23 Apr 2013

Top Target: Barcelona want to sign 'outstanding' £15m LFC star. Let him go...?

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is in the midst of a period of improved form at Anfield, and although the Spaniard has publicly stated that he's happy at Liverpool, he continues to be linked with a move away this summer.

According to Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo, which maintains close links with the club, the Catalan giants believe Reina - - recently described by Brendan Rodgers as 'outstanding - is 'more suited to the club's goalkeeping requirements' than any other 'keeper out there. The report states:

"Barça greatly values Reina - he knows the club and would easily fit into the dressing room.

"One of his strengths is his ability with the ball, which is a key factor for the club.

"His charisma, character and extensive experience are also highly valued by the Barca hierarchy, who believe Reina is definitely a safe bet"


The Reina-Barcelona rumours have intensified this year, and all the evidence seems to suggest that there is definitely interest there. In January, Reina's father Miguel publicly urged his son to join Barcelona. He told Reporters:

"Pepe has shown to everyone how good a goalkeeper he is. Right now, he's at the height of his career. And he'd be the ideal goalkeeper for Barcelona."

Addressing the speculation in early February, Reina dismissed his father's comments, but remained full of praise for the Spanish giants. He told ESPN:

"Barcelona is the best club in the world. I know what it means because I trained there as a player and as a person. When I sign a contract, I fulfil it and I have signed with Liverpool until 2016"

In a recent interview , Juan Carlos Unzue - who spent eight years at Barca's goalkeeping coach before leaving in 2012 - confirmed that Barcelona have watched Reina. He said:

"It is difficult to follow Valdes, but also a nice challenge. Vicente Guaita, Maarten Stekelenburg, Jose Reina are all all interesting names we have watched."

Liverpool seem to be actively looking for a goalkeeper, and in recent months, the likes of Asmir Begovic, Jason Steele, Ali Al Habsi, Mark Andre ter Stegen, and Alex McCarthy have all been touted as replacements for £15m-rated Reina, who is also reportedly wanted by Arsenal.

If Barcelona - or any team - offers £15m+ for Reina, Liverpool would be foolish not to accept it IMO. The Reds cannot afford to make the same costly mistakes as last summer, when the club rejected massive bids for both Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.

Skrtel and Agger had a decent 2011-12 season, but this campaign, they've made countless mistakes, which arguably shows that Liverpool made a mistake not selling at least one of them last summer.

The same principle applies to Reina: his form has improved over the last couple of months, but that doesn't cancel out his erratic form over the first 4-5 months of the season.



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28 comments:

  1. 15 million fair price but how much would it cost to get some one as good as pepe ,then they have to settle at the club and theres no garuntee they will be a success pepe the best keeper we have had since grobs and we have had some keepers

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  2. I agree. I cringe at some of the names touted as possible replacements for Reina.

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  3. It is not to easy to reborn new great goal keeper in the world.15 milion is very to cheapest.He still can playing for 10 years.I think put 25 milion and the deal can negociate.

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  4. £20m minimum for me.

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  5. Read Chris Bascombe in the Telegraph about Luis Suarez today, very good article.............let me know your thought Jas!!!.

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  6. I dont think not selling Agger or Skrtel last summer is a mistake. They have made individual errors which have cost us, so has Johnson and Carra hasn't been that great, but defending under Rodgers has been terrible. You didn't see many errors under Dalglish and Clarke. From the outside looking in defending doesn't seem to be Rodgers strength at all.


    As for Reina 15m is a good price but it should depend on the replacement. Especially if we are reshaping our defence as widely reported, we need top level experience. FSG+Rodgers+Ayre maintain that we will keep our 'top' players, so barring terrible performances, maybe Reina isn't for sale?

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  7. Phoned the mirror - biggest racing story for decades (25 horses doped at top yard) given a footnote, when I asked why thety said they needed the space for man utd they had 5 pages. but found lots of space for Suarez - not biased.

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  8. Dail Mails next Suarez headline - Captain Ahabs mother blames luis Suarez for her son being bitten.
    David Cameron never missed the chance to have a dig at Liverpool, "FOOTBALLER SHOULD REALISE THEY ARE ROLL MODELS" as opposed to fidding, lying, hypocritical, politicians like himself.

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  9. Seriously surely Cameron has more important things to do than worry about Suarez maybe he just wants a dig at Liverpool what a loser.

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  10. and with our luck with keepers it will turn out sour

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  11. I cringe at the many new words invented by JC because of his innate ability to spell.

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  12. lol george get a life have you ever made a post thats not about spelling so what who gives a f"ck only you and a hand full of english teachers

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  13. very good read,suarez is a fighter and as a win at all costs mentality ,and that win at all costs mentality sometimes boils over into fits of madness,but would you want a team full of players like him imo yes every game ,he could still pick his pay packet up and not care about the results ,but thats what makes him better than most

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  14. cameron is such a smug git i would love suarez to have a game against him

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  15. suarez is the top selling gossip for papers if nothings happeneing they make it up

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  16. Yeah I agree with pete not Selling agger and skrtel was not a mistake.If anything was/is a mistake it is hiring BR in the first place.

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  17. Poyet is class and i have read it, he is not going to be heard though. The chattering-class have decided Luis is public enemy no1, that's how it is. As for having 11 Suarez's yes please, he is a poor kid from the street made a multi-millionaire, like Tevez and Maradonna. Many of these kinds of players seem to suffer with money and fame, not excusing any behaviour.
    We see the media pretending Defoe NEVER bit anyone, they completely run the agenda against Luis. It doesn't matter what anyone does because Luis is public enemy no1, ridiculous. Defoe is English and that means he can't be a bad lad?. It is so xenophobic it is risible, how often do England players get no bans or fines?, yet any chance they get they hit Luis Suarez.
    I'm not a fool I know what i see, I have a mind of my own, It tells me the FA IS XENOPHOBIC................

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  18. The chattering-class sets the agenda, Cameron and the media are part of it all, If Luis Suarez was an England player he would never get the press he does or the bans. It really is that pathetic, make your own minds up???..........................before somebody tells you what to think.

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  19. If you wish you can always be following and watching LFC's games in full and its highlights on http://www.footballwatch.net/team/37

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  20. alas i have to agree with you about the fa

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  21. Very good article Gans. It's true, the media are culpable of sensationalizing the story. There is wars going on, rapes in Congo and they grab this. It's because it sells.


    Suarez done something very silly but it does not warrant such a media frenzy. I still feel, from a sporting side of things, that he should be fined, banned for a few games etc...

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  22. Lool! true! Bring back Dudek!!!

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  23. Injury wise this season Agger has been very good (surprisingly, and Gerrard too). I like Skrtel because he has authority in the air and has more pace than Agger and Carra. He can also track runners better too. Defence as a whole has been bad and it seems Skrtel was the man to pay for it. I honestly think Carra is playing because of a testimonial in a way, even Coates was picked ahead of Carra at the start of the season against City and he had a fine game too. No doubt we will bring in a center half though...

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  24. why don't the Tory press and the odious Cameron just build a cross in the middle of the Kop and crucify Suarez properly! Cameron getting involved sums it up for me, a chance to grab some voters?

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  25. back to the subject, if Reina wants to leave let him go, we should only be interested in players that want to be at LFC, if we can replace him for less than we sell him for why not? and there are some very good "younger" GK'ers out there

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