24 May 2014

Deal Close? Reds in talks with 'excellent' £16m star who had 'heart set on LFC'

Liverpool have reportedly made contact with on-loan Newcastle striker Loic Remy to discuss a possible summer move to Anfield.

In 2012, Liverpool were regularly linked with a move for Remy, who ultimately ended up signing for QPR in a bargain £8m deal.

Newcastle are yet tie Remy down to a permanent deal, and according to the Daily Mail this week:

"Loic Remy has held talks with Liverpool and Arsenal over a summer move, according to a source close to the player".

Remy will probably be in demand this summer, and with Liverpool in the Champions League next season, it should be quite easy to tempt the striker to Anfield. The Reds also have another apparent advantage: Remy has a soft-spot for LFC, as revealed by his agent in 2012:

"He [Remy] has his heart is set on playing for Liverpool. Remy is pure gold. He has great pace and that is something Liverpool need in attack".

Ex-Reds Mark Lawrenson and Jamie Redknapp are fans of Remy. Speaking to the BBC recently, Lawro mused:

"I think he [Remy] would be a good signing for Liverpool. [He won't] cost an absolute fortune, and he can play up front on his own, with support or even out wide".

In December, Redknapp enthused:

"If he [Remy] moves permanently from QPR, it’s going to be a high fee now. He’s a natural goalscorer and one of the best one-touch finishers I’ve ever seen.”

Remy definitely wants a move to a bigger club this summer, and he confirmed this in March, when he told the Newcastle Chronicle:

"I could maybe play in a bigger club, a top European club. I will be part of a very large club. I have a huge room for improvement.”

In January, QPR boss Harry Redknapp expressed surprise at Newcastle's reticence in handing Remy a permanent deal, and argued that some other club is 'bound to snap him up' sooner rather than later. He added:

"Whatever we paid for him - I think it was around £8m - he must be worth double that. If someone came back and offered £15m or £16m for him I think I'd sell him".

Remy's premier league record so far:

* 20 goals/3 assists in 41 apps.
* Goal/assist every 1.7 games.

For £8m, Remy - described by Harry Redknapp as 'excellent' and 'a real star' - would've been a great buy for Liverpool in 2012. With Suarez's suspensions, and Sturridge's regular injuries, he would've played quite regularly, and provided great competition for the club's two main strikers.

On the other hand, perhaps there's a possibility that LFC may not have signed Sturridge with Remy already at the club? Having said that, Liverpool signed Sturridge despite having Fabio Borini on the books, so it may not have made any difference.

One thing's for sure, Remy - who cost £3m less than than Borini, and the same as Aspas - is superior value for for money, and probably would've performed better for the Reds than both those players.

Remy is a proven Premier League goalscorer, but is he worth £16m? Is he a better option than Wilfried Bony?



Author:


67 comments:

  1. If he comes to Liverpool then it will be the third best signing of Brendan after Sturridge and Suarez

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  2. Both good finishers, both strong and mobile, and they both have good premier league scoring records. Career-wise over the past four seasons Bony's record is better I believe and he's also a couple of years younger at 25. But I guess the big issue is going to be price. Swansea paid 12 or so million for Bony so I can't see them letting him leave for less than 20 odd. On balance I'd rather have Bony but to be honest I think either would be good back up to Suarez and Sturridge.


    On a slightly different note, heres a quote from Konoplyanka about alleged Man Utd interest in the player; "I'd rather stay at Dnipro and play in the Champions League", he said.

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  3. Theycallmemrburt8:56 pm, May 24, 2014

    He's definitely a goalscorer. Any striker who also gets goals in his second season in England without getting sussed out by the opposition has done well in my opinion. Benteke fell away badly this season in his second term although he may come again. I get the impression with Remy he would hit the ground running with us.

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  4. Well...I guess the 85M man was worth every penny. Excellent touch to put the ball in the net from a severe angle. RM winning is good news for us as maybe they won't be inclined to splash even more for Suarez. That's the optimist in me anyway. The pessimist would say...no it just gives them the extra 10.5 M Euros to sweeten the pot. I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else. Some famous guy said that.

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  5. See a ton of lousy defending in the Remy video. However, I am impressed with how composed he seems on the ball.

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  6. We need two players for every position, it's as simple as that. Currently there seems to be an imbalance, either we have one or three players for every position. Brendan needs to stop signing players then loaning them off not knowing what to do with them. Either give this boy a chance, tell him that he is back-up who has to fight for his place or sell him if he his not good enough. Think how a new signing will fit into the squad BEFORE signing him.

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  7. Here's my take on why Brendan decided to loan him out...He's foreign and doesn't speak the language and from a different cultural background, therefore loaning him a country with a similar background, while also taking lessons in English allows will make sure he acclimatises to LFC and the country far more easily. If he's that great a talent as so many are saying then I would personally want his transition to be smooth with no hiccups. Let's not forget, he's young and for any young person to adapt when they don't know anyone in a different country must be shit scary....add to that the pressure of playing for LFC with all its expectation...that's tough for a kid.

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  8. I think he showed last season he has the talent to be in the first team squad and I feel sure he will be.

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  9. Let's see how he goes in the WC against the world's best players. It will be a good yardstick to measure him by.

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  10. Transfer Comittee flop. Not Brendan Rodgers transfer flop!

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  11. That statement was made few years back. Sturridge was not with Liverpool and Sterling was still a kid.

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  12. Why not Coutinho instead of Gerrard?

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  13. Aaron De Souza4:04 am, May 25, 2014

    As much as I want to believe that, we just don't know how it works.. Apart from hearsay, none of us really knows the ins and out of running/managing a top level football club, day to day, let alone Liverpool football Club. It might well have been a Rodgers flop.... who cares if it was? as long as they/he correct their mistakes, everyone's a winner. I will err on the side that says, by all appearances, it looks like he knows what he's doing (yes Jamie... you can still criticise him) and until I see a decline, instead of upward projection, will back him (mostly).

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  14. BR said he was for the future and even remarked that he himself might not be at the club when Illori plays for LFC, so i see no problem with BR's management of him thus far.
    IMO i expect to see him during the pre season games to gauge where he is at, especially if Agger leaves

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  15. Can remy play deep or out wide like SAS? cause if he cant i dont think BR will sign him, but if he can brilliant. ive not paid much attention to remy.

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  16. It could of course be the case that Sakho was bought to compete right away and Ilori with an eye on the sale of Agger and/or Touré this year.

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  17. Brian Antoniotti7:48 am, May 25, 2014

    give illori the chance to shine... after going on loan the young lad will grasp the opportunity.. this is rodgers masterplan i'd imagine.. have a bit of faith jamie

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  18. Brian Antoniotti7:56 am, May 25, 2014

    its not baffling.. it is highly suspicious.. there is something dodgey afoot.. whatever the hell they're doing, they've found a way to beat the FFP, as we always knew they would......

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  19. Brian Antoniotti7:58 am, May 25, 2014

    the team is built around henderson you mad man!

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  20. We are linked with 100 plus players now and the price quoted are extremely high, higher than what they are worth. 15-18m for Remy (blowing 1/3 of the budget) to back up Suarez and Sturridge is not easy. We need fullbacks and a really good DM (not Lucas please), only then (if we have enough funds) should we go for a young striker. Remy won't like sitting on the bench.

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  21. Henderson is average at best , he's a work horse and you saying the team is built around Henderson makes me laugh. Rakitic just won the UEFA cup and is captain of his national side. Henderson has played an advanced roll in the team and has 4 goals and 6 assists shocking return , rakitic far superior technical player 12 goals 10 assists this season . So sorry for building my team around better players because I want my team to move forward

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  22. "Remy won't like sitting on the bench"


    I hate these comments. NO player should like sitting on the bench regardless of who they are. It is down to the player to prove that they deserve to be in the starting 11 week in week out.

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  23. Matthew Jamison8:54 am, May 25, 2014

    maybe he should be loaned to a English team for 6 months. perhaps a newly promoted team & we could keep toure as cover. just to give him games in this more competitive environment than Spain. get him used to the more robust play of the prem. see how he fairs & bring back for the business end of the season if he does well. if reports are true, Dan Agger's on his way & another experienced premises defender is coming in. what's the point stumping his growth as a player having him sit on the bench, when could be growing as a player for the future at say a QPR, West from

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  24. Geoffrey Currie8:55 am, May 25, 2014

    So many problems with this article I don't know where to start. Firstly CD take longer to develop than any other position. Secondly, look at stats with and without agger. Thirdly, 'by all accounts'? You haven't even seen the lad play and you are writing articles about him. Fourthly, you start with 'damned right': that is a poor way to start an argument and overly emotional. Also, he is not a waste of money at this point, he is a long term investment. If you know the first thing about Henry and FSG, you would not have made this comment. 'If he is not involved next year he is another Rogers flop': what if he is involved the year after and goes on to be a stalwart for the following 10 years?

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  25. Geoffrey Currie9:00 am, May 25, 2014

    Further Sakho is an established French national defender, at 24. He is ahead of Illori who is only 21. Sakho developed faster than most CDs do.

    Again You can' compare Illori to Sterling or Coutihio who are both attacking players.

    Flannagan struggled up to December of last year.

    Overall, often players take time to develop and settle into a squad.

    Quit writing such reactionary drivel, go do some research on FSG, get your comparisons straight and for crying out loud don't quote Lawro.

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  26. Not a fan of Henderson. Most underrated player this year and his absence was one of the reasons for our poor run in. He is a work horse that gets things done, breaking up play and his passing was pretty good

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  27. Then there's Ibe.....

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  28. We didn't win league with the top 2 strikers in league that's got to be a first, coutinho and Henderson were very poor in front of goal , if you check out the stats of the players i have put in have far superior goals and assist .Sanchez 19 goals 10 assists, rakitic 12 goals 10 assists, shaqiri only started 10 games 6 goals 2 assists that's still more than Henderson. Don't just look at the players I've dropped until you check out who I've replaced them with.

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  29. Geoffrey Currie10:17 am, May 25, 2014

    Liverpool Defensive pairings and record

    *almost all pairings are with Skrtel

    17 With Sakho

    1 clean sheet/ 18 conceded

    9 wins, 3d, 6L

    15 games With Agger

    8 clean sheets/ 11 conceded

    13w, 1d, 1L (the only loss coming when paired with Sakho against Chelsea)

    (og skrtel last game, newcastle)

    7 With Toure

    1 clean sheet/ 10 conceded

    4W, 2d, 1L

    Starting CB

    Agger

    1-0 stoke

    1-0 villa

    1-0 man united

    Sahko

    2-2 swansea

    1-0 loss to sthmton

    3-1 win sunderland

    3-1 win v palace (agger comes on and concedes)

    2-2 newcastle

    4-1 wba

    2-0 loss to arsenal

    Agger

    4-0 fulham

    3-3 everton

    (toure-skrtel) 3-1 loss to hull

    Agger

    5-1 norwich

    Sakho

    4-1 win

    5-0 totts

    3-1 cardiff

    2-1 loss man city

    sakho/agger

    2-1 loss chelsea

    agger

    2-0 hull

    toure/skrtyel

    5-3 stoke

    2-2 villa

    4-0 everton

    1-1 west brom

    5-1 arsenal

    3-2 fulham

    agger

    4-3 swansea

    3-0 sthamton

    3-0 united

    6-3 cardiff

    2-1 sunderland

    4-0 tottenham

    Sakho

    2-1 wham

    3-2 city

    3-2 norwich

    2-0 loss to chelsea

    3-3 palace.

    2-1 newcastle

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  30. Geoffrey Currie10:17 am, May 25, 2014

    please correct if there is a problem.

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  31. We should be going for young quality players like Son Heung-Min or Alexandre Lacazette etc compared to a player like Remy who will most probably demand regular football no questions asked. He will be 28 this coming January. Does anyone think he will be willing to sign a contract stating that he needs to fight for a place?

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  32. I have mentioned before that there would be more understanding between Skrtel and Agger as a CB pair due to both having played together before and being at the club for a long time.


    Skrtel and Sakho as well as Skrtel and Toure clearly are not the best pairings.


    Toure and Agger looked really good at the start of the season but then Toure got injured and Agger followed soon afterwards.


    I am not sure why Rodgers did not give Toure and Sakho a run or even Sakho and Agger. Sakho did play at right CB for PSG. Rodgers also could have reverted back to Toure and Agger again during the season as both seemed to be comfortable together at the start of the season.

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  33. Remy will look at the situation and think to himself that Suarez and Sturridge will start most of the time. Then there is Sterling who has powered his way into the starting eleven and Coutinho who has also has been a regular too.


    At Newcastle and now QPR Remy is the main man. I honestly do not see him accepting that he will not be an automatic starter.

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  34. Out of possible premier league strikers to arrive i would like best:

    Lukako, then
    Benteke, then
    Bony, then
    Remy



    and 16 is too much what the hell

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  35. Geoffrey Currie11:48 am, May 25, 2014

    Because Sakho and Agger play in the same position.

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  36. But Sakho can play at right CB as he did at PSG.

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  37. Geoffrey Currie11:54 am, May 25, 2014

    Aplogies MOD but it is infuriating.

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  38. Geoffrey Currie11:55 am, May 25, 2014

    We tried him for one game and he was poor. (could try him again I suppose) best to do during pre season!

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  39. U want to play johnson in yr first team and put sterling and gerrard on bench..r you sure?

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  40. I stopped reading once the well trodden path of "waste of money" with the necessary caveat of "at this stage".

    This is a diificualt situation for Ilori, he clearly has technical ability and the pace for recovery but what our backline needs is not a 21 year old it is a leader. Right now we lack that. Not one of our CB's is currently strong enough to keep the backline organised and focused for a full game. Toure is the closest thing we have and he himself is an accident waiting to happen. If both Toure and Agger leave and we do buy a commanding CB then I would have Ilori back definitely. In the games I have seen him play he has looked very good. If one of those two mentioned stay then I would say let Ilori have another season on loan. It will only help him as a player.

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  41. Dream team..Lloris-Alves-Skrtel-Lovren-Schmelzer-Shaqiri-Gerrard-Konoplanka-Sterling-Sturidge-Suarez..Bench..(Mignolet,Henderson,lallana,enrique,flanagan,Shako,mascherano,lacazette)

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  42. Injuries mate. I had to look hard but i was put on to a website for a local "Granada" paper and he was injured for quite a while. Only a half season loan too so that obviously impacted.

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  43. I'm sure I'm not alone in mentioning that fact myself many times.

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  44. Isn't it PSG who are supposed to be buying Luis? Aren't they already in stick about FFP? Can't see how such a deal would help them much.

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  45. Sturrudge
    Sanchez Suarez

    Rakitic
    Can Gerrard


    Rodríguez Johnson
    Skrtel Sakho


    Mignolet


    Most important thing will be our bench which will change my starting 11 any way we want without weakening it
    Subs and squad to call on (Not always on bench) players not mentioned are surplus and sell able .. but this team is a dream team not that realistic unless FSG really invest and we get alot from selling players


    Sterling - Coutinho - Lovren - Llori - Kelly - Flannagan - Vorm - Henderson - Ibe - Borini - Allen - Wisdom - Remy - Teixeira - Brannagan - Smith.

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  46. I'm assuming you took the snide comment out.



    Id say this is a good post and I pretty much agree.

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  47. The difference between Remi and Bony is that Remi might actually be available for £16m this summer. Bony won't.

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  48. He can play out wide. Has done but not preferred.

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  49. Which game was that?

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  50. So Sakho played the other top four teams 5 times compared to Agger's 3 (1 of which they shared) Arsenal earlier in the season when they were flying, against City and Chelsea when they got dodgey decisions and against those two super rich teams again and so conceding 10 goals in that period none of which were his fault. Then there is (check opta, whoscored and Squaker for comfirmation) the 8 plus goals we conceded due to an error of a colleague and again without these errors being forced by Sakho.

    This is why I rate Sakho's persoanal stats higher than games won and goals conceded as there is less need for context. For me sakho has become a scapegoat. Largely for those that have a pro Agger or a con Rodgers signings agenda. For me he is far from the finished article and obviously needs time to build up a rapport with a partner but he has still been the second best defender of our season. Tallest dwarf maybe but given time we ill know for sure.

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  51. What are you talking about? Unfortunatley for what seems to be a lot of people there is more going on on a football pitch than in front of the two goals. Hednerson was brilliant for us in all the things that need to be done other than scoring goals. He made it make sense to play Gerard, without whom we would may not have scored as many goals as we did.

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  52. I suppose Rodgers saying he was one for the future is hogwash too? If his attitude is not right fair play. Rodgers sees him in training and in the small cameos. If he wants his players to do certain things and they don't then it is bye bye. I think this is why Shelvey is gone too.Once he is gone I will accept he was a flop. Not before.

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  53. Good player. Bit injury prone however between his and sturridge's injuries neither would probably spend too much time sulking on the bench

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  54. Tell that to Agger, he always say that. So you should start 'hating these kind of players' instead of my comment.

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  55. seriously, if shaqiri was available and wanted to come, i would pay 20mil plus!

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  56. Can't we just stop speculating and start buying .....we seem to be linked to every player on planet earth...let's make up our minds and splash some cash....

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  57. Benteke is Andy Carroll all over...he is a target man and wouldn't fit in BR's game. Lukaku is not far behind Benteke, but he is a bit more mobile. Bony is the best of the lot, but we wouldn't get him cheap. Remy looks good but like Carroll he has had one good season and we should be wary of that. Demba Ba had one good season at Newcastle before he rode the pine at Chelski. We need to look elsewhere for a good, consistent 3rd striker. I still think bringing on Jordan Rhodes and bringing Borini back would get us quality and allow us to concentrate on more important positions like DM and FB.

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  58. Wouldn't mind him at LFC. His age is not part of FSGs policy but I think he can add to the squad.

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  59. A nice player. In my opinion, he would be more of a depth signing for us than a consistent starter. 16m is too much to pay for one depth player.

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  60. I do, that is why I wouldn't care if Agger did leave.


    Apart from his constant crying to he media he has a terrible Injury record and has a bad habit of losing his man on set pieces.


    I am a sick of hearing players who think they have a god given right to start every match.


    It is why I have a lot of respect for players like Skrtel and Henderson.


    Many thought they were out the door but they kept quiet, worked hard and forced their way back into the team and the mangers plans.


    These are the kind of players who I want att he club.

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  61. Shaqiri(22) has been warming B Munich bench for two seasons now, just like Tello(22) has been warming Barcelona's bench. He should be available this summer, unless either Robben or Ribery are shipped out. Shaqiri(22) is not proven yet to be in the 20M bracket yet

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  62. Ilori should get a shot even as the 6th defender in the rotation if only for depth reasons. I would hate to see him get wasted like Kelly.............

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  63. I don't understand buying llori, Luis Alberto etc. then not playing them, loaning them out and then giving them an uncertain future, why would any young player want to join Liverpool if that's the way they may be treated? the money may be nice but not if playing is more important to you! and we have some excellent youngsters coming through are they going to be wasted as well? while we spend £60 million? it seems getting knocked out of cup competitions cost us more than just money, how are we going to gauge if they will fit in here without them playing games? i think llori for example was expecting first team football after a short spell acclimatizing to football in this country and when it didn't happen he wanted out, i also think when he is sold he will go straight into the first team of whatever club buy's him, that's what i think, for what it's worth! god help our under 21's what a struggle for them, they will go out to championship clubs who may buy them for £500,000 e.g Conner Cody!

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  64. I WOULD PREFER TO TRY A NEW CONSTELLATION, NAMED; MARTIN KELLY, DANIEL AGGER, DEFENTLY!!

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