an experienced pro with some room left to grow and develop, who would add a solid and technically secure option in defensive midfield, a weakness of the squad presently.

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  18. But he's horribly injury prone and unlike many DMs he's not likely to have a long career into his 30s given the state his knee is probably in by now. If there's interest in Lucas, it would be very tempting to cash in while his legs still work.

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  19. That's part of Liverpool's history too. Wayne Harrison, Dean Saunders, David Speedie, Robbie Keane, Sean Dundee and so on and on.

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  20. Ekpo Nelsperryslimmy Noah1:32 pm, January 15, 2015

    Lucas still has what it takes to still be part of liverpool's team plan might not be for brenda rogers, he should not be used for a bait for delph transfer rather allen. fabian delph is also a great player of his age now same as Barry in his time @Villa too he is a great player that depth for a team..... transfers should be done in earnest ballotelli, lambert are surplus to what we want they should be left to go.

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  21. my dream DM would be Kramer

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  22. Delph is not enough of an upgrade over Lucas to make it worthwhile to invest the money in him.


    I'd prefer to invest our money in a difference-maker as opposed to another squad signing.


    Let's go out and sign one player for the value of 3 or 4 players. Which is what we should have done last summer.


    Two weeks left and it's been an incredibly underwhelming transfer window for us thus far.

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  23. Agree. I really like Lucas, but he's been on a rare injury free run of form which could end at any one of his crunching tackles. If we can get a good price for him and he can move to a good location in some other league, we ought to go get what we can. However, that is a different question than whether Delph should be his replacement.

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  24. Have we recalled Ibe? Saw a story that mentioned it, but not seeing anything on the official website.

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  25. They guy who scored an own goal with an strike half way of the pitch. Joking aside, hes good.

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  26. I do. I like them. I write them too.

    *Sad bro fist.*

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  27. Pffft. No shame, we're awesome.

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  28. The nice thing about getting Song now would also be it'd help take the wind out of West Ham's sails, and so help us to overtake them in the league.

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  29. Calm Down

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  30. Hammers won't sell, Song's presence has coincided with their best season in years. The best we could hope for is some sort of pre-contract.

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  31. I thought they'd just loaned him?

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  32. Um... ok. You got anything relevant to say?

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  33. Yes you're right, totally forgot. I'm sure it was for the whole season. They would be mad to sell now!

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  34. Lukas is playing well. With Steven going he is one of the senior players so we should keep. But he is not getting younger and if we want to compete for the trophy we need better. So selling him now for good money makes sense but leaves a bit bad taste in the mouth.

    Delph is younger and already at least bit better(from what I saw) and younger so it makes sense to buy him(if we are talking 3-4 mill). Transfer window with Lukas out and Delph in is poor and I would say no to that,, but Lukas out- Delph in, with say Begovic and Lavezzi/Lacazette/Higuain coming- makes Delph peripheral signing that might come good.

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  35. Even still they will not want to cut his loan short and they would have to agree if we tried to make a deal with Barca.

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  36. B Rodgers needs to keep L Leiva(28) until the summer as he is the best defensive midfielder we have at club and is doing a great job.


    The reason we have looked more solid in side is because of the likes of Can(20), Sakho(24) and Lucas(28) being reinstated in starting line up.


    If Lucas(28) had the energy, mobility and bit of pace/speed he would be on par with Matic(26) and Schneiderlin(25).


    But in the quickest league in world , mobility, pace and speed are key attributes needed for all outfield players.


    If B Rodgers plans to sell L Leiva(28) he needs to bring in a mobile defensive midfielder: F Delpgh(25) is a box to box CM not A DM


    B Rodgers should offer Bayer Leverkusen £12-£19M for Lars Bender(25) and bring him to the club now


    He can replace L Leiva(28) as DM, F Delph(25) should be brought in to replace Headless chicken J Allen(24)


    And then in the summer B Rodgers should spend £50M on these two CM's to replace the class and quality of S Gerrard(34):


    M Sissoko(25) Of Newcastle for £12-£18M CM
    ( Yaya Toure(31) type Midfielder: Class, Creativity,Goals Pace and Power )


    T Alacantra(23) Of Bayern Munich for £25-£32M CM
    ( Xavi(33) type midfielder: Class, Control Creativity, Dictates and Dominates)

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  37. Your trying to sound clever mate but when you think about who we have signed compared to who our rivals have signed it's quite pathetic really.

    You mention the names we have been linked with like thats relevent, but for the sake of argument lets mention the big names we have been linked with over the last 2 seasons and who we have failed to sign. Costa, Sanchez, Higuin, Benzema, Shaquiri, Erikson, Willian, Salah. All have chosen other clubs.

    The biggest name we have attracted over the last 2 years is Balotelli and that hasn't worked yet.

    No club will ever get their transfer business perfect but come on, and least make an effort to try and look like we want to have a bit of success rather than just buy unproven players who 'might' one day become decent.

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  38. Feel like we're setting Origi up to fail. It's too much pressure on a 19 year old's shoulders. Can't expect someone of his age to stroll into a brand new league, especially one that is of a significantly higher general quality to his current league, and hit the ground running, transforming a team struggling to find consistent form into a top 4 team. To get top 4 and potentially challenge for the title we need Sturridge fit, another top class experienced striker.

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  39. Yes, first genuinely exciting news this window. But, we have to hope Brendan has not just bought him to fill the bench.

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  40. I agree with all that up to a point, especially the part about me trying to sound clever :)

    I just don't put any store in these stories about clubs being linked with this or that player. It's a sure way to upset yourself.

    I also don't mind about whether or not a player has a big name. Some big name players are better than their name. Like Ronaldo. Biggest name there is, but plays with the enthusiasm of a kid in the park trying to impress his girlfriend. Some big names are... not so impressive. Players like Higuain, big name, big time contract, big ego, waddles around like he owns the place, hasn't been able to cut it at the top. Big names don't bother me.

    Personally I also think our transfers are working out pretty well. We've brought more quality to the club in the last two years than in the preceding ten. Our transfer business has been mostly woeful, 2007 aside, since the 90s. Partly because, finally, we're not signing names, we're signing players. Sturridge, Coutinho, Sakho, Moreno, Markovic, Can -- we've done some good business as well as... some not so good business.

    Basically I think we might *all* just calm down a little bit.

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  41. All players "might" work. There are plenty of big names who failed. Like Robo suggests other teams have signed less glamorous players as well as stars. Comparing Delph (who like Robi says is only linked rather than anything actually happening) with Costa (a player who cost more than thirty million and is on massive wages and HAS ACTUALLY SIGNED) is a bit daft. I agree we should be going for higher caliber players and trying harder to sign them but we are coming from a position of disadvantage to those teams mentioned. We have the fifth highest wage bill, we have had champions league once in the best part of a decade and our highest purcase player under Rodgers was around £23-26 million.

    How have we failed to sign Benzema, Higuian and Eriksen? If it is by not signing them then add millions of other players to the list.

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  42. Ye I think back to the days of Milan Baros and wonder how we even qualified for the champions League never mind won it haha.


    Also I agree we are signing good players and spreading risk by buying cheap young talent but at some point you need to have some big names on the team sheet not just to attract the big names but to keep the players we have signed and developed/developing into big talents (Sturridge, coutinho, Can, Markovic).


    But looking at the Delph transfer independantly... Our season needs a spark to catch up to fourth spot and possibly win a trophy, Delph won't help that cause in any significant way to helping that.


    P.S are we freinds now? :)

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  43. Coming back, according to Daily mail. As little I know about English journalism- that is not enough?

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  44. Nah not for me mate. I have a policy of not believing anything that is written in the mail at all.....ever. It has served me well up to this point. The Derby Telegraph is saying it too but I will wait until other confirmation personally.

    I like the idea though. We are going to need to rotate this and next month with cup games.

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  45. Side note...one that got away........> Chelsea to offload Mohammad Salah?
    Why isn't LFC going after Konoplyanka?

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  46. Reports of Ibe and Origi coming(back). With Delph coming or Lukas staying, Daniel and Flanno returning, Sakho becoming regular and hopefully signing Begovic or any good keeper- enough for 4th spot.

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  47. Since I saw both of them, I thought Sterling and Ibe will become world beaters, with Ibe being better. Also saw Kelly as our captain one day, and Robinson and Flanno as starters..

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  48. We have been linked with Benzema a lot over the last 2 years, Higuin is a recent Link and Eriksen Litterally chose Spurs over us, Again probably because we didn't offer enough wages. I didn't just pull names out of the air.


    Costa, we were linked with him in the summer of 2013 but he chose to stay with Athletico after just getting his first team chance as Falcao went to Monaco.


    Also we are forgetting we sold Suarez for £75 mil in the summer i'm sure that would have covered the cost of one of those players price tag and wage bill, Then make some more lucrative signings for younger unproven talent.

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  49. So perhaps he wasn't worth the extra money.

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  50. Off topic, it'll be interesting to see how Southampton fare now that Wanyama, Schneiderlin and Alderwiereld are all injured

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  51. Yes, I don't think we will be able to bring origi back without a fight though :( but Ibe was on a youth Loan so he can be recalled whenever we want and from what I've read today we have recalled him which will be a big plus.


    And don't even get me started on Mignolet

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  52. Well BR went public about talks being held re Origi, so I'm thinking it is done...

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  53. I think that is the point mate. We are linked with near everybody, being linked means absolutely nothing. Papers and agents do it all the time for their own purposes. Eriksen didn't choose Spurs over us we never properly went for him. No bid.


    I didn't argue with the Costa one as we did actually have a go there.



    I agree we " could " have had a proper go at signing one of the big name players but for whatever reason we didn't. Sanchez we tried but was Di Maria good value? Or more pertinently did the club think so?



    I agree with a lot of what you say but attracting players and running the club as a self funding business is difficult. We are already under investigation for ffp without signing a sixty million pound player. That says it all really.

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  54. Yeah I like that they were doing well but it's time for that to end now please. Our turn.

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  55. Hopefully.


    He seems like he could be the perfect partner for Balo while Studge is injured. Then when studge is back him and origi with Sterling behind would be an exciting prospect.

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  56. One out of five up to now bud. Lets hope we can get it up to two.

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  57. You know what i meant. I am just stressing the point ;-)

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  58. Southampton being Southampton, they'll probably turn out to have a squadron of titanium-plated laser-guided teenagers built like Usain Bolt and programmed with a custom blend of the skills of Ronaldinho and Sir Stanley Matthews ready to replace them by the weekend.

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  59. Ye fair point mate.

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  60. Not signing Salah coincided with Sterling's rise to prominence so perhaps we dodged a bullet there as signing him would've surely hampered Sterling's progress, at least in the short term. Maybe if we'd got him we wouldn't have signed Markovic but I said at the time if he'd rather choose Chelsea's bench than our first team over a few grand a week then he's welcome to it. He was one of Europe's top prospects, now he's all but been forgotten. Serves him right

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  61. We've been linked with Benzema for a lot longer than 2 years. Higuain too

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  62. Spot on, let's go and hang around outside his house to point and laugh. Everyone? Anyone?

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  63. Yea me too. I like to see southampton doing well but only when they're below us in the table

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  64. Now I am certain it will be 3, so 2 is a minimum...

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  65. I'll bring the eggs

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  66. I just need the airplane ticket..

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  67. Just had a look though. Their run of games up to us is not that bad. They could conceivably maintain. They can't even take any points off our rivals for a while. Buggers.

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  68. Your point has been stressing me for ages.

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  69. Wow didn't know that

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  70. They have great prospects in Harrison Reed and James Hesketh there. Reed dominated Everton on his debut. The joke is on us because despite dwindling their resources, they have just come back with greater vigour.

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  71. What do we need a female tennis player for?

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  72. I think Delph is good enough to join Liverpool, but should be to add to the squad, not replace Lucas.

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  73. Ibe has been recalled officially. Sadly, six months too late.

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  74. does anyone know how city get to splash the cash despite having uefa sanctions imposed on them ?

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  75. Legal loopholes and trickery

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  76. Yea man I think the 3 of them are out for 4-6 weeks

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  77. Our rivals will be taking points off each other, hopefully starting with City giving Arsenal a good tonking at the weekend.

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  78. Clubs are stockpiling players to sell, because the market is going to get very hot. Chelsea are doing the same.

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  79. I agree with you Frankie..

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  80. 'Course we are! Nice talking with you, some sensible stuff in here.

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  81. And How..................

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  82. well said and right on the money.........

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  83. Funk you hit it on the head.............Song is a real upgrade. Delph, you must be joking............

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  84. Spot on Twist! Lucas is playing well enough to keep. I wish we had signed Song but we didn't. West ham will never sell him this window. That would be utter stupidity. Don't know Bender much. Delph for Allen makes sense (Welsh Xavi my ass) because he is indeed a headless chicken.

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  85. Hence my thought for January: nuke our front office and buy Southy's and watch the transfer windows improve like night and day..............

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  86. Arsenal and Spurs not too long after but that's it for a while I think.

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  87. Exactly. Lucas has been phenomenal for us since his return, and well...Rodgers has already acknowledged this in his post match interview after facing Sunderland recently where he said there is absolutely no plan to sell him.

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  88. Hopefully that'll be a draw

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  89. £7.5M? £7.5M?!!!!!! Seriously? This really shouldn't surprise me any more! £7.5M for a player with under 6 months of his contract. An average player at best. Beggars belief what YOUR TRANSFER COMMITEE are smoking Mr.Henry!
    Lucas deserves to stay. He's proven once again that he is the best defensive midfielder we have. He's not world class but he keeps his game simple. Disrupt the opponent- give ball to someone more creative.

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  90. Yokohama Liverpool Fan10:50 pm, January 15, 2015

    We will only realise how good Lucas is after he leaves...
    It will be suicidal to lose him now. He wins more tackles, headers than anyone in the team and always finds a man with simple passes circulating play.

    Replacing him with inexperience is exactly the sort of BS our laughable transfer committee will do. It makes about as much sense as replacing Reina with Mignolet, Agger with Lovren and signing 18 wheeler Lambert and passing up on Remy while signing Balotelli instead of Bony. I can go on but it will only get more depressing.

    Selling Allen and getting Song when he was available would have made sense last summer. Unfortunately its just another ship that has sailed like Shaqiri.

    Lacazette is the sort of class player we should go for but Lyon are in no hurry to sell and he is already being compared to Bale so it will take a massive bid from a super rich club to sign him so I have to say like Reus there is no chance.



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  91. Who would you pick instead of Delph Boy.

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  92. We should pull out all the stops to sign Carvalho, instead of giving Arsenal a free run at him - he's the quality DM we should look to sign.

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  93. I think we are all in agreement that Delph would pretty much only a decent squad player i.e. replacing the likes of Lucas/Allen in the current set-up and not our answer to improving the Central midfield area in the summer (which needed improving even had Gerrard stayed). The issue for me would be the fee we pay. I dont see why we would pay any money for him to bring him in Jan. Surely we could just sign him on a free at the end of the season and sell one of Lucas/Allen then, as their value is hardly likely to decrease much (barring injury). Even if the wait meant we missed out on him, i dont think it would be a huge issue. The point is we have much bigger areas of concern and these are the areas we should be saving our money for. The £7m mentioned above would be much better served on other areas in the summer.

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