17 Jan 2013

La Liga giants join Man Utd in hunt for 'wonderful' £20m LFC star. Sell?

Speculation surrounding the future of Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe continues to intensify, with Atletico Madrid and Manchester United the latest teams to be linked with a move for the Spanish stopper.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Reina is wanted by Atletico as a replacement for Thibaut Courtois, who is currently on loan from Chelsea.

Additionally, the Daily Mail claims that Alex Ferguson is 'considering' a move for Reina, though I can't see that ever happening.

Despite the interest of Man United and Atletico, Arsenal remain front-runners to sign Reina; the Gunners already tried to sign him once back in 2010, as the Spaniard confirmed in his autobiography, released last year:

"Arsenal offered £20m, a phenomenal amount for a goalkeeper. Part of me felt that I was well within my rights to consider my future. When Liverpool received the bid, they rejected it. I was told that my continued presence was crucial to the sale of the club. I was simply a bargaining chip in the sales process"

The Arsenal link has intensified over the last few weeks. According to a reports in December, the Gunners have 'already made moves' to bring Reina - who Rodgers recently described as a 'wonderful' player - to Highbury:

"There is up to €75 million from existing cash resources available for the manager to use in January, which could result in €62m of new talent arriving at the club. The Gunners are looking to reinforce the goalkeeping...position and have already made moves to bring in some of their top targets, who include...Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina"

I've argued many times that the Reds should let Reina leave, and Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson believes Arsene Wenger should make him a a transfer priority for the Gunners. In a recent column for The Mirror, Lawro claimed that Wenger could 'no longer keep faith with the players that are continually leaving him in the firing line', and suggested Reina would be a good addition to the Arsenal squad. He said:

"Now is the time for him [Arsene Wenger] to be ruthless. People talk about Pepe Reina at Liverpool. If he were available I would go and buy him now".

The fact that one of Liverpool's ex-players is actively encouraging a rival manager to sign one of the club's current players is quite telling, and indirectly highlights Reina's decreasing influence and necessity at Anfield.

Reina's form has improved a little over the last few weeks, but his frailties resurfaced again during the Man United defeat last Sunday:

* Should've saved Van Persie's goal-bound shot. It was low and on the ground, and Reina didn't get down quickly enough.

* Shambolic organisation for the wall prior to United's second goal. Why was Skrtel even in the wall? Despite barking orders, no one seemed to listen to Reina, and United scored, exposing the Spaniard's near-post vulnerability once again.

Is Reina absolutely integral to Liverpool's success? If he is, why are Liverpool seemingly looking for a new goalkeeper? The Reds can manage without him, and if that's the case, why not cash-in now whilst his value is at a decent level?

Jaimie Kanwar

REMEMBER: Please stick to the Comment Policy


55 comments:

  1. liverpool4life5659:33 pm, January 17, 2013

    I wouldn't let him go, he getting back to form.... Who better than reina atm?

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  2. "who is currently on loan at chelsea"

    nothing negativ, just saying...

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  3. as long as we can bring in jack butland, im a big big fan of him!

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  4. It was supposed to say 'from' Chelsea. Thanks for spotting that.

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  5. Id cash in and sign Jack Butland. Especially if Pepes hearts not in it.

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  6. Victor Valdes's agents announced to Barça today that he won't be taking up the offer of a renewed contract. He'll leave the Nou Camp when his current contract expires in 2014.

    Could be relevant.

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  7. Cash in. He's been good for the club but I feel there's better out there for us.

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  8. He should go because too many mistakes made by him last season and this season as well, he is getting even worse.
     

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  9. Reina hasn't been in good form for the last 2 seasons, so if anyone offers around 15 million, sell him. Apart from last weeks game, his performance that really annoys me was last year's FA Cup final. 

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  10. I cant believe you want one of the best players at the club to leave and join a rival club the very fact that these teams would want to pay money to sign him should tell you his value is far above the transfer fee he would bring to the club
    We have seen what has happened to the club since we agreed to sell the likes of Kuyt Alonso Mach Torres in the vain pursuit of reducing the wage bill we have gone from 2nd place challangers and European Champions to Mid Table misfiring club if and when we lose Carra Gerrard and Pepe if we are not careful we could be fighting relegation season after season the team has to stay strong and has to be added to and after that money can be put to improvements otherwise we will be the next Leeds Notts Forrest Coventry Boro etc etc we are now on the line which way we chose to go if we go selling are best then we are doomed so dont go shouting this crap it just shows you as being stupid

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  11. What form ? Just watch all the goals we conceded this season Vorm could have saved half of them.

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  12. and you think Valdes is better than Reina??

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  13. i though he wud of been our next cap still a top keeper and wil b for another 5 or 6 seasons but if we were to sell then i hope were looking at celtics keeper

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  14. The fact that chelsea wanted to sign torres for 50mill didn't mean he was best player in the world ...obviously...and I seriously think you don't watch our games pepe is getting worse each day.he could have saved more than half of the goals he conceded dis season . FA FINAL, van persys goals -this season and last season. Please he's run out of reflex ..lol..and he is obviously not happy.

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  15. StumblingJackSplash10:11 pm, January 17, 2013

    Not so much a simply case of who's better, but rather who could we attract that's better, or even just as good as.

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  16. I don't want Pepe to go.  I just can't believe we'd get 20m for him considering his form for the past couple of seasons.

    I still consider him a top goalkeeper in the premiere league, and unless we are going to replace him with someone as good or better, I don't know how we could realistically rely on Brad Jones every game for the rest of the season.

    Also, with last week's game, I didn't consider him at fault for either goal. Our defense and midfield were terrible in the first half.  To give Evra the time to get the ball into RVP was ridiculous.  And on the free kick, the wall wasn't the issue.  The issue was terrible marking which somehow ended up with Johnson marking Evra AND Vidic on the back post of all places.

    And why wouldn't anyone bring up the Kagawa save!

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  17. Yes, good point. That was, admittedly, a great saved, though he did initially push it into Kagawa's path...

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  18. StumblingJackSplash10:16 pm, January 17, 2013

    DerBaumMann and Chuckyred - maybe Butland will go on to be a top class keeper, not another Kirkland or Carson, but it's one hell of risk to replace Reina with Butland at this early stage of Butland's development.

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  19. Exactly. Unless there is someone proven and better to immediately replace him with then absolutely no way. 

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  20. Can't help but agree again. I mean, da f...? Butland is potential, but come on people, has this youth only thing started to brainwash a few people into where our ambitions should be aimed. I didn't realise the hope of champions league football was a three to four year deal away. We need SOME experience, please.....

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  21. Don't think Valdes is the answer either..

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  22. I'm so glad someone else desires above mediocrity. I used to think of Arsenal as a rival too, it appears I must lower my sights to the West Broms and Swanseas....

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  23. If we were to use the money to sign a new good keeper then I would be happy if we sold him. My big worry though is over the last few years we haven`t used money well, and I wouldn`t want Reina being sold to buy overpriced average players.

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  24. It's pot luck if you save a shot from someone like RVP from that range and the header from 6 yards took a deflection about 4 yards from goal. Those example of "poor goalkeeping" are flimsy at best.

    But I wouldn't really care if he left at this stage, on crazy money, and his heart doesn't seem in it.

    Can't see why Arsenal would sign him now. Or any other serious club in Prem.

    We'd get £7 million tops for him given his salary demands.

    I would like to see a fresh young keeper, like Butland, come in.

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  25. Jamie if we sold all the players you wish sold we wouldn't have team lol..

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  26. Question ? If Reina is no longer an integral part of LFC , is that because you think he isn't good enough anymore or because we could do with the money ??

    If Reina isn't good enough to play for LFC , then why are the teams above us, Arsenal and Man U, being linked with them.. ? Wenger and Ferguson teams so superior to ours that they can afford to buy our inferior keeper.. Get real .

    By all accounts and his own, Reina had a poor season last year.. This season didn't start too well either .. but he has of late started to find some of his old form. Even in 'poor form' he has managed 7 clean sheets this season, only two behind Harte,Chech and Begovic at the top on 9.

    And who exactly do we replace him with.. Names please.. Legitimate targets we can expect to fill his big gloves !? People go on about Buttland .. PLEASEEEE .. whats the guy done ?? sweet FA .. He's made about 40 senior apperances.. WOW.. oh I forgot he's young and he's English.. So were Kirkland and Carson when we paid over the odds for 'potentially' the next great English keeper.. Who by the way haven't produced one in 20 years til Harte came along !

    And who says we're after a new keeper.. give us one qoute from either Rodgers or Ayre stating that.. otherwise it's hearsay, as your so fond of saying yourself. But you have no problem reporting 'sources' when it suits you.

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  27. I think it would only go through with a good keeper lined up, such as Butland or Vorms.  The thing I like about Butland is that he's British and would better appreciates Liverpool's long tradition and thus be with the club long term, whereas with Spanish players there is an equally (arguably better) league in their home country and quite often would return during the primes of their careers (ie/ Xabi, Fabregas, and to a lesser extent Luis Garcia). 

    True point on the whole use of money thing, but for me I don't think we're losing anything by replacing Reina with one of those keepers, and we could probably buy them for less the 20M.

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  28. Butland would be the biggest mistake we could make

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  29. Asmir Begovic. If we can sign Begovic, I'd let Reina go.

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  30. Letting Reina would be so dumb why nor sell Suarez and Gerard and Agger Jaimie you talk not sense ever and if put on a Manure shirt it would cause a riot in the North West

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  31. Arsenal were going to spend over 50 million this window. So far they've spent sfa. The clock is ticking Arsene...

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  32. Reina is a good GK who needs a new challenge... He is not the same keeper from Rafa Benitez's departure and then... I hate to say that, but he has to leave from Liverpool to save his career... We have to take the money while we can and find another keeper (what about Tim Krul?)

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  33. The problem is if we sell Reina chances are we will only get 15m for him, and obviously he would have to be replaced. Who do you bring in that's as good as Reina and costs less than 15m? especially since any club will know we're desperate for a keeper and hold us to ransom. I do like Forster for Celtic though.

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  34. I think a couple of seasons down he wont fetch us anything and for sure wont even close to being as good as he is now (not that he is in his best form now). So if we get a decent price for him we should let him go. He has been great for us but everyone cannot end their careers here. Everyone is not Stevie G

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  35. Stekelenburg is out of favour at Roma for some reason. So if we could sell Reina for silly money and he wants to leave I say take the silly money, get Stekelenburg on the cheap and splash the cash on M'Vila and a left back

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  36. So, Arsenal have €62m to spend. Now, there's a deal. Please hand over the money in no small notes immediately. Taxi for Mr. Reina is waiting outside Melwood already.

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  37. We've been waiting for him regaining his form for how long now? Two seasons, even three? He may regain his form, but it doesn't seem as if he would with us.

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  38. is he really as good as people make out? young? yes, english? yes.  i would like a more experienced keeper first and take him as an understudy. reina has been great for us but form over the last three or so seasons has been patchy. if he wants to go, let him.

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  39. if we don't reduce wage bills, etc, you are right , we could be the next leeds, forest, coventry or boro.......fighting to stay in existence, which was nearly the case not so very long ago. short memories from some people. so are you saying, lets keep paying out massive wages and transfer/agent fees, which will put our entire existence in jeopardy as it, at this moment in time, would be unsustainable? thank the lord you are not in a position of power at the club. you state your name as 'bob smith', i think that is a cover for your real identity, eh mr.g hicks!?!?!?!?

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  40. I know to little about Buttland to pass judgement, but, well, you claim that he has done nothing and only played about 40 senior appearances. Just a little reminder, one Ray Clemence was bought from then third tier Scunthorpe and had made about 50 senior appearances for them. He did sweet FA before he's joined us.

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  41. ridiculous! i would rather take two steps back and a big stride forward. as i have said before, you don't need superstar players to win things, just the right players doing their jobs correctly. three or four big names surrounded by seven or eight expensive inferiors won't get you anywhere, which is where we have been for quite some time, losing money hand over fist,like a bad gambler chasing his bets. we can be successful again, but at least we will be on a sound financial footing, what goes around.........

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  42. fraser forster, better than butland and has proved he can do it in big games. also, cheap.

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  43. Those days are long gone. The scouting networks of all top clubs pretty much have the best talent. very rare to find prem talent in the lower leagues. The question would possibly be how much would we overpay for a player like butland?

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  44. I think he has been regaining a bit of form in the last few games. Didnt do anything wrong in the utd game from memory.

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  45. That comment pepe made about just being basically a pawn in the sales process had a ring of resentment to it, ive said before that over the last few seasons ive lost count the number of games where the first shot or header on target the opposition have it ends up in the onion bag, people used to say a good goalie would save you so many points a season, i havent seen that with pepe, if a good enough bid comes in id let him go & i go a lot of games, home & away & have seen goalies from clemence onwards

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  46. Since like there is a conspiracy to get rid of Rafa's Spanish player.....

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  47. frazer foster. enough said

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  48. If Reina wants to leave then we should not hold him back.

    BUT DO NOT GO FOR JACK BUTLAND! All hype, no substance. He's already conceded 42 goals in 27 appearances, whether that is a question of the defense in front of him is one thing but it definitely doesn't reflect well on the keeper.

    We need to replace an outgoing Reina with quality, Michel Vorm or Asmir Begovic are two keepers on top of their game right now and would surely jump at a chance to join a bigger club.

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  49. All right then, how about Joe Hart, who had played around 50 games for forth tier Shrewsbury before being signed by Man City? Those days are long gone.

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  50. Akinfeev, Courtois, Stekelenburg, Muslera, Adler, Handanovic and that's ignoring obvious answers like Buffon, Lloris and Cech.

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  51. He clearly needs a change of scenery. As much as I like him just looking at his body language the last 3 years its pretty obvious he's not in it anymore.

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  52. i posted months ago that reina wants to finish his careera at althletico. his old man played in goal 4 them .petr check will move if mouirno is still manager a real next season and chealsea will bring back their keeper from athletico as for reina sell asap  been piss poor for last 3 seasons

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  53. Exactly where did I say we need 3 or 4 big names surrounded by seven or eight expensive inferiors? Or that we need superstar players to win things.? I HAVE said before and still do, that the youth needs one or two quality players of experience to help them develop, as although the youth can definitely win individual games, could they sustain that challenge of top four for a whole season? The above comment that you replied to, was referring towards my desire to keep hold of Reina and not to let him go to a club I still would like to acknowledge as a rival! That is where I set my sights. Am I not entitled to have that passion for the club that I have supported for many years since my childhood.? I am realistic enough not to expect that push this year, but ONE additional player of the right standard this window could make a HUGE difference, to not only where we finish this season, but could also set us up for the summer window and the beginning of next season. However, this debate with you has been undeniably difficult, as to state someone else'e emotional comment as ridiculous, and then not only misinterpret my intentions, but to add to them, can only mean that your wisdom and level of intellect is so far greater , that I should indeed, not have bothered in writing such a 'ridiculous' comment in the first place and should rather wait for yours then agree with you......Not in my world mate, we are all entitled to our feelings and opinions; it's an emotional game. Have a debate by all means, no need to attempt ridicule to get your point across. I'm not too stupid and enjoy sharing opinion when it's done correctly.....

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  54. This is ridiculous... ManU has two bright young keepers already... Last i heards Athletico had money issues.... Hopefully Pepe wont be leaving anyways

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