Liverpool’s chief executive Rick Parry is no doubt in the middle of one of the busiest times of the year for himself right now, with transfer negotiations both in and out the top of his agenda. Birmingham City said yesterday they’d been in contact with Rick to tell him they weren’t looking to sell Jermain Pennant, and some reports are saying Blackburn have sent a similar message over Craig Bellamy. Other targets for Parry to bring home to Rafael Benitez are also being worked on, but until agents or clubs need to up the stakes these things are rarely leaked in much detail.
On the transfers out side of things, Djibril Cisse seems to be the priority for offloading, and he’d attract the highest fee. It’s that fee that is now being reported as a stumbling block for him to be able to join the team he supported as a boy – Marseilles. Liverpool have been asking for at lest £7million for the player, but Marseilles are trying to haggle. Reports say that Liverpool allowed Cisse to speak over personal terms with Marseilles ahead of him getting his head down to concentrate for the World Cup, and he and the club came to an agreement.
Chris Kirkland is still favourite to land at Wigan, as he seeks to try and get his career back on track after a long time out injured for one reason or another. He’s effectively become fourth choice goalkeeper at Anfield now, behind Pepe Reina, Jerzy Dudek and Scott Carson. Dudek still wants to leave Anfield, but Scott Carson is being advised to leave too by his England team-mate Paul Robinson. Carson has gone to Germany as England’s third choice keeper behind Robinson and ex-Red David James, and according to the Spurs keeper he’s got a lot of potential. Robinson claims that Carson needs regular football to develop his skills: “Scott Carson will be very good in the next couple of years, but he needs to play games. He is 20 now. Whether that means leaving Liverpool permanently or on loan I don’t know, but to further his career and develop as a keeper, he needs to take that step up and play games week in and week out.”