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Peter Crouch starts Liverpool contract talks
England striker Peter Crouch has started negotiations over a new contract to stay at Anfield according to reports this morning.
Crouch, 26, who has been picked for Liverpool's last two games by manager Rafael Benitez, has 16 months remaining on his current deal.
Rumours suggesting that Aston Villa coach Martin O'Neill was planning a move for the tall centre-forward this summer have prompted the Merseyside club to begin talks with the player.
A move to Villa Park would be familiar ground for Crouch, who spent three seasons in Birmingham where he scored just seven goals in 41 appearances following a £5 million move from Portsmouth.
Crouch joined Liverpool from Southampton in a £7 million transfer in July 2005 and initially struggled to make an impact, needing 19 games to score his first goal for the club.
Following the signing of Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres in successive seasons his opportunities have been limited but Crouch has scored eight goals this season.
However, Crouch may want to move away from Anfield in a bid to secure more regular football as he seeks to convince new England manager Fabio Capello that he can fit into the Italian's plans for the World Cup qualifying campaign beginning in the autumn.
Crouch has scored scored 39 goals in 122 appearances for Liverpool.
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Rafael Benitez says Liverpool closer to signing Javier Mascherano on permanent transfer
LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says the club is getting closer to signing Javier Mascherano on a permanent contract, despite reports linking the midfielder with a move to Barcelona.
The Argentina international is registered as a Reds player on a long-term loan from Media Sports Investments, which owns his rights.
"We are closer than we were one week ago but I don't know how close," Benitez said Thursday.
Mascherano said last week he had "a lot of confidence" that he would complete a permanent transfer shortly.
However, Spanish newspaper Marca reported that MSI have now offered the player to Barcelona.
Mascherano joined Liverpool in February 2007 on a loan deal from West Ham after a messy contract dispute that involved a Premier League investigation and FIFA ruling.
That began when Mascherano and his Argentine teammate Carlos Tevez joined West Ham from Brazilian club Corinthians in August 2006 in a move engineered by MSI owner Kia Joorabchian.
The Premier League investigated the transfers in April 2007 and found they broke the rules on third-party ownership, with an independent tribunal fining West Ham 5.5 million pounds (then US$11.2 million; euro8.2 million).
Tevez helped West Ham stay in the Premier League before moving in August to Manchester United.
United agreed a two-year loan deal with MSI after which it will have the option to sign Tevez permanently on a three-year contract, and it is thought a similar deal would be arranged between MSI and Liverpool for Mascherano.
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Liverpool boss slams Premier League's overseas plan
Plans to stage English Premier League (EPL) games overseas are not a good idea, according to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
The Premier League announced last week it was considering plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place in five cities overseas, starting in 2011.
But the idea has met with resistance from fans in England, the British media and football federations in Asia and Australia, as well as FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Benitez has become the first coach of one of the Premier League's so-called 'big four' of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, to firmly oppose proposals to play matches overseas when he revealed that both he and club chief executive Rick Parry believed the concept to extend the season to 39 games from 2010-11 was flawed.
"I don't like it," the Spaniard told the Times newspaper. "I think to play another game in another country is not right for this competition. You must play here in England with the same opportunities for everyone."
He added: "I've talked to Rick Parry about it and we think the idea is not the best."
Parry told Liverpool's official website later Friday: "Our goal remains to build a bigger stadium in Liverpool to enable more of our supporters to watch.
"As Rafa has already explained, he and I have discussed the Premier League's proposal for a 39th game and we both have concerns such a move could damage the integrity of the competition.
"I expressed these thoughts at the time and still hold them today. There's already an ongoing debate about a potential winter break and we are constantly talking about the demands being made on players these days.
"You have to look forward, but the popularity of the Premier League is based around the country's top teams playing in England," Parry, himself a former Premier League chief executive, added.
"It's vital that the Premier League listen to key people both here and abroad and the reaction so far has been a negative one in many ways."
The draft proposal, which all 20 Premier League clubs have voted to consider, could see the top-five teams from the previous season seeded to avoid one another.
Benitez, whose side would be expected to be one of those seeds, dismissed the plan as inherently unfair.
"The seeding idea is the reason I don't like it," he said. "It's important to give everyone the same opportunities.
"If it's just about money, you can organise a tournament in Hong Kong with the top four if you want and you'll have the money that you want, but to change the competition in this way is not fair.
"It's not a good idea and I don't think it's a solution for anyone."
FIFA president Blatter has vowed to torpedo the plans, saying the so-called 'international round' will never take place while he remains in office.
Source
Peter Crouch starts Liverpool contract talks
England striker Peter Crouch has started negotiations over a new contract to stay at Anfield according to reports this morning.
Crouch, 26, who has been picked for Liverpool's last two games by manager Rafael Benitez, has 16 months remaining on his current deal.
Rumours suggesting that Aston Villa coach Martin O'Neill was planning a move for the tall centre-forward this summer have prompted the Merseyside club to begin talks with the player.
A move to Villa Park would be familiar ground for Crouch, who spent three seasons in Birmingham where he scored just seven goals in 41 appearances following a £5 million move from Portsmouth.
Crouch joined Liverpool from Southampton in a £7 million transfer in July 2005 and initially struggled to make an impact, needing 19 games to score his first goal for the club.
Following the signing of Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres in successive seasons his opportunities have been limited but Crouch has scored eight goals this season.
However, Crouch may want to move away from Anfield in a bid to secure more regular football as he seeks to convince new England manager Fabio Capello that he can fit into the Italian's plans for the World Cup qualifying campaign beginning in the autumn.
Crouch has scored scored 39 goals in 122 appearances for Liverpool.
Source
Rafael Benitez says Liverpool closer to signing Javier Mascherano on permanent transfer
LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says the club is getting closer to signing Javier Mascherano on a permanent contract, despite reports linking the midfielder with a move to Barcelona.
The Argentina international is registered as a Reds player on a long-term loan from Media Sports Investments, which owns his rights.
"We are closer than we were one week ago but I don't know how close," Benitez said Thursday.
Mascherano said last week he had "a lot of confidence" that he would complete a permanent transfer shortly.
However, Spanish newspaper Marca reported that MSI have now offered the player to Barcelona.
Mascherano joined Liverpool in February 2007 on a loan deal from West Ham after a messy contract dispute that involved a Premier League investigation and FIFA ruling.
That began when Mascherano and his Argentine teammate Carlos Tevez joined West Ham from Brazilian club Corinthians in August 2006 in a move engineered by MSI owner Kia Joorabchian.
The Premier League investigated the transfers in April 2007 and found they broke the rules on third-party ownership, with an independent tribunal fining West Ham 5.5 million pounds (then US$11.2 million; euro8.2 million).
Tevez helped West Ham stay in the Premier League before moving in August to Manchester United.
United agreed a two-year loan deal with MSI after which it will have the option to sign Tevez permanently on a three-year contract, and it is thought a similar deal would be arranged between MSI and Liverpool for Mascherano.
Source
Liverpool boss slams Premier League's overseas plan
Plans to stage English Premier League (EPL) games overseas are not a good idea, according to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
The Premier League announced last week it was considering plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place in five cities overseas, starting in 2011.
But the idea has met with resistance from fans in England, the British media and football federations in Asia and Australia, as well as FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Benitez has become the first coach of one of the Premier League's so-called 'big four' of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, to firmly oppose proposals to play matches overseas when he revealed that both he and club chief executive Rick Parry believed the concept to extend the season to 39 games from 2010-11 was flawed.
"I don't like it," the Spaniard told the Times newspaper. "I think to play another game in another country is not right for this competition. You must play here in England with the same opportunities for everyone."
He added: "I've talked to Rick Parry about it and we think the idea is not the best."
Parry told Liverpool's official website later Friday: "Our goal remains to build a bigger stadium in Liverpool to enable more of our supporters to watch.
"As Rafa has already explained, he and I have discussed the Premier League's proposal for a 39th game and we both have concerns such a move could damage the integrity of the competition.
"I expressed these thoughts at the time and still hold them today. There's already an ongoing debate about a potential winter break and we are constantly talking about the demands being made on players these days.
"You have to look forward, but the popularity of the Premier League is based around the country's top teams playing in England," Parry, himself a former Premier League chief executive, added.
"It's vital that the Premier League listen to key people both here and abroad and the reaction so far has been a negative one in many ways."
The draft proposal, which all 20 Premier League clubs have voted to consider, could see the top-five teams from the previous season seeded to avoid one another.
Benitez, whose side would be expected to be one of those seeds, dismissed the plan as inherently unfair.
"The seeding idea is the reason I don't like it," he said. "It's important to give everyone the same opportunities.
"If it's just about money, you can organise a tournament in Hong Kong with the top four if you want and you'll have the money that you want, but to change the competition in this way is not fair.
"It's not a good idea and I don't think it's a solution for anyone."
FIFA president Blatter has vowed to torpedo the plans, saying the so-called 'international round' will never take place while he remains in office.
Source