Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic is reportedly one of Liverpool's priority transfer targets this summer, and new reports today suggest that Inter Milan are willing to sell the attacker...if the Reds meet the Italian club's asking price.
According to reports Italy:
* Inter want to sign Yaya Toure and Pablo Dybala this summer.
* To do that, 'sacrifices' must be made, and Kovacic is allegedly one of the players Roberto Mancini is willing to sell.
* Inter will let Kovacic leave for €20m.
The story so far:
* Mar 2015: ITV Sport claimed:
"Mateo Kovacic will join Liverpool for £22m (€30m) in May. Inter are desperate to sell and the Reds have agreed to meet their asking price".
* Mar 2015: Soon after, a separate report claimed that Kovacic is 'desperate' to join Liverpool over Manchester United and Arsenal.
* Apr 2015: The The Mirror claimed:
* Liverpool are considering a swap deal involving Lucas Leiva and Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
* Rodgers is willing to let Lucas leave, but only if he can get 'incredible' Kovacic in return.
If the latter report is true, then it looks like Liverpool are trying to lower Kovacic's transfer fee by bringing Lucas into the equation.
In August, Sportmediaset claimed that Napoli were willing to pay €12m for Lucas, so if that's his current value, then Liverpool are looking at around €8m (plus Lucas) for Kovacic, which is a very reasonable fee for such a promising player.
Additionally, Mancini has already confirmed this season that he wants to sign Lucas. In December, the ex-Man City boss told reporters:
"[Lucas Leiva] is a great player, but he belongs to Liverpool and it's going to be hard to get him. He would be useful, though, as he can help us, and help our younger players grow."
Some info about Kovacic:
* Versatile: Can play as a deep-lying mid, attacking mid, wide left.
* Current contract expires in June 2017.
* This season: 8 goals/3 assists in 40 games.
* 19 apps for the Croatian national team.
* His idol is Robert Prosinecki, to whom he is often compared.
The obvious question here is this: why is Kovacic allegedly 'desperate' to join Liverpool ahead of Man United and Arsenal?
* Kovacic has no special affinity for and/or connection with LFC.
* The Reds cannot compete when it comes to salary demands.
* Man United and Arsenal are in the Champions League next season; Liverpool are not.
* Both clubs have more renowned managers.
* Gerrard aside, Liverpool have no internationally renowned players.
* Arsenal and MU have the likes of Sanchez, Ozil, Rooney, Di Maria, Falcao etc.
It doesn't compute. Additionally, why are Inter 'desperate' to sell a player who seems to be one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe?
After flogging Coutinho to Liverpool for negligently cheap fee, surely the Serie A giants won't make the same mistake again?
Author: Jaimie K
According to reports Italy:
* Inter want to sign Yaya Toure and Pablo Dybala this summer.
* To do that, 'sacrifices' must be made, and Kovacic is allegedly one of the players Roberto Mancini is willing to sell.
* Inter will let Kovacic leave for €20m.
The story so far:
* Mar 2015: ITV Sport claimed:
"Mateo Kovacic will join Liverpool for £22m (€30m) in May. Inter are desperate to sell and the Reds have agreed to meet their asking price".
* Mar 2015: Soon after, a separate report claimed that Kovacic is 'desperate' to join Liverpool over Manchester United and Arsenal.
* Apr 2015: The The Mirror claimed:
* Liverpool are considering a swap deal involving Lucas Leiva and Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
* Rodgers is willing to let Lucas leave, but only if he can get 'incredible' Kovacic in return.
If the latter report is true, then it looks like Liverpool are trying to lower Kovacic's transfer fee by bringing Lucas into the equation.
In August, Sportmediaset claimed that Napoli were willing to pay €12m for Lucas, so if that's his current value, then Liverpool are looking at around €8m (plus Lucas) for Kovacic, which is a very reasonable fee for such a promising player.
Additionally, Mancini has already confirmed this season that he wants to sign Lucas. In December, the ex-Man City boss told reporters:
"[Lucas Leiva] is a great player, but he belongs to Liverpool and it's going to be hard to get him. He would be useful, though, as he can help us, and help our younger players grow."
Some info about Kovacic:
* Versatile: Can play as a deep-lying mid, attacking mid, wide left.
* Current contract expires in June 2017.
* This season: 8 goals/3 assists in 40 games.
* 19 apps for the Croatian national team.
* His idol is Robert Prosinecki, to whom he is often compared.
The obvious question here is this: why is Kovacic allegedly 'desperate' to join Liverpool ahead of Man United and Arsenal?
* Kovacic has no special affinity for and/or connection with LFC.
* The Reds cannot compete when it comes to salary demands.
* Man United and Arsenal are in the Champions League next season; Liverpool are not.
* Both clubs have more renowned managers.
* Gerrard aside, Liverpool have no internationally renowned players.
* Arsenal and MU have the likes of Sanchez, Ozil, Rooney, Di Maria, Falcao etc.
It doesn't compute. Additionally, why are Inter 'desperate' to sell a player who seems to be one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe?
After flogging Coutinho to Liverpool for negligently cheap fee, surely the Serie A giants won't make the same mistake again?
Author: Jaimie K
A serious club will snap him up while we try to lower the fee.
ReplyDeleteWho else is in for him, though? I don't think there *is* anyone, that's the thing. Liverpool are the only one of the rich-list clubs who would be interested and who could offer him a good environment for development.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who it was on this site, but someone said that Liverpool offered 8m or 12m and were insulted by the offer, and now Arsenal are leading with a bid of 22m I believe
ReplyDeleteSo yep, that's that, another transfer down the drain.
The way you bring Sterling into these articles makes me severely chuckle.
ReplyDeleteIf it is a simple question of maths the contract offer was tabled at around 12 weeks ago so he has stood to lose approximately £750k, Raheem is asking parity ( reportedly) with Daniel Sturridge who is on £150k pw. If the contract on offer is for 5 years, then he is asking for an extra. £13 million on top of what is being offered. So instead of settling for £26 million over 5 years Raheem wants £39 million. So what Raheem has lost in the short term would be peanuts compared to what he might get if his demands are met.
ReplyDeleteMaybe upset is a bit strong but Tom Cruise and his ilk's earnings are quite abhorrent. Even more so those disgusting ceremonies where they all pat each other on the back for doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteAnd this unnamed oracle knows this how?
ReplyDeleteIf Raheem was producing the goods on the field ie more goals, making the right choices in the final third, tracking back more, then I would have no issues with his demands. He is still playing like a rookie at times and therefore IMO his contract offer was more than generous.
ReplyDeleteYou better deliver that list of reasons why he shouldn't come to LFC before he ,akes a massive mistake.... Let him know how close he was... Silly little boy...
ReplyDeleteHe knows everything, what else do you need to know... He just knows.
ReplyDeleteNobody knows his demands...we just get it from the press or by the club who have handled the situation badly. Liverpool fans focus should be on the owners competing for the best players this transfer window Sterling, Gerrard and Rodgers have mentioned this being a key factor. Sterling knows that if he is to improve he needs to be playing with top class players I think that is more of a important factor for him than the money. Like the article said he has no ties to liverpool so there is nothing to hold him back unlike the factors Gerrard had to deal with.
ReplyDeleteSpot on.
ReplyDeleteThink it was his agent who was the most culpable in handling the contract situation badly, and yes you make some salient points, but IMO Raheem is driven by greed.
ReplyDeleteHis agent is looking after his player, maybe he has made some wrong P.R choices in doing that but Liverpool are to over reliant on Sterling, so he is entitled to ask for the deal to which matches that extra responsibility placed on him.
ReplyDeleteWe shall agree to disagree on this point Shuggieo.
ReplyDeleteI just hope it all get sorted out for next season so that we can see him perform to his best without any distractions.
ReplyDeleteWe should keep Lucas and just pay the asking price
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ReplyDeleteThe perfect post.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. People tend to forget that Sterling is on 35K per week right now. So even if he wants to fleece us, we are currently fleecing him right now ;)
ReplyDeleteYes and Jaimie likes to say that if we crumble to his demands and give him the 130-150K that he is asking for, that he will simply return next season and ask for more. The point people forget that, even if he did this, we have him tied to a 5 year contract, and have more bargaining power compared to now (2 years left).
ReplyDeleteWell someone's grumpy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Kovacic is ready myself. Still very immature if you ask me. Has undoubted talent but plays in fits and starts.
ReplyDeleteNot worth 20m Euros if you ask me. Not to a club like us anyway.
Got to approve of this comment because at least it is positive. Best of a bad bunch.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to players of such, even Spurs have a decent chance of nipping him away from us, let alone the top 4 clubs.
ReplyDeleteBecause how much Tom Cruise gets doesnt change the cast in the movie or anything we pay everyone overs we cant afford better players.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just go and wank on your porn
ReplyDeleteHey, at least he tried.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The jury is still very much out on Kovacic.
ReplyDeleteInter appear desperate to land Dybala, and are willing to sell Kovacic to help fund that signing.
I also don't think he's worth the risk at the price quoted.
is Dybala better than Kovacic?
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at that lineup and consider what is at stake, you just know we have no business being in the cl
ReplyDeleteSurely Liverpol cannot afford to loss Lucas ,
ReplyDeleteWe will need him this coming season !
And Liverppool continue's to let all the older and experienced player go
ReplyDeleteYes, I wish he comes back. Won 4 points for us in last 2 games alone. Unfortunately, he played with Liverpool when we really had bad owners and administration. Bad managerial decisions, bad transfer planning, too many managerial changes in last 7-8 years has cost Liverpool dearly. Ownership looks better now, we just need to get transfer committee right and we will be flying soon. But yeah, Gerrard can never be replaced. Ever.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Dybala a striker and Kovacic is a playmaker.
ReplyDeleteI guess he stepped up then?
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteHe's a fan of Liverpool why is that so hard to comprehend?
ReplyDeleteMy first proper memories of watching Liverpool were Robbie Fowler and the spice boys. John Barnes still played for us but unfortunately by the time I can really remember him, his powers were on the wane.
ReplyDeleteLike you, almost all my favourite Liverpool memories have Gerrard at the heart of them. The man has been a phenomenon for this club and I look forward to the day he comes home, whatever capacity that may be in.
Jaimie, we're not West Ham. This is still Liverpool.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why Lucas should leave. If he goes, we'll need to sign two new defensive midfielders as we already lack cover for him in that position.
James Milner and Danny Ings???
ReplyDeleteThe big names aren't coming and it's been a long time since they were. All those we 'missed out' on over the past five years were never coming in the first place.
Until they're on a match team sheet, it didn't happen.
Every player is at risk of immediately debilitating injury. That doesn't entitle them to earning six figures a week. You need to be consistently brilliant to 'deserve' that ludicrous sum.
ReplyDeleteIt can only be one certain person then...
ReplyDeleteWell until this season Paul Pogba was earning less than 30k per week. That's par for promising young players with major flaws still to iron out in their game.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that mental image.
ReplyDeleteRather like our own young winger. Who'd you get for our central midfield, assuming we have a respectable transfer budget?
ReplyDeleteSo, was this just a way to have another dig at Sterling?
ReplyDeleteOh yes. hardly a comment about Stevie. Almost every one on the done to death sterling is a greedy x yand z
ReplyDeleteHe will be great in coaching/mentor capacity. He can also be a club ambassador and help Liverpool to attract great players. I still think it was early for him to leave and I agree to everything what Souness said the other day. We have squad full of young players and Steven Gerrard would have been a great influence in their development. I also loved the way Mourinho gave so much respect to Gerrard. I don't think Liverpool will have a bigger name than Gerrard in their ranks any time soon.
ReplyDeleteAgreed
ReplyDeleteSo comparing is silly?
ReplyDeleteI think there are other priorities. The need for a striker and a right-back trump CM for now. I think they're two things we couldn't do without, whereas we could make it work with our options in the centre of midfield. Not ideal, but I wouldn't want to splash the cash there until the main areas are sorted. I think if Lucas stays fit, he's a good option and Can and Allen can plan DM.
ReplyDeleteAt right-back we have no-one. Johnson is leaving. Manquillo doesn't seem to be especially liked by Rodgers. Flanno is out for another 6 months. I think Can is more of a square peg at right-back than as a defensive-mid.
The need for a striker is paramount too.
Yep. Could be a long term solution.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply. Agreed that right-back and striker are crucial areas to mend.
ReplyDeleteI just have nightmares (not really, but...) about Arsenal and the sc-um ignoring our midfield in the most recent games, and think we could do with a genuine boss in there, plus cover for Lucas. Wouldn't get rid of any of the incumbents, though. Am hoping we have a huge transfer budget.
Square peg? In a what, if I may?
Ah, come on, Jaimie - you know you call them that, too! Reply is being moderated, VermHat.
ReplyDeletewasn't familiar with Kovacic......................
ReplyDeleteWell Kovacic will get game time maybe money is not his main priority and he really wants to play that computes.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like shoehorning a square peg into a round hole?
ReplyDelete:)
A square peg in a round hole. As in not a good fit? Or were you just fishing for innuendo!?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the desire for an enforcer, though I believe Lucas missed those games? A fit Lucas would go some of the way to ameliorating the situation, though there's no doubt we need reinforcements.
Friend who holds a season ticket for Inter I believe told him
ReplyDeleteI was merely pretending to be unfamiliar with what has become Logan's standard phrase. Yep; no Lucas for those games. If he can stay fit then we should be okay.
ReplyDeleteGan íoc!
ReplyDeleteAh, I hadn't memorised Logan's wisdom to memory. My mistake.
ReplyDeleteGan what?
ReplyDelete^ 'Outstanding!' - Brendan might say back in Ireland.
ReplyDelete