Honestly I don't think he will leave if the club brings in 2 of the 3 more players we are talking about. We are building a squad capable of fighting for Europe atm and only need a couple of quality strikers to be up there with Pool/Everton challenging for Europa.

Nail Guti to leave next season though.

i wouldnt be surprised if he left and newcastle sold as they will get nil when he leaves on a free, but i see your point.....

and as far as them challenging pool, our project is aimed at going alot further than challenging for Europa League lol \:d/ \:d/

@Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
How much for Henderson?? ? ??

@Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
How much for Henderson?? ? ??

Most reports saying that it's about 13m plus N'Gog.

Recently, we've been very strongly linked with 4 players for example who are all English. Downing, Henderson, Wickham, and Jones.
Barring Downing who'll turn 27 in July and is one of the very few natural out and out wingers left in the league, the rest are young and all full of potential. Of course the English tax will apply to them (see Carrick for 20 odd million 5 years ago, or Rooney and Ferdinand), but there is something seen in them in a man who's won A LOT in his career.

People are disappointed why aren't we linked with Zoozooinho from Corinthians, or Alvaro Groudriquez from Betis, or Fabio Balcanioni all those players with sexy names, that could be cheaper, but I can totally understand and see that Kenny wants a British core, with a few Foreign additions to act as engines of this machine which is LFC.

People cry, if we sign those English players, it means no Mata. Clueless eh, because we can't officially deal with non-English clubs until July 1st, and Mata will be playing for his country until June 25th anyways, and no deal can be mathematically concluded by then. Back to English Players, here is the common thing and reasoning. Kenny isn't building a galacticos teams with amazing names and world class stars. We are not in a position to do that. We are not in Europe. We may get lucky with deals like Suarez (and hopefully Mata), but it's a one off. We need these English players who WANT to play for LFC, and don't mind no CL in the coming season to help us restore our status, so we can in the next step attract big stars:

The core of our team, bar our attack are aging. Carra and Gerrard are both in their 30s. We shouldn't leave it like Chelsea, and then decide to fix it all in one summer. It should be a transition.

Here we are, linked with Stewart Downing. very un-flashy player. He is English, and as a result of course average and over-rated. but for example, he's created the 3RD Most goal scoring opportunities in the league last season. 85 !!!!! John Henry and Comolli mentioned that stats will play a big role in transfer targets. He has had the second most # of crosses in the league (something we couldn't give to Carroll during his first half season here, though injured mostly), and he'll give us a new option in the squad which is lacking (Width, and Speed). He's had 7 goals and 7 assists this saeson too, all from open play, and for half season, he was feeding no hopers like Heskey and Carew.

Then we have Henderson. A player whose best position is still unknown. Sunderland fans believe he should be a RM, while Bruce has mostly played him in CM. He is 20 and has played 2 full season in PL already. One thing in his game is obvious. He is always on the move. Henderson is behind Downing in creating most goal scoring opportunities in the league, and 4th in the entire league for last season, for a striker-less (for much of the season) Sunderland team. He has talent, pace, eye for long pass, and short passing too. United have been very strongly linked with him. Most of Ferguson's buys are British that leaves everyone saying WTF first, but then they deliver (10M for Smalling when he was a liability for Fulham team). I can see what Kenny wants to do.

Then we have Jones. An Absolute beast. Amazing recovery pace, great heading ability, and fantastic with the ball on his feet. All signs for next John Terry, and everything Alan Hansen was for Kenny's team. We may have to pay over-the odds for him, but we won't then have to watch him inevitable join one of our rivals and start picking trophies with them (see Rio for example, or hell Roy Keane). Carra is likely to retire in 2 years after his current deal expires, Jones can cover for Lucas in DM and has all the tools for a world class defender.

Then we have a 18 year old striker who has scored 9 goals in 20 games in second half of Championship and has been part of u-21 England set up even when he was 17. Ngog is as good as gone, and Kenny wants to replace him with Wickham. Now watch him against Arsenal @ SF of Carling Cup and how much trouble he gives to big guys like Djourou and Eboue. He is very raw, but again, he is big, Faster than all Carroll, Suarez and Kuyt, and very good on the ground and most important very decent passer for a striker. He is a very very raw Fernando Torres.


You see what Kenny wants to do? He sees those players who have raw potential, he trusts his own skills and Clarke's to make them much better and teach them to play the style he wants them to play. I can totally see that this is what he wants. Once the British signings are over for a young core and deadwood is shipped, then get the last couple of piece of the puzzle from Abroad (Mata for example) and take every one to pre-season tour and let the teaching begin.

---

In this process, we'll surely over-pay. They are English, and that's 5M at least automatically on their price. But we are an English team like it or not. Long term, those young players will be on much lower wages than established world class players who probably won't come to us due to no CL this year. We are thinking beyond just next year. We weren't far off top 4 anyways, and even all of these very young English players we are linked with will strengthen the squad for us. Our first XI can beat and is as good as any others in the league, it's lack of depth that has bothered us. Instead of having wasters and past it players like Jova and Cole, we'll have hungry, young talents as squad members.

Think about it, we may end up over-paying since they are British, but we may have the last laugh. life is a gamble!
going foreign for 13 years didn't win us the PL title (the title we crave most), let's give a chance to the seemingly Young British Talent Revolution and our best player and one of the most successful managers in our history.

$20 million plus N'gog was it? :-k

JORDAN HENDERSON will complete a £16m cash switch from Sunderland to Liverpool today.

But David Ngog will not be moving the other way as part of the deal.

Black Cats boss Steve Bruce wanted the French striker, rated by the Reds at £8m, to take the deal past his £20m valuation of the young midfielder.

But the deal will now be cash only, with Ngog staying at Anfield for the time being.

Henderson was at Melwood yesterday where he agreed personal terms and underwent a medical.

But paperwork at the FA and Premier League prevented the deal from being completed last night.

Thought it would have been good for Liverpool to try and let Ngog go.

It's going to be much better off after we sell Cole and Jova. I don't think Carroll, Suarez or Henderson will be on silly money so I'm not worried by our wages at all. We'll sell at least half a dozen players so it will be trimmed considerably.

I have it on good authority that he's not.

It may very well have been a sizable upgrade but that's moreso indicative of you not paying him much.

Edited by imnofreak: 9/6/2011 09:33:25 PM