10 Dec 2012

Pipe dream? LFC in transfer negotiations for 'exceptional' €10m attacker...

Earlier this year, 18-year old Liverpool target Lazar Markovic admitted that he dreamed of playing in the Premier League one day, but insisted that he planned to stay at Partizan Belgrade for 'the next three years'. Well, it seems that a move to a big European club could be on the cards sooner rather than later, and Liverpool are one of the clubs trying to sign the exciting attacker.

According to The Daily Mail, the Serbian playmaker could be available for an initial fee of £8m (€10m):

"Liverpool, Arsenal and Inter Milan have all been negotiating with Partizan, who want a deal which eventually rises to around £14m based on appearances"

It is pleasing to learn that the Reds have been 'negotiating' with the Markovic, but according to reports in Serbia, the Serb prefers Chelsea, and is close to agreeing a deal with the London club.

Upon hearing about this report earlier this evening, Partizan Belgrade sporting director Ljubisa Tumbakovic denied all knowledge, and dismissed the possibility out of hand. He told Sportski Zurnal:

"I swear on my mother that I really do not know anything about this. On Saturday, I spoke with club president Dragan Djuric and he also told me that he knows nothing about Markovic's transfer to Chelsea. I don't know, he doesn't know. Maybe the journalists have better information than us in the club!"

There may be no deal with the Blues at this stage, but Markovic is definitely a Chelsea fan, and has his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge, as he revealed recently:

"I really hope I can go to Chelsea, it's my dream. I'm told there were 20 scouts from all over Europe in the VIP box when we beat Red Star, but Chelsea is the place I want to play. I had all the pictures of the team on my wall at home back to when they had Gianfranco Zola. And any time they are on TV I try to watch them. For me Chelsea are the best".

In my view, it would be a huge mistake for Markovic to go to Chelsea now. The chances of him playing regularly are practically nil, and Rafa Benitez is not renowned for giving teenagers extended runs in his teams (that was definitely the case at Liverpool).

Markovic would be much better off coming to Liverpool, where he would have a strong chance of playing regular first team football.

Markovic has a lot of admirers, and After Inter Milan's 1-0 Europa League victory over Partizan last week, Nerazzurri boss Andrea Stramaccioni was full of praise for the youngster:

"He [Markovic] is a player with exceptional qualities. He possesses a very impressive acceleration and has a bright future ahead of him"

Jaimie Kanwar


23 comments:

  1. Not for me if he's a big chelsea fan...Even if he did come and was a big succsess Chelsea would soon be sniffing around and he'd be off like shot
    I'd prefer someone who wants to play for liverpool myself.

    Must admit the lad looks good though.

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  2. It is always good for a player to be a fan first and foremost.
    Then the rest will fall into place. But if he signs for Liverpool and Chelsea come a calling. sell for a profit.

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  3. As usual we are linked with every Tom, Dick and Harry. We are not going to spend loads of cash. If we make the top 4 this season then a decent amount will be made available for the start of next season.

    We will be signing Sturridge in the January transfer window and hopefully Rafa and Abramovich don't make us over pay. We will most probably also make two more loan signings. Sterling will also sign his contract.

    At the moment all we need is somebody to contribute to Suarez's goals but whether Sturridge is the answer is yet to be seen.

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  4. Not sure if he'd get in our team sooner than in Chelsea's. What can he do that Suso can't?

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  5. Jamie please- a question.

    Counter attack, Agger is left alone against a striker and he DECIDES to make a foul trying to prevent him scoring.
    Suarez handles the ball to prevent them scoring.
    They both know that card is on its' way(and a penalty), but they think that is the better way- maybe opposition won't score and their team will defend well for the rest of the game. For me it is the same situation- doing something against the rules (like 'smart fouls' in the midfield), knowing the consequences.

    I am very 'romantic' about football and I hate 'my' players cheating(don't approve Suarez' cheating, but I understood why he did it vs Stoke for example), but for me that was not cheating.

    I know we disagree on Stoke situation, but that is another topic, please explain how Agger situation from above and 'smart fouls' are not cheating and handle is.

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  6. Markovic is very good but in Serbian league average km ran per game is 6-6,5, so it would take a year or more to get him to epl level(specially given his age). Maybe buying him, and loaning him to say Blackpool would be the best solution.

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  7. Too expensive for me have seen him play could be very good but in the EPL could be a huge flop plus it will probably take him a couple of seasons to really kick in.
    The club really needs someone to hit the ground running.

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  8. We have great youngsters coming out of the academy and spending £8M on an unproven youngster is just fiscally irresponsible. Assuming we are actually thinking about alotting money for this move, we need to stop, look at what we have budgeted for a top striker, and add that £8m to that budget. That may be the difference in signing a £12M sturridge or a £20M cavani or secure a huntelaar or llorient if their clubs are asking for £1-2M more than we have budgeted for those moves.

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  9. I regard deliberate handball as cheating, regardless of circumstances. I regard claiming for a throw-in when you know it isn't yours as cheating. I regard tackles that do not have the intention of going for the ball as cheating.

    I admit I put handball as a worse form of cheating than say for e.g. claiming for a throw-in that isn't yours. Why? Even I don't know for sure as cheating is cheating. Maybe because the throw-in thing is so common and menial but that still doesn't make it any less or more right.

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  10. And smart fouls, are they cheating?
    When you LIE about throw in it is cheating but this is simply braking the rule, like foul- no lies involved...

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  11. Sorry, you answered smart fouls part... think that is too much, though. But at least you are consistant...

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  12. Like I said/implied, any foul/tackle that doesn't have the intention of getting the ball, than it is cheating, imo. So that includes 'smart fouls', 'Makalele fouls', etc. Clever, sly or devious they maybe but still a form of cheating for me, regardless. They can be both cheating and breaking the rule at the same time, imo. That is my opinion on it and as they say, each to their own.

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  13. Oops, just saw this now, so ignore some of what I said in my post below, sorry.

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  14. Sorry, you answered smart fouls part... think that is too much, though. But at least you are consistent...

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  15. Haha too many 'sorries' in our posts...
    Your opinion that those fouls are cheating is too strict I think, but it gives you the 'right' to say that the handball was cheating, but I doubt that more than 5% of people saying it was cheating share your view on smart fouls...

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  16. Haha, true.

    I remember Solksjaer in the 90s against Newcastle, did a last man foul, similar circumstances to your Agger example, as he wanted to prevent the player from getting one on one against the keeper. It was April, they were challenging for the title, so only a few games left. He got a red card, the fans applauded as they knew the consequences of losing the game would be huge. So what about the manager? Well according to Solksjaer, Ferguson told him off big time in front of his team mates. Ferguson gave him a fine. Solksjaer said Ferguson was angry as it was cheating. Solksjaer in the interview said that he agreed it was cheating.

    Make of that what you will but I think it shows that my view is a reasonable one to take, even if it is in the minority.

    Who knows, maybe there is a poll/vote that has been done this issue to back up your view that only a minority share my opinion on this. But I don't mind either way, as its opinions, just like yours and mine are. It wouldn't be the first time I would be in the minority. So agree to disagree ;)

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  17. Wow.. Though it seems to me Ferguson's anger was just a show since I don't see Young getting any heat for his diving.. Did Newcastle score from that free kick? My guess is no' and that they won the title so it wasn't too hard to be 'angry' on the guy who saved it...

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  18. Haha, I'll be so ashamed if you tell me Newcastle scored and they didn't win the title- could've googled it..

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  19. Your assuming a lot of things there.

    Who knows what goes on behind closed doors?
    Just because it isn't public knowledge, doesn't make it impossible.

    The Solksjaer interview about Ferguson's punishment and telling-off was done several years after the incident. Secondly, the punishment and telling-off was done after the game and the day after the game, not after they won the title.

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  20. Assuming that not because I hate him(and of course I do) but because I don't see consistency in telling off cheaters.

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  21. Managers rarely criticize their own players in public and consistently. I think its limited and naive to make the assumption you have done, as its based on unreliable circumstantial evidence.

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  22. everything we assume about fergie is based on circumstantial evidences even when he says something publicly- he will onnly say parts he wants us to hear, so assuming is all we got... my shift is over so see you in the morning on the post about another el incredible linked to Liverpool...

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  23. There is reliable circumstantial thinkingand than there is unreliable circumstantial thinking, and imo, your assumption fell in the latter. Just think your too quick to think that way about that incident to suit your view, which is fair enough as that is your 'right'. I just don't think there is nowhere near enough to back up your assumption that it was just some empty showmanship from Ferguson. That is just imo, of course. Whereas I used a interview from Solksjaer several years after the incident and after he retired from Man United. I view that as more reliable (even taking into consideration my view). So to sum up, 'smart fouls' may be more palatable and more tolerable than handballs but it is still cheating, imo, regardless of whether its wrapped up in lovely wrapping paper and a nice cute bow or not. Agree to disagree. Anyhoo, see you tomorrow on El Jaimie's next thread ;) and have a good weekend.

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