On the day Liverpool unveiled two Bosman signings and a £2m youngster come reports that the club are about to pay £2.5m for 31-year-old Aston Villa right-back Luke Young.
Not only would the deal signal a record fee for the Anfield side this year, it would also be a sign that Roy Hodgson is finally getting a little bit of say in the transfer dealings of this summer. What also has to be said is that the fee will be dwarfed by the overall profit made on transfer fees by Liverpool in the last year.
According to the Guardian’s Midlands football correspondent Stuart James, the two clubs have now agreed the fee so the player can talk terms with Liverpool. Martin O’Neill had already told Young he was no longer part of his plans and should look for a new club.
Hodgson had tried to sign the player for Fulham during the January transfer window.
Liverpool are in desperate need of a left-back, Fabio Aurelio having left at the end of his contract and Emiliano Insua still expected to join Fiorentina as soon as he agrees personal terms. But although Young has played at at left-back for Villa comments he made at the time suggest he won’t be signed as a left-back by the Reds.
“Playing at left-back is a different thing for me to get my head around,” Young said, 18 months ago. “I am getting on with it and doing a job and if the manager wants to play me there, I’ll do my best. Obviously it is not my best position and, at times on the pitch, it becomes difficult when I am on the wrong side and I’ve got to try to manoeuvre my way out of trouble and things like that. I am doing my best there, I am doing a job for the side and, hopefully at some stage, I might be able to get back on the right.”
Unless Glen Johnson is about to be sold this move is either for a player to be used where he’s not comfortable or as cover for the position he does like to play, a decision that will be a blow to some of the club’s youngsters who must have felt they were in with a chance of some playing time this season.
Fabio Capello requesting – in vain – for him to come out of international retirement last November will mean little to Liverpool supporters who will also be concerned at what kind of wages he’ll get. One of Villa’s reasons for trying to dump the player is said to be the high wages he’s on and Sunderland gave up on a move of their own to sign him this summer after reportedly balking at his wage demands.
says it all about our ambitions…..at least they’ve waited until AFTER torres committed himself :-/
Great news, the sort of signing that must have convinced Torres to stay. This plus the news that Maxi is leaving shows the standard of player Roy really aspires to.
Super to read that Mascerano is to be replaced by the world class Scott Parker. The future’s bright – if mid table is what you want.
Two days ago, Roy was excited about our below average Spearing. Now his global search lands him with a 2.5m pensioner, fresh off Villa’s bench. No Benitez around to resist Sunday market buys by the owners and Purslow. But we have improved now. No longer getting these players on free Bosmans but paying respectable amounts for far inferior players!!!! Keep it up Roy.
Perhaps simply a replacement for the outgoing Degan?
I doubt he will be our main left back. It would make sense in my opinion.
Brush – give the man a chance don’t go against him before the season even starts, he wasnt my first chaice either as manager but il back him all the way.
However this is a joke right? Luke Young we dnt need another right back, we have johnson and kelly as back up much younger and hungry. Luke is past it, and he wants 1st team football, so why would Liverpool be interested in him, id rather get steve finnan back than have Luke Young.
look! it’s luke!
Honestly, no quotes, no real, hard facts. I believe this is just paper talk based on a player that Roy wanted to sign at Fulham. Until Roy states an interest or the player is actually signed I’m not paying too much mind to it.
With the end of financial year coming up this weekend its possible the LFC hierarchy are focusing on sales (ie cash in) rather than purchases (ie cash out) in order to maximise the balance sheet. Let’s see if there’s any more substantial spending to be done in August, especially if a decent fee comes in for Masch.
Overall after one month of Roy in charge, I’m encouraged. If nothing else, there seems to be much more positive energy around now.
Full agree with Zahid.We don’t need him because he is too old to challenge title with Liverpool.
I have mixed feelings about this. On the on hand, we need a left-back. But on the other hand, the market seems overpriced and lacking. I would have preferred to see Maynor Figueroa or the German Jensen signed. And maybe Roy isn’t expecting him to be our starting left-back, but Young’s wages alone would are staggering for what I would call a 31-year-old “has been”.
can’t believe some of the people who post on here. It’s quite clear what ever happens at the club at the moment is not going to be good, I think people should have more sense than to believe everything they read in papers, Roy has said so himself, we must have been linked with in excess of 100 players. Oh and get over Rafa he has gone now, I liked him and wanted him to stay but if you support the club then we have to move on he is no longer part of the clubs present or future.
You guys are really annoying me by crticising Hodgson. He may be being signed as back up to Johnson to replace Degen.
We can’t go spending millions if there isn’t millions to spend. Hodgson has so far impressed me very much. He convinced Cole to sign when he could have decided to go anywhere, he convinced Gerrard to stay and it looks like he has convinced Torres to stay. Mascherano wanted to leave last year as he says his wife can’t speak English and is stuck in the house all day.
Hodgson’s trying to empty the trash which Benitez bought such as Degen, Ngog, Kyrgiakos and will probably try to tirim the 49 first team players (most of which were bought by Benitez as youngsters and should never pull on the Liverpool jersey). Benitez was obsessed with signing youngsters and then never really gave them a chance and at the same time they would have been eating up money in wages. He also signed a lot of useless players such as Voronin (free), Pennant (6.7m), Morientes(6.3m), (Dossena (7m), and Babel (11.5m) who has consistently been played out of position on the left wing when he is a right footed striker.
There were also others such as Nunez, Josemi, Kromkamp, Gonzalez, Zenden, Pellegrino, Barragan, Paletta etc. Benitez also wasted money on Keane by refusing to play him, leaving no option but to sell him 6 months later at a loss. He signed Aquilani and then refused to play him saying he wasn’t up to playing in important matches. He played Lucas as a defensive midfielder and we all saw how good he was when playing in a more attacking position. He refused to sign a back up to Torres last year. If there was 20m to buy another central midfielder then why didn’t he buy another striker instead.
He destroyed Benayoun and even he has said he left because Benitez had messed him up. He dumped Riera out of stubborness even though he played reallly well in his first season.
I’m sorry if this will upset some of you but Benitez is why we did so badly last year. He was the reason Alonso left and we missed him so much last year. Add in to the fact Benitez played defensive teams against inferior oposition and we had no chance.
The season before that could have been our year but he blew that by bizzarley criticising Ferguson in a press conference when there was no need as we were top of the table. It was know surprise we then dropped into second and it made us look a joke. You can’t live off one champions league triumph 5 years ago as a manager of Liverpool. We were starting to go backwards and Benitez was becoming more argumentative and stuborn which would have created negativity with the players.
cdl, that argument was lost long ago; we’ve lost a great manager. Last year expectations were to win the league now it’s to finish top four. What’s changed? The manager.
I would prefer him to buy english squad players that are settled in the prem rather than have the likes of Aurelio, Dossena and Degan.I think it’s a smart buy but he’ll be more of a back up player.
I like what Hodgson is doing by bringing some British players in. I think it’s why Totenham and Villa have been doing well recently.
Excellent buy for Liverpool, a experienced FB with lots of experience and he’s English without costing the earth to boot, I’m feeling far more positive about this coming season, carry on Roy, you are doing a fine job, well done.
btw I’m getting sick of reading Jim Boardman’s and everyone elses negativity on MY club, if he’s got news report it but leave the political tosh out, it’s depressing enough without thanks
btw I’m a grown up now, I don’t need to be told how or who I should support, Bennys gone, get over it, it’s time to support your “Club” and for Boardman long overdue.
how many britisch players did MU und Cheasel have when they got the title ? there are some many excellent ‘foreign players’ who are enjoying PL. Why shall we prefer to buy british ones if they are not good enough ? Look at WC, the brightest british football stars went home after just 4 matches… open your mind, guys. we shall only do what is good for the club, not for the board, not for the owner, neither for the narrow ‘national’ mood which only remind people with Nazi.
Whatever about mid table team, we certainly have some mid table supporters here, the pied piper is leading a serious doom & gloom campaign here. Give Roy a chance, my god, the last manager got long enough of your devoted support despite almost ruining the club. And please start referring to him as Roy. I think he deserves that respect, if in fact, this is really a LFC supporters site. Frankly I’m beginging to wonder.
Jim, share your frustration about the “big summer” of signings.
Tom Hicks is a liar. As Liverpool fans, we know he has consistently lied about his intentions. His actions or lack of action speak louder than any weasel words that come from Tom Hicks mouth.
We know that its not going to be a “big summer” of signings and as Liverpool fans we will get behind the club and manager whoever arrives and departs.
But glad you are keeping the focus on the single most important issue Liverpool football club faces. The removal of Hicks and Gillette ( and i think it may come to them being removed ) and new ownership arriving.
I don’t think he will manage to lift the club to right direction. I’m already tired with his player choice.
@ Jim, could it be that Roy is thinking of using young as our first choice LB with Kelly or carra as a back up with Glen Johnson taking the position of the departing Maxi?????? I think Johnson will do well as a winger! What you think???
Sorry meant RB
Suggestions tonight that Young and LFC are struggling to agree terms, plus there is also growing weight behind possibility of Fulham’s Konchesky coming in.
There is reportedly a block on Hodgson going back to Fulham for any players as part of the settlement he had with them, but suggestion is that this could be overruled if LFC match an offer received by another club for a Fulham player. Konchesky nearly signed for Birmingham 6 weeks ago (when Hodgson was still Fulham manager), suggesting a fee had been agreed then and arguably giving Hodgson the means to get round the agreement he had with Fulham.
If that happened, Konchesky would presumably be first-choice LB. Young could then be used as cover for either Johnson or Konchesky.
As for Johnson going further upfield, hard to say what formation Roy will prefer and where everyone will then fit. In the 4-2-3-1 formation he’d have Torres up front (we hope) and then Cole, Gerrard, Kuyt, Jovanovich, Babel, Maxi and Aquilani to choose from for the other three advanced roles. Obviously Maxi’s linked with a move away, loads of speculation about Babel, so that selection might be cut down. Also if Hodgson goes for a 4-4-2 formation where will he use those players? It’ll be interesting to see.
Will he replace Mascherano, will he even see the money?
Not long ago wasn’t Luke Young considered one of the best RBs in the country? Yes he’s past 30 now and didn’t have a good season last, but if he’s cheap enough and behaves himself, maybe he’s a good acquisition as cover, and certainly an improvement on Degen?
On formations, I believe Roy prefers 4-4-2 with inverted wingers (right footer on left wing, left footer on right wing), and one of the forwards playing deep. We’ll soon find out what he has in mind anyway, but perhaps he’s going to play Cole as a deep number 10 linking with midfield and supporting Torres? And then Gerrard and maybe Lucas as a midfield pairing?? I just think that given Cole’s dissatisfaction with playing out wide Roy might have promised him a more central role in persuading him to come to the club.
I hope we focus more on our attack and wing. Get Steven Defour to replace Mascherano. IMO, SD will be an upgrade on JM who is only good defensively but offer no threat upfront.
HeiHei – True, there are certain things we should not turn a blind eye to, e.g. if the board starts to cheat the club, if the board is competent, etc. But the choice of manager, new owners, and the commercial side of things etc are really down to the board. Afterall, that is what a board is for. They shouldn’t be made to explain everything in public.
Democracy might be a good way to run a country but I don’t think it works that well for a club or company.
Look at Alex Ferguson. He din say anything bad about the Glazers at all – not in public anyway. Much as I loathe to say, that is a sign of a good manager, compared that to Rafa……
I am not sure that any new owners who come in will not put any debt on our club. It is normal to use a combination of equity and debt to run a business. Man U has more debt than us but it has not stopped them winning three EPL titles in a row and a CL title.
So it is best that we don’t put all our hopes on change of ownership.
Why spend 2.5m to replace Degen when someone from a Sunday pub team would could replace him for nothing.
@ Pete You’re being unkind to Sunday Pub Teams
Quite amazing some of the comments on here i mean the one about Sir alex being a great manager coz he didn’t slate the glazers in public is deluded if he was treated the way Rafa was i think you might have heard something different come out of Sir alex mouth and to try and say Joe cole signed for LFC because of Roy is a joke more like the 90,000 a week on offer was more the reason knowing he wouldn’t get it anywhere else.