22 Mar 2014

Next Stop Anfield? - LFC officials to fly out for transfer talks with €12m Barca attacker.

Korean starlet Seung Woo Lee is reportedly at the centre of a bidding war between Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona, but on this occasion, it appears that the allure of Anfield will not be enough to entice this particular young star.

According to spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo today:

* Seung Woo Lee has rejected millions in deals from Liverpool and Chelsea to seal his first contract with Barcelona.

* The Korean striker will seal the contract in the coming days, and the deal will include a €12m buyout clause.

This is not deterring the Reds though, and according to other reports:

* LFC officials will travel to Spain next week to hold talks with Lee over the switch.

* The Reds will offer him a two-year scholarship deal, which will become a professional contract on his 16th birthday.

If Liverpool are actively trying to gazump Barcelona over this deal, then Brendan Rodgers and his team must rate Lee very highly.

Lee is one of six Barcelona youth players currently suspended from competitive action. Lee's transfer to Barca does not fall within FIFA's guidelines; as such, Lee trains with the club, but is barred from actually playing, which makes the massive hype around him seem a little over the top.

Liverpool snapped up Sergi Canos from Barcelona last year, which (in part) prompted the Catalan club to send a letter to the Premier League requesting that clubs stop ‘stealing’ its best prospects by offering them big money contracts (Ha, the irony...)

Lee is regarded as one of Barcelona’s most promising youth prospects, so it'll make perfect sense if he decides to stay at the Nou Camp. La Masia is the world's pre-eminent youth training facility, so he's in the best possible place to get a top-notch football education.

With that in mind, why would he leave?



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7 comments:

  1. As much as it is importing to finding young gems, I think our focus for the summer transfer window should be to buy top class pacey defensive recruits (LB & CB) and an midfield scoring dynamo - all of whom should be automatic first choice.

    Anything in addition is a bonus - but I would not want to repeat Spurs' attempt to buy a whole new team.

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  2. Smart thinking. Asian players represent a great commercial opportunity but often do not work out. So buy them young and develop them into the system rather than buying them when they're established only to see them struggling to adapt.

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  3. Agree, LB/RB and someone in CB who can head the ball properly. Perhaps a GK who can distribute the ball properly at least 8/10 times, not 0.5/10 times.

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  4. What do you mean "ha, the irony". Are you even aware of the definition of irony? Because your example is embarrassing. And you due realize that Barca play in Spain where there are child labor laws preventing them from trying to bribe 16 yr olds into leaving their true education in futbol and life.

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  5. every time we are flying out . We are scouting a player . every time we are linked to half the worlds players. Every time we get nothing for the last few transfer window. Unless something catastrophic happens we are in champions league and again there are stories that FSG will give massive 60Mil to Rodgers for players for champions league.
    Sorry to say we have the smallest team out of the English club now in champions league and there is no way in hell team size. will make us competitive champions league . We are so so lucky t
    have SAS. Our total defence need replacing . We need Left right wingbacks central defence long term replacement for Gerrard and striker .
    Aspas assadi alberto borini Allen not good enough nor Moses Cissokho.
    Sorry cant see FSG really spending I see sell before buy first.

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  6. I agree...but it still doesn't speak well of our academy if we cast about looking for ringers to put in it. I thought the academy was supposed to develop the young talent...not buy it and then claim the credit for developing it.

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  7. This kid is what? Fourteen? There is still plenty to develop.

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