Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly tracking Eintracht Frankfurt midfield star Sebastian Rode, who is also wanted by Pepe Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
£18m-rated Rode - a defensive midfielder - is out of contract next summer, which means he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January, and in a recent interview, the powerful 23-year old made it clear that he will not sign a new contract with Frankfurt. He told reporters:
“I have a contract with Eintracht until 2014, and during talks with the club bosses, I made it clear that I will fulfill my contract, but would not like to extend it.”
When asked last week about why he wants to leave Frankfurt, Rode told German newspaper Bild:
""I have decided that I need to take a new sporting a new challenge. I've had three great years here, but my aim now is to play in the Champions League".
Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Bruno Hubner has also dismissed the possibility of selling Rode in January:
“A number of big clubs are interested in signing him. There’s a lot of speculation at the moment following his good performances, but we have made the decision that Rode is not for sale at any price and will remain at Frankfurt until the end of his contract.”
This therefore means that Rode will be able to leave for free next summer, which could save Liverpool a massive transfer fee.
The Reds are increasingly being linked with defensive midfielders at the moment, which is great news as it could mean that Brendan Rodgers is finally coming around to the reality that Lucas Leiva needs genuine competition in the squad.
Benfica's Nemanja Matic is another alleged Liverpool target, but with a €35m price-tag, Rode is clearly the more cost-effective option at this stage.
Additionally, if Liverpool finish in the Champions League places this season, which is clearly a big possibility, the club will start to look a lot more attractive to players like Rode/Matic.
Author: Jaimie K
£18m-rated Rode - a defensive midfielder - is out of contract next summer, which means he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January, and in a recent interview, the powerful 23-year old made it clear that he will not sign a new contract with Frankfurt. He told reporters:
“I have a contract with Eintracht until 2014, and during talks with the club bosses, I made it clear that I will fulfill my contract, but would not like to extend it.”
When asked last week about why he wants to leave Frankfurt, Rode told German newspaper Bild:
""I have decided that I need to take a new sporting a new challenge. I've had three great years here, but my aim now is to play in the Champions League".
Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Bruno Hubner has also dismissed the possibility of selling Rode in January:
“A number of big clubs are interested in signing him. There’s a lot of speculation at the moment following his good performances, but we have made the decision that Rode is not for sale at any price and will remain at Frankfurt until the end of his contract.”
This therefore means that Rode will be able to leave for free next summer, which could save Liverpool a massive transfer fee.
The Reds are increasingly being linked with defensive midfielders at the moment, which is great news as it could mean that Brendan Rodgers is finally coming around to the reality that Lucas Leiva needs genuine competition in the squad.
Benfica's Nemanja Matic is another alleged Liverpool target, but with a €35m price-tag, Rode is clearly the more cost-effective option at this stage.
Additionally, if Liverpool finish in the Champions League places this season, which is clearly a big possibility, the club will start to look a lot more attractive to players like Rode/Matic.
Author: Jaimie K
ONLY IF we're end in top 4 by the end of season is we will get the top tier players to those we already have or we'll have to find gems among rocks which will not be always possible. I think Matic would be twice this guy is, but anything for free feels good, so come on Brendan get this lad and who knows he might do a Coutinho or Sturridge.
ReplyDeleteDo well to get him, doubt it very much though, unless were still at the top come January, which i also very much doubt.
ReplyDeletewe need goals from midfield
ReplyDeletemkhitaryan is so good for dortmount imagine if we had signed him
we need someone like diamanti or van der vaart but younger
why did we not try to sign kevin prince boateng
congratulation to rodgers
ReplyDeletei am sure he will win us the title
a goal scoring midfielder a right wing back, a skillful fast striker and another goalkeeper
ReplyDeleteWoow....New Robert Huth.Dangerous player.
ReplyDeleteIs that your attempt at sarcasm?
ReplyDeleteAccording to you, LFC will be relegated this season because of Rodgers, West Brom are better than us and will win 3-1,and Coutinho is rubbish.
You have NO credibility.
Still, you are entitled to your opinion. Not sure how many people will regard you as being worth listening to though.....
nah you see
ReplyDeletei wanted to be negative as possible
so if lfc lost i would hurt less
i get too sad after liverpool lose
Fabio Borini has just scored a cracker vs Newcastle. Good player, just needs to find his feet in the EPL.
ReplyDeleteGood player, and borini what a goal. Hopefully he gets more games at Sunderland and comes back to us a better player, he has talent just Injurys have hampered his progress for us.
ReplyDeleteDon't know about this guy, but IF we were still in the top 4 come Jan why not try to get Lewandowski? £7m is a steal, Dortmund don't want him to go to Bayern for free, and he has expressed and interest in the PL.
ReplyDeleteYes I know it's unlikely, but Arsenal got Ozil from 3/4th in the league so why not us? Not sure if the City link would work, and would he want to join Van Percy and Rooney who play his position at Utd. Chelsea would be a threat and of course Spurs, but they've spent their Bale money on lots of players .
Both Suarez and Sturridge can play right across the front 3 and drop deep, as can RL. What a front line that would be :
Sturridge------------Lewandowski------------Suarez
---------------Coutinho/ Gerrard------------
Hendo/Gerrard--------------Lucas/DM----------
Cissokho/Enrique----Sakho/Agger -----Toure/Skrtyl------Kelly/Johnson
---------------------------Mino-------------------------------
That leaves room for a new powerful DM to join to give us power and defend our back 4 . Just think if we'd got Mhkitaryan.
Blimey.
Yes, very confident strike from Borini The only hesitation was to ensure he had it measured right. Good choice to loan him out. Maybe the strike will get him more starts. Altidore has not been working out so well.
ReplyDeleteI think those three at the front would be good on paper, but there are egos involved even if they claim otherwse. It would be too crowded up front. I think we should concentrate on getting the best AM we can find/afford and maybe another DM to pressure. If Toon stay on their presen track, perhaps Cabaye would be available. I love his attacking style...or keep an eye on the Mata situation. Once again he is not expected to start today.
ReplyDeleteLewandowski is already joining Bayern Munich when the season ends.
ReplyDeleteYes I know, but Dortmund are desperate to sell him in Jan to avoid strengthening Bayern at their own expense
ReplyDeleteI agree, except RL is actually a real team player whoputs his team ahead of himself. Which both Suarez and Sturridge are showing signs of doing this year.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Mata, and Cabaye would also be good.
This video clip is not helpful. 30 seconds of flag waving, video of other people scoring...nothing to learn from this.
ReplyDelete352 is the future it allows us to have our own identity , and use our team to the best of their ability
ReplyDeletesuarez/aspas, sturridge/moses,coutinho/alberto,gerrard/allen,lucas/henderson
johnson/sterling , enrique/cissoko,toure/kelly,skrtel/iloris,agger/sakho
mignolet/jones
we have 2 players in every position
Just ready to enjoy being clear of both Chelski and Spurs for the week when Hull gifts Spurs PK at 80' and then Joe Hart blunders away a point to Torres at the death. Auuuugh. This is the England #1?
ReplyDeleteSo who still wants Eriksen? He ain't starting matches for Spurs and when he comes on as a sub he contributes nothing.
ReplyDeleteWell, Mata didn't play at all so of the two I think he wold be keenest to leave and I would prefer him in red.
ReplyDeleteBIG if possibility. Arsenal game a huge huge test. If we play well the confidence going on from there can be very crucial. All off to Rodgers and the players, they are certainly good enough to win. But for how long now have they been un stable and in decisive? Rodgers, most important is that you put on a show that is at least respectable. The patience for any sort of stable success is running low now to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI think way too much fuss has been made about Eriksen. Maybe he just ain't that good.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need a right wing back?
ReplyDeleteI think Johnson, kelly and McGloughlin coming through should have enough quality to have that one covered for a few years yet?
Attacking midfielder with Goals in him, Defensive mid and a powerf striker and we are well on the way
Could be right. I want smart, quick, fast and strong...is that so much to ask;-)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, with the SAS his opportunities were always limited, and barring some injury calamity, the Sunderland experience ought to be good for his confidence, here's hoping!
ReplyDeleteYeah but does that mean they'll accept a lower fee for him though? Plus he might not eve want to come to us, I mean he's in an excellent league, about to join one of the best teams in the world at the moment, he'd probably consider it a step down coming to us.
ReplyDeleteBayern are in pole position. Dortmund are going to lose their top striker to their nearest rival for the league for FREE. That's like Van Percy or Rooney to Man City for free, or Aguero to Chelsea for nothing.
ReplyDeleteLewandowski has said he is interested by the PL lately. Dortmund would get a small fee, but crucially wouldn't be strengthening their main rival at the same time.
I never said it was likely. But it is possible. Nobody would have thought Ozil would leave RM for Arsenal who came only 4th last year....
If he is available, then I don't see why not. I mean sure we have the SAS, but what of quality back up/competition? Of course we're not oing to have first team internationals as substitutes in most positions unlike City or Chelsea, but if he has stated he would consider a premiership offer, perhaps. Rodgers and FSG have shown that they can and will offer larger sums when it is deemed worth it (Mkhitaryan and Costa) to a point, and if Dortmund will sell for relative pittance, then we could afford to get him, and perhaps strengthen elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link. We are not mentioned, but we need to be interested if it happens
ReplyDeletehttp://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/439519/Man-Utd-Arsenal-and-Chelsea-told-to-pay-7m-for-Robert-Lewandowski
Mata for definite, rather than Eriksen. I remember saying that there was far too much being made of CE after a few good passes, Mata leaves him for dead.
ReplyDeleteSaw that mate, but the real issue is, what can we offer him that the other three can't? Isn't he cuptied though? So eveni he does sign for a side who offers him champions league he can't play till next season, and even then it would depend on if they secure qualification. If we have anything to offer it is that we are on the up, need quality, which will be valued and our aim is next year's champs league. Wonder if that'll interest him, oh and maybe the size of the contract offered. If we could feasibly have signed Mkhitaryan and Willian, I don't see why we can't secure an opportunity to talk to him or his reps.
ReplyDeleteLook how many goal scorers Man U have got and then compare us ?? We need to severely trim the squad if the likes of Morgan and Sterling were any good they would have cracked it by now - move them on buy quality scorers instead. ITS GOALS THAT COUNT NOT POTENTIAL TRIM SQUAD FROM 55 TO 38
ReplyDeleteMore like the REF gifted Spurs the penalty. When Hull Deserved one in the first half
ReplyDeleteHe said that he hasn't agreed a move to Bayern yet. He is open to a move in the premier league
ReplyDeleteYes, and he would be good, but that was also when LS future was up in the air.
ReplyDeleteDefensive Mid? But we have Lucas the Fantastic. Did you see how classy he gave away that penalty at the weekend? Such a great player...
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen him play. Conceptually, Rode, Matic or the functional equivalent sounds good. As long as the skills include pace, strength and the ability to pass well.......
ReplyDelete