Liverpool’s young winger Adam Hammill has signed a new contract with the club – and then gone immediately out on loan.
20-year-old Hammill will join up with Blackpool tomorrow as he begins his six-month stint at the Lancashire side. Rafa Benitez is keen to see certain members of the young reserve squad get competitive experience. Blackpool will play in the Championship for the second year running, having waited until the final day of the season to avoid relegation. It was their first season at that level in 29 years.
Hammill’s new deal with Liverpool runs until 2011, and his loan follows spells in previous season at Dunfermline and Southampton.
There has been an influx of young foreign talent coming into Liverpool’s reserves in the last couple of seasons, but Hammill is a local lad and a product of the club’s Academy. Chances of first team football at Anfield will be limited for even the most-talented youngsters, and by playing at Championship level at relatively-local side Blackpool, Hammill will get vital experience without being forgotten by the club who pay his wages.
Meanwhile a player who turned down a chance to move to Liverpool as a youngster, because he feared a lack of first team experience would stall his career, should get that chance again in the next couple of days. Tottenham’s Robbie Keane chose to start his professional career with Wolves instead, despite having supported Liverpool as a boy, and now Liverpool are believed to be on the verge of making him their latest signing.
Keane is the Spurs vice-captain, and it seems it is only the lure of Champions League football, at the club he supported as a boy, that could tempt him to look elsewhere. He signed a five-year contract just over a year ago, meaning that Liverpool will need to pay a large fee for the 28-year-old. The overall deal, including add-ons, is expected to be close to £18m. Keane is now believed to have already agreed personal terms with Liverpool, and is set to undergo a medical very soon.
The 28-year-old has the same agent as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, and was one of the guests at the opening of Carra’s restaurant in Liverpool. He is believed to be desperate to join up not only with Carra and Gerrard, but to play alongside Fernando Torres in a strong Liverpool attack.
At the moment Rafa’s summer spending is actually in credit, to the tune of around £11m. Liverpool have so far spent £10m on additions to the first-team squad, in the shape of defenders Philipp Degen and Andrea Dossena, along with goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri. Outgoing players so far are Danny Guthrie (£2.5m), Scott Carson (£3.25m), John Arne Riise (£4m) and Peter Crouch (£11m). Also no longer at the club are Harry Kewell and Anthony Le Tallec, neither of whom commanded a fee, meaning Rafa has so far had just under £21m back in.
As well as the money from those and other sales, Rafa is believed to have been handed a summer budget of £20m net. Charles Itandje, Jermaine Pennant, Steve Finnan and Xabi Alonso are all possibilities for leaving this summer, potentially bringing over £20m back in. But Rafa has other targets lined up, Villa’s Gareth Barry the most well-documented, and Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing one of a number of others being seriously considered, meaning the full budget looks likely to be used.
Don’t you just love transfer windows…..when you hope to be on the ‘winning side’ that is!!!
http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/chairmanspeaksout180708.html
So Levy confirms publicly now that Keane wants to join LFC, thus making it difficult (but not impossible) for him to play again for Spurs.
Publicly Rafa has done no more than respond to a question on the player in a press conference, and hasn’t been the only manager to comment on players in interviews this summer.
Keane is obviously in regular contact with the likes of Carra and Gerrard. Agents obviously chat to clubs and test the water. Sometimes they do it purely to get the player’s current club to get contract talks moving along a little more quickly.
And I wonder if Mr Levy would like to compare this situation to the way Ramos and Poyett left Sevilla and Leeds?
Levy’s comments regarding Keane tell a story of a man angry to lose one of his star assets, although I can totally understand his opinion on Ferguson. That guy really is the epitome of hypocrisy!
So if we have £20 million net, 11mil profit, plus around another say 7 million minimum thats gives us about 38 million to spend. If we sign Keane for 18mil thatleaves us 20 million. Will be interesting to see what he does with it…
Personally I will look forward with much anticipation to Keane’s arrival. I think if he does arrive he will add something significant to the squad.
@ Midlands-Red. Are you signed up to the forum yet? Would be good to see you there.
…forgot to mention in my 1st post that I excluded Alonso from the additional sales thinking he and barry are mutually exclusive and negate each other roughly financially.
It very much is obvious now were Keane will be playing, though some came out with us selling Voronin as well (woohoo!) … So to add Voronin, Pennant, Finnan and Itandje (cause I hope Alonso doesn’t leave) will make for another 7 – 8 mill. We can capture both Barry and Keane, the thing with Benitez is, he doesn’t like to pay for a player over the odds, I believe he came out saying how much less we’ve been paying to get the youngsters compared to Arsenal and Man U… Rafa is shrewed in the market, and doesn’t like to spend a dime more than he expects. I guess Barry will get for 15 with Finnan leaving the other way around, with both clubs confirming that an “Undiclosed fee” is agreed. But I see Keane’s deal more closer than Barry’s. Ramos doesn’t like to waste time, unlike O’Neill!
The deals are not completed just yet but, hipefully Keane and Barry will arrive at LFC, both are experienced players and should add to the side.
However, we still need wingers and it does not look as thought there is any money money left for those positions. LFC need to avoid the panic buys like Pennant and B – whats his name!
My greatest concern now is how does the Manager afford to buy any other players next year, there doesn’t seem much to sell now and the owners don’t seem to have any money either.
I think Levy was possibly willing to let Berbatov and Keane go all along. In the case of Berbatov I think its been expected that he would leave for some time now. Levys statement is simply a means to deflect any blame that could have been thrown the boards way from the spurs fans for letting both players go. Ramos indictaed that the books needed to be balanced and if anything that sounds like he was made aware by the board that if they got a decent enough off for Keane or Berbatov they would be sold.
Now Liverpool and United come out looking the bad guys, Spurs get two substantial fees for the players to “balance their books” and the board come out of it smelling like roses
Would be good to see Keano in Liverpool colours…..but I have a question, which Jim could probably answer, at what costs to our future stability – given our stadium hopes?
Wenger says that he has to make an annual surplus of £24m to pay for the stadium fofr the next 17 years.
Jim, what is our projected annual surplus requirement, in view of our stadium costs and the way the club is being financed by Hicks and Gillett? And, I guess our purchase of so many youngsters is an acceptance of the way ahead?
For those wanting to read a write-up of Wengers quote click link below for Oliver Kay’s article.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article4368612.ece
I don’t know how other fans feels but, for me it seems to be taking an eternity to sign Keane and Barry. I have been reading for weeks that their transfer will be completed next week!!!
One can only assume that the Owners or Management is either sitting on their hands doing nothing or the poor old Manager has not yet got the money to complete the so called deals. I cannot imagine the Manager holding up signing the players he says he wants and so the problem MUST be some other persons.
All in all the slow progress of LFC this last 18 months is draining my love for the LFC and the game away.
Oh for days of TV Williams, Robinson and Shankly/Paisley when things happended.
@ Ken Christian
“All in all the slow progress of LFC this last 18 months is draining my love for the LFC and the game away.
Oh for days of TV Williams, Robinson and Shankly/Paisley when things happended.”
No no Ken, you’re not alllowed to talk like that, get behind the new owners and settle for the status quo (and second best)
@ Ken
I can understand a hatred/dislike/lack of faith in the owners but losing your love for the club I cant understand.I dislike the owners as much as the next man but this has strengthened my desire to succeed as a unit (fans, players and manager). LFC is not soley about the owners its about the players,manager, fans, history and everything else. The owners will come and go but our club will be with us for forever! If your love is draining there is a club in Manchester that likes part-timers!
No no Ken, you’re not alllowed to talk like that, get behind the new owners and settle for the status quo (and second best)
I laugh like a Chief Cavalier when i read your comments.
You do sound like a Status Quo fan…….aint ya?….I bet ya got the poinytail and everything….as most lads from essex do….lol
@Kopite.
Well said lad.
How on earth can anyone say they are losing their love for the club for gods sake?????????????
YNWA……………and I mean that!!
I am as pig sick of he Barry Saga and now the fast becoming Keane saga but I don’t blame the club for that. O’Neill has overpriced Barry and is so chidish that he puts Barry into a reserve team game to further punish him for having a negative opinion of him.
I hope Alonso stays and we do get Keane for me would be enough for us to go the extra step for the title.
Having watched the friendlies over the last few days i am again beginning to panic at the selection and thinking of Rafa Benitez.
At times i think he is a genius, but more often than not i think he is a joker.
What is going on with these transfers. Why is nothing moving. I begin to panic when i think that now Crouch has gone that with Kuyt much more effective on the right, that Voronin is our second choice striker. If torres gets injured, then at this moment in time Voronin would be our next choice striker.
I’ve tried to be open minded about him as a player but lets be honest he is rubbish. He is third rate and should not be anywhere near anfield. And the fact that Benitez rates him is so worrying.
He is garbage, and why oh why did he come to us in the first place. Benetiz has in the past bought complete rubbish. I just fear that if the transfers of Keane and Barry dont go through then we really are looking at another season of Torres up front and Gerrard pushing forward as a second striker instead of bossing the midfield like he should be.
Its also worrying that he keeps referring to Gerrard as a second striker.
There should be no more chances after this season. It shouldn’t take this long to set up a challenge for the league. Im not saying if we dont win it then Rafa should go, but i am saying that he has had long enough to put together a decent title challenge together, cos as of yet we aint even been close.
And if the man continues to buy and rate players of Voronins quality then it really is time to say goodbye.
Some fans have missed the point I was making when I complained about the lack of progress in signing players. Only Jofrad understood that LFC should not be considered 2nd rate and that includes the fans.
If I were to take the comments of some fans to be the case, then they are prepared to be stepped upon, run over, disregarded all for the sake of supporting LFC.
Wake up, I thought the fans were more loyal to the club when they protested about the owners disregard for the club, now you have joined the owners, and will accept anything from them.
Grow up, I am 74 and have been a real fan for 64 years but, there has to be a limit tothe disregard the Owners are showing the club. Maybe if the fans stayed away it would get a message home as the only commodity the owners care about is their money.
Well said Ken, when did real Liverpool supporters ever settle for second best ?? Its the fans who can play the biggest part in putting Liverpool back where they belong by challenging the owners at every opportunity.
putting Liverpool back where they belong by challenging the owners at every opportunity
————————-
I can’t see that tactic working…wouldn’t they be better served by our support at every opportunity??
We signed Ngog, what is he all about? anyone knows something about him/????????
Jim,
It’s been a week since your last article saying the Keane deal was close. Since then absolutely nothing from either you, Spurs or LFC.
Can’t you ring up some of your contacts and see what’s going on?
Likewise with Barry. O’Neil has said he needs to resolve things one way or another. For the sake of a couple of million we could lose out on a good signing. Is Rafa just hoping O’Neil blinks first? But what if he doesn’t?
And who is this signing that is going to make us smile. Not Ngog hopefully!
http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=39
This is interesting!
Keane will be a Liverpool player by Monday(28th).
Personal terms agread, will cost between 18 and 20 million.
Monday!!!
Despite reading this from the Daily Telegraph I still have my doubts as this type of claim seems to occur on an almost daily basis. I’ll believe it when I see Keane standing on the hallowed Anfield turf with Rafa.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/tottenham/2457700/Spurs%27-Robbie-Keane-on-the-verge-of-sealing-Liverpool-transfer.html
Keane is a done deal 18m plus if we win the league or Champions cup an extra 2m. Rafa is now looking for funds for the Barry deal but it is not looking good. Pennant, Veronin and Abeloa heads are on the block
Robbie Keane definitely joining the Reds by the end of this week but the Barry’s saga unfortunately comes to an end with the news of Arbeloa leaving Anfield citing personal reasons.
Rafa wants to keep Steve Finnan as a cover for right-back position and I think Rafa will go back for Barry in January.
YNWA…
Tony Barret in the echo said he had his medical today and should be ours by tomorrow.Also said Rafa has not given up on Barry just yet
I hope we’ve ended our interest in Barry. Paying over the odds for Keane is bad enough 20 million for a 28 year old with possibly 3 good seasons with us, seems far too much. Dont get me wrong Keane is a very good player but the asking price / agreed price is extortionate. Same with Barry. If the barry deal happens thats 38 million (including all the add on’s etc) for two players who are 28!
@kopite999
I agree about the price but that’s the market for players who have proven EPL and international experience, leaders on the pitch, versatile players and overall good players. The other benefit of course is that they have the experience to help our young guns to come on and also, if Lampard’s about to get a whopping 5 year deal at 150,000 a week and Berbatov to Man Utd for around £25k, both older than Keane and Barry, then we’re only paying the going rate to keep up amongst the top 4!
Where I do I agree with you is on forgetting our interest in Barry, if it means Alonso being forced to leave. Barry is definitely a top quality player and we certainly need help on the left. But Alonso’s not worth less than Barry – he’s worth more. So the maths do not add-up.
I’m sure Rafa knows what he’s doing though so in him I trust!
@midlands-red
One small correction: Berbatov is not older than Keane – he is half a year younger. In fact he was born on the same day as Crouchie; too bad we didn’t swap those two 😛
@ n/a
Correction accepted…….on this occasion 🙂
Crouchie for Berbatov. Now that’s an interesting thought. You’re not suggesting that United could get the better of any transfer deals out of Spurs? If you are, is this another year where we’ll be at best 2nd?
PS – Did you see Wenger’s quotes the other day about paying for the Emirates and Arsenal being a selling club. Is this where we’re at now, hence all these young guys we’re buying?
Midland you have it right Rafa has been concentrating on the future with the transfers he has made this summer.
We have three or four young players that are on the verge of at least being on the bench with the new substitute rules, who knows if Rafa does not farm them all out on loan we could see some of them in the near future.
I do think that Rafa will wait to see who else we can trade away before going for Barry, if Arsenal don’t grab him first which would not be a bad thing to happen.
I’m not interested in the Barry deal as I was before, I’ll keep Alonso anyday. Yes, Barry is good, but we have Masch, Lucas, Gerrard and even Plessis, all without bringing Alonso’s name in!
Keane’s deal has been the highlight for us so far, as most of the players we have bought are unknown boys to the EPL, my only concern is where will he fit in, that’s all!
For fear of starting an argument – Backbone of
Reina
Carra Agger or Skrtel
Masch
Stevie
Torres Keane
All would die for the cause. Fit the rest around them
@Bassam
Don’t be concerned about where Keane will fit in.
He’ll slot into where Gerrard played last season and Stevie G will play his atacking (with some box to box) midfield role he loves so much. Now we’ll have huge attacking options. Keane is a very team oriented player. He’ll slot in when Stevie wonders into no-mans – or hopefully goal scoring – land. He’ll link up with Torres when required. He can also play on the right hand side. The options he provides is significant – plus he can score goals and goals out of nothing too.
The issue now is Barry. I really can see why Rafa wants want’s him. He would make our left-side better balanced. He links well with Stevie G and he scores goals – unlike Xabi. But, and this is where I have a problem, I can’t see him improving us enough for me to want rid of Xabi at the prices that are being quoted – i.e. with our club having to pay more for Barry than we’d get in for Xabi.
@ Yossa’s point about the youngster’s, particularly in central midfield means we’re well-resourced there. Now if Rafa made the point that we were to allow Xabi to go to fund a winger of real quality, then I might be tempted. But it’s not the point that’s being made……..
@ anyone – could someone point to the difference our owners are making to the club during this transfer window? Rafa – through the league and CL and sale of players – seems to have made all the money himself. What are they contributing? My question is only a slight dig at them – as I really want to know if I’ve missed what their contribution has been or is…
@midlands, I could be wrong about this but I think most of Barry’s goals in the Prem. last season were penalties. His assists record was very impressive though.
I don’t doubt that he can score goals, I’m just not expecting him to be prolific or anything, just as long as he weighs in with his fair share (5 or 6 in the Prem?.).
Great we signed Keane!
I think together with the prospect of Barry it’s a clear sign we are going with 4-3-3 as the preferred formation. As it was so effective last season
First eleven could be:
Pepe
DEF Finnan Carra Agger Dossena
MID Mascherano, (Barry/Alonso)
Gerrard,
ATT Kuyt, Keane
Torres
For me Barry is better, actually MUCH better than Alonso. However Xabi is still a quality player,professional, experienced and still young and it’s a shame Rafa has to consider selling him to generate money to get Barry. With the investment we were promised( H&G) we shouldn’t even be thinking is it wise to sell Xabi and buy Barry…
I’m suprised how many fans consider Alonso to be better than Barry. He’s better with the short simple passes but what else??
Hansen, Smith & Co are hoping for wide players, but
who is there good enough available? Who is there good enough for under 15m?
Maybe Rafa has realised that there is not many great wingers /side midfielders around or they are too expensive (silva,quaresma..) and deside to use the money other way, (keane+barry). After all we have kuyt,keane,babel,benayoun,pennant, voronin to compete for those two wide positions in a 4-3-3 formation-
@jussi
I like the formation, though I don’t share your view on Barry v/s Xabi – although, to be fair, it’s only our financial position that’s got Rafa having to sell one to get the other: they are not straight swaps!
Goalie – 4 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 1 would be a change from Rafa’s preferred formation would it not? So I wonder whether Rafa will actually go with it. For sure Keane provides sufficient flexibility/variety for Rafa – as does Kuyt, Babel, Benayoun, Aberloa etc. – but his role is to find a perfect blend with Torres and Stevie G in my book and occasionally with Kuyt.
Keane offers that unpredicatability that we so lack – apart from Babel, in my view. Just hope his legs last the 3/4 years so that we can make a few pounds back off him……hopefully after we’ve ran United/Chelsea close for the league (if not won it).
Now to see what happens with Voronin and Pennant, I think, and then what Rafa does with the funds….winger or Barry? I suspect Barry……..although doesn’t he only have a year left on his contract? How can he be worth more than Crouch if that’s the case???