More details of the move to bring Dirk Kuyt to Anfield have been revealed this morning as the player undergoes his medical. The official Liverpool FC website have confirmed a fee has been agreed and that personal terms are yet to be agreed. The Liverpool Echo’s Chris Bascombe has more access to what goes on than any other journalist, and a little more freedom than the official site to report what he knows.
The report in the Echo, currently on the website but no doubt to be covered extensively in the print version later today, says that the fee was £9m, all cash. Earlier attempts to include Jan Kromkamp in the deal came to nothing and he’s now being looked at by three clubs, one of whom is said to be PSV Eindhoven.
According to the Echo, the player should be signed by the end of the day, assuming there aren’t any unexpected problems, and would then be eligible to be included in the squad for Saturday’s Premiership opener against Sheffield United. The negotiations have clearly been ongoing for some time, but the report says that the final push came in Rotterdam yesterday where Rick Parry arrived to finalise the negotiations.
As Bascombe says in his report, the stories that Newcastle sent manager Glenn Roeder and chairman Freddy Shepherd to Dublin to watch Kuyt on international duty tell us of a journey wasted. Parry was getting the signatures on the pieces of paper to say Kuyt could come to Liverpool whilst Shepherd and Roeder were working out what to say to entice Kuyt to become the latest player to bought with borrowed money by the club that came close to relegation last season. The player has never had any interest in joining up with the Geordies, the made-up quotes found in the press earlier this week laughable.
There could be some movement out too this week. As is reported in various places, Florent Sinama-Pongolle could be moving back to France for £2m, with Lyon one of the clubs who are interested in him.
* Amidst all the fun and excitement of waiting for Kuyt to sign today, please don’t forget about Michael Shields. Our story on him might slip down the page, but don’t let his cause slip out of your minds. Help Bring Michael Shields Back Home .