10 May 2013

Big chance for LFC? - Reds chase €10m wing-star who 'feels bad' after CL snub.

Last summer, Liverpool were repeatedly linked with a move for Barcelona starlet Cristian Tello, and although the Spaniard recently signed a new contract with the Catalan club, the Reds are still reportedly chasing his signature.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca this week:

"Cristian Tello is highly sought after by a number of European clubs, including Liverpool

"The Reds already tried to sign him last summer when Barcelona was considering the possibility of a loan.

"The English club would have no problem paying his €10m release clause"


A statement on Barcelona's website in December confirmed Tello's contract extentions:

"FC Barcelona has reached an agreement with Cristian Tello to extend his current deal with the Club until 30th June 2016. The release clause has been fixed at 10 million Euros"

The new deal is no surprise - Barca boss Tito Villanova holds Tello in high regard, and in a recent interview, he gushed:

"Tello has never been on any list of players we wanted to move on. It was clear to us that he’d be staying with the first team. He is a player with some special characteristics, he’s young and he has to improve, but he has the ability to open up the pitch and to take a man on. There are very few players at that level".

Of course, a new deal doesn't really rule out a move for Tello. A €10m release clause is comparatively minor, and if the Reds really wanted the youngster, I'm sure FSG could rustle up the money.

Tello's frustration at being a bit-part player at Barca is beginning to show, and in April, he publicly expressed his disappointment at being ignored for the Champions League game against Bayern Munich. He told Eurosport:

"It feels bad not to be picked in the squad for such a big game. You always want to play every possible minute, but those are the manager’s decisions. I’ll carry on working just as hard."

Despite his frustration at missing the Bayern game, Tello has still made 31 appearances for the club this season, grabbing 8 goals and 5 assists, which is a creditable return.

If Liverpool managed to sign Tello, where would he play? He's plays mostly on the left for Barca, and Liverpool have that position covered with Coutinho, and Suarez. However, if the Brazilian continues to play more centrally, then Tello would be a great option as part of the attacking front three:

------------ Sturridge

Tello --------------------- Suarez

------------ Coutinho





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40 comments:

  1. cannot wait for the transfer window to close getting depressed already about the players we may be able to sign but will not;-)

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  2. I agree I hate this time of the year, being connected to every single player. However, the way we conducted transfers in January I am hoping we are the same in the summer. Maybe I am too optimistic that we assemble the team before pre season. Well I hope we get out main players by then, getting the transfers done early benefited the team in so many ways.

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  3. Agreed. If we want to mount a serious challenge at the top for a CL place or the prem we need to get players in early and give them a full pre-season imo

    The longer we take to sign players the more likely we end
    up in a similar position as last summer.

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  4. we will drag it out and lose out on targets imo other clubs have already begun talks we just dither we should set our targets and sign them now

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  5. I'm sure nearly every club are looking at targets that's premier league championship, league 1, international teams etc nature of the game. We will find out soon I guess. BR said he wants to buy players before pre season, but you don't always get what you want.

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  6. To be fair they were quick off the mark with the Jan signings. Hopefully we will see same again.

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  7. 100% agree.


    We just need to be careful to stick to our valuations of players.


    Generally speaking, when the market is new, people overpay. When the market sets itself, people pay either at more below market value.


    We don't want to rush out of the gates to sign players, but we also don't want to wait too long.

    Find that happy medium and we'll be ok.

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  8. Tello is class. He wont leave Barca this summber but if he does it will be for a CL club. Why would he leave to go to a club thats not in the CL because he is annoyed about been dropped for a CL game???? lol

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  9. Not sure we could get him, but seems like one of the better choices we're linked with. Unfortunately for lfc fans every big name we are linked with is probably linked with others who are in some form of european football. we can really only offer playing time as is the case for someone like Tello.

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  10. I guess I did not think of it in that way, balance is perfect, you don't want to be too early nor do you want to be late. However, from what I recall buying early does not mean you pay a premium price. Last year Arsenal snapped Podolski to an agreement before the window opened. Podolski cost £11 and Giroud cost 12.8m. This hardy a premium price they acted quick. As you also said when the market is new people may end up paying more. A part of me would make that risk why? Mainly because we have not sold any of our players so clubs would not know how much of the kitty we have to play with. Look at this way when we sold Torres everyone knew we had £50m in our pocket Newcastle took advantage of that maybe Ajax did aswel with Suarez, but Suarez transfer paid off. Arsenal bought their targets before clubs were able to do that. Van Persie was later sold to Man United for £24m if clubs knew Arsneal had that kind of money they might have paid more for the service of Podolski and Giroud.

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  11. Yeah, it's hard to see Tello moving even if it means an increase in playing time. Since Liverpool will be getting Europa League football at best, he would see it as a downgrade. In any case, Barça have been quite impressed with him this season it seems, and given Villa (and maybe Alexis) are going it seems unlikely they'll let him go.

    Spurs would be better to direct their interest at getting Deulofeu on loan. He's a very hot young talent, he's characteristics suit the English game, and could do very well for Tottenham for a season or two!

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  12. Sturridge

    Tello --------------------------Suarez
    (Martinez)
    Coutinho

    Eriksen-----------------Lucas

    Agger----Gerrard----Skrtel ----Johnson

    Reina

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  13. Hopefully BR has the old Silver tongue and can sell him the dream.

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  14. There are certainly exceptions to every situation.


    We just have to make sure that we let the market set itself as opposed to us setting the market.

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  15. Well said. We say the price & we stick to it so in that sense we don't become push overs. That also means at some points we don't get who we want. But most importantly we don't risk the finance of the club.

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  16. Next season foward players will become more dangerous if LFC can complete signing 2 new wingers......Christian Eriksen and Tello.Add 1 more strikers....Jackson Martinez,Leandro Damiao,Edison Cavani or Gonzalo Higuin.Why not try to break the bank with signing Mario Gotze??? I hope dealing with Ooredo will be great success to helping get more cash injection. LFC need to bring world class mentality players,not just well done or yo yo performance.Downing,Carroll,Borini,Skrtel,Spearing,and Pacheco must be sell out from LFC team next season.Please do not repeat again silly mistake with making wrong investment flops players like Tom Ince and Scott Sinclair.Not good value for money.It is will like wasting money project again.We need to get sign fresh players with new idea.Philippe Coutinho is good example.....new arrival who making LFC look diffrent with fresh idea. Briliant,genius and tricky players (better get leandro Damiao).

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  17. If Liverpool are to get their number 1 targets then paying overs may not matter.
    I get the impression that many of the players they have bought have been down the list and turned out to be poor value for money.

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  18. Dont worry Jason i have it on good authority Voronin is coming back lol.

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  19. LFC must focus and seriously work hard to get top priority signing for next season.All the fans want to see Christian Eriksen and Tello are new faces players joing LFC for next season.What ever happen this 2 players must get sign firstly.After that maybe new defender players.Attacking is also art of defend...we want to see a lot of goal next season. This season LFC look so hard and difficult to beat bottom ranking team as Reading,Wigan, Sunderland and others team.Why??? Foward players especialy midfielder are dead and not to creative.Much better next season LFC wiil not keep Downing,Borini,Henderson, Spearing,Skrtel and Carroll.....just ship out from the team.Deadwood players.

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  20. Speak for yourself fella, I too am a Liverpool fan but would rather we didn't purchase Tello. Althought he's a talented player he clearly has no desire to play for our football club, I thought the goal was to create a team that wanted to play for the shirt and give it everything not fill it with overpaid pre madonnas. Don't get me wrong Tello might not be as described but correct me if Im wrong he's stayed at Barca when there's been speculation for two summers now the guy clearly wants to stay there so lets find some other targets who have a genuine interest in joining our great club.

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  21. hopefully but i want to see some experienced players with class not potential

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  22. to be true hes the kind of player i exxpect us to be seriuosly connected with cheap and cheerful and no wonder

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  23. theres a dam sight more players i would get rid of before hendo hes been one of the best players this year lol

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  24. Think you'll be shocked this summer JC. In fact I'm pretty sure, I think that unlike other managers and setups, this lot are learning from their mistakes and are doing stuff about it. Last summer was a farce, January was a huge improvement. I'm hoping the summer will be even better. The people who think they know EVERYTHING say we have £20 mil to spend, I think that''s bullcrap. £20 mil I feel is the Standard Chartered fee, we'll get money from the TV deal (Sky) we'll get money from other streams too excluding sales. We just wont advertise it like we did in the past. I don't think it's just chance that we are being linked with players like Tello and Jackson Martinez.

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  25. Every club around will be shitting themselves to keep hold of their young players, they all know BR is willing to drop them right into the first team if they show potential, were snapping up serious potential in our youth players, stop putting a downer on everything all the time please, we have more chance of getting players like this than the likes of Villa

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  26. do you really believe what you have written if you do your deluded,i doubt very much the big boys are worried about us at all and as for us signing the top young talent give your head a shake we have done well with coutinho but what about hazzard ,erksen and all the young players in germany how many of them will end up at anfield answer on the back of a stamp none

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  27. Yesil is one of the biggest names in Germany and Erickson is being linked with us every day. Sick of this were mid table not in CL crap, some players want to EARN their place in the CL, come to Liverpool where you can make a huge name for yourself taking us to glory or go to a ready made team and blend into the background. Its common knowledge that its hard for clubs to hang onto youth players and where better to go than the Club currently throwing 18 year old's into the team left right and center. Get it into your head the world doesn't see LFC the same way you do

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  28. oh yesil one of the biggest names in germany you jest and as for the ericksen link its media only therirs not a chance we will sign him way out of our budget

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  29. No he's their main striker and scores a lot of goals? how is that jesting?
    Ericksen link is media speculation ? ITS ALL MEDIA SPECULATION, until the player turns up at the club that's all it can be.
    That leaves me with the budget, what exactly is our budget? Believe me if they see a way of making money then we will get any player regardless of price. Business is business and they are good at it, So far in the few years here we have had over 100 million, we have VERY rich owners, don't believe all this "Media Speculation" over the budget Jason, As for people at the club have said we got no money crap, were not likely to come out and go wow were rolling in it can we have him on the cheap please

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  30. chris lets see how much of their so called loads of money they spend in the summer i think your in for a shock my friend

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  31. Chris, totally agree mate.
    Jason, I read a lot of your comments on here and on occasions agree with them, not this time though.
    I think as fans we need to not spout negativity at every opportunity we can, but instead hold onto our thoughts for a bit.
    You never know Jason, you could be saying I told you so. I for one don't think that you will be though))

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  32. i hope your right and iam wrong and they spend loads just do not see it and i will be glad for you to be able to say you told me so,if we do not i will not say it to you because i will be to pissed off with another no show by fsg

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  33. yeah Duelofue is another that will be quality as will Dongou and Roberto and Rafinha and Bagnack and Grimaldo and Espinosa and maybe Araujo and Muniesa ... Barcas yth set up is unreal... watch out for the Sth Korean Park Sheng-ho comin thru, He is unreal.. I think Duelofues signed his new deal on the basis that he would be promoted to the first team squad next season so Id be surprised if the loan him but Affelay would be for sale cheap and would be a good wide man imo

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  34. I see ur just as passionate and much of a fan as can be mate so the 'told u so's' will not be going in either direction regardless of outcome.
    Neither do I see the club breaking the bank either. I have a feeling of optimism for this next window due to lessons hopefully learnt over the past few seasons.
    My idea of transfers (opinion only!) are to buy a deep lying playmaker. Iturra has been mentioned as a close possibility and although I have seen him once he sounds like he could fit in nicely if going by other professional opinions.
    Buy a winger/forward, Ericsen ideally although he now looks Dortmund bound. My alternative would be Ince whom I have watched on numerous occasions and can definitely see hunger and potential to feature regularly from the start with improvement to come.
    I would now also like the left back Digne whom admittedly I have also not seen but again has immediate and future potential like Ince. This would also allow Enrique to cover wing and defence as a utility place thus enabling Downing to leave for hopefully more than 6m if poss.
    ...and of course a centre back or two. One definitely being a dominant player in his prime. So many names get banded about of which Williams is one who I wouldn't place high up the list. Sounds bad but I would have Jagielka, he wouldn't come and we wouldn't buy but definitely someone with his profile which is similar to Carragher.
    Another player of attacking ilk like Tello would be a nice surprise although money would be well stretched by then.
    Anyway Jason, I may be wishing for too much with these but would be genuinely interested in knowing what ur thoughts on incoming and outgoing transfers would be.
    I would also get rid of Skrtel too by the way if somebody wants to give us 14m+!

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  35. I prob didn't need to mention spearing and Carroll too but hopefully around 15m for both would be nice)

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  36. Agreed, I think he will be around for years.
    Not as one of our best but for continuity and reliability which are definitely two ingredients that every squad needs.

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  37. And Suso ..we could play with 4 wingers if we bought everybody lol!

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  38. me to he could go on to be a real stalwart of the team

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  39. i would get rid of spearing carrolls gone just about,borrini asaidi and maybe downing ,i,ve said before i would like shawcross rhodes from blackburn and hopefully eriksen ,about 50 to 55 million for them three ,with the money from the sales it would not break the bank

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  40. Yep he has... there's so much talent in midfield (and even on the wing) that Barça should be looking to offload a number in the summer. Or at least loan them out. Liverpool are pretty good up front though, with Suarez and Sturridge at least. Another top threat winger would make them a real threat going forward. AC Milan want Affellay for a cut price now, but maybe Liverpool could outbid their 5M offer...

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