Liverpool FC Forum

[GOAT]

In all honesty if they've offered 5 million quid we should take it IMHo. He's only got 1 year left on his deal and that'll look llike a huge fee by Christmas when he's not in our team and is free to speak to other clubs.

And who´s gonna play in that position when Johnson gets injured? Carra again? Darby?
I think Johnson aint gonna play 80 games in a row, he´s human.

Degen

Who?

[lakes10]

so he looks set to leave us this week, will he be missed, not sure, there could be a pointthat he was the reaon for some of the unrest in the team last year.

Liverpool full-back Alvaro Arbeloa claims he is close to finalising his anticipated move to Real Madrid.

Arbeloa has been linked with a move to Real throughout the summer with his chances at Liverpool likely to be more limited this season following the signing of Glen Johnson.

Real, who are also chasing Arbeloa's team-mate Xabi Alonso, are keen to increase the number of Spaniards in their squad following the big-money arrivals of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

A £4.5million fee for Arbeloa has been mooted and the Spain international believes talks over a move to Real are making positive progress.

"At the moment I am focused on Liverpool, but it is true that the deal is close to being completed," he told Spanish sports daily Marca.

"We'll see what happens in the next few days, if we can all make an effort so the the negotiations come to a good end, and we all come out having benefited, which is what everyone wants.

"I insist that everything is going forwards and everyone is in agreement - I am the one who has the most desire to sign for Madrid.

"I don't know what the likelihood is in percentages, it's a question more for the clubs. But, as I understand, it seems everything is going well and there is little left to resolve.

"It could all be sealed this week."

Arbeloa has made almost 100 appearances for Liverpool since joining the Premier League club from Deportivo La Coruna in January 2007.

He signed for Deportivo from Real, having failed to make an impact in his first spell at the Bernabeu after playing in the youth team for current Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5457187,00.html

[Igor Zidane]

Well i'll miss him, really liked albert . See yer around fella.

[Dundalk]

Was prone to the odd mistake every now and again but all in all a solid enough player

Sad to see him go

[bigmick]

I'll be sad to see Arbie go too, I've always liked him, good pro that he is. I do wish though sometimes players would hold off on the " I am the one who has the most desire to sign for Madrid" stuff. I just think it's a bit disrespectful to the club who have effectively made your career to be talking in those terms. Wait till you've signed, then say your glad to be there.

[aCe']

think he has improved quite a bit since he signed for us.. last season he improved when it comes to making forward runs off the ball and it seemed he was fast becoming an important figure in the side... obviously had limitations in terms of quality but was a solid player at the end of the day.. Us signing Johnson fast signalled the end of his Liverpool career and i dont blame him for wanting out at this point given his age, experience and this being a world cup year... if he can get into that Madrid side, and theres no reason he wouldnt imo ahead of Marcelo and Heinze, then he might actually improve their defensive setup a bit...

good luck and all that but as Mick said, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut regarding his desire to sign for Madrid... be a little more subtle lad... ask Alonso & Mascherano for advice and all that....

[lakes10]

yep, he is one of them players that had lot good games and then a bad one.
The bad ones tend to stick in your mind and that tends to be a bit uinfair.

bit like Djimi Traore , an outstanding player for us but some will never forget his own goal.........how can you lol

[stmichael]

Didn't he get offered a new contract recently?

Anyway, it seems inevitable that he'll leave and all in all it's a good deal for everyone. Brought him for a couple of million and will probably sell him for four times that just three years later.

[we all dream...]

A good pro and could have improved on last season and been a real good asset for us, as it is we have bought GJ and he had to move on. I don't think he has to show loyalty too us that much, yes we helped him build a career but we replaced him as soon as we though we could buy better. We were prepared to let him play second fiddle and he had the chance to move to the biggest club in Spain (history and all that)  If you were second fiddle at Madrid and Liverpool came in for you you would jump at the chance to move back home. I think we could have got more money for him..

Anyway. Onwards and upwards.

[Bad Bob]

I'll be sad to see Arbie go too, I've always liked him, good pro that he is. I do wish though sometimes players would hold off on the " I am the one who has the most desire to sign for Madrid" stuff. I just think it's a bit disrespectful to the club who have effectively made your career to be talking in those terms. Wait till you've signed, then say your glad to be there.

Agree it's a bit of an odd statement, Mick.  I wonder if it was something a bit mangled in translation (help Sabre?) or whether it was a way of saying that he, not Alonso, is the one really pushing for a Madrid deal.  Interesting one, at any rate.

Anyways, if he does go I wish him well.  He's played some excellent football for us on occasion and has been a good professional throughout.

[Sabre]

Alvaro doesn't sit on the fence

P. ¿Cómo ha sido su convivencia y la de Xabi Alonso con Benítez durante la gira por Asia del Liverpool con todo el asunto del interés del Real Madrid?

Question: How was the coexistence with Benitez during the Asian tour for you and Xabi with all the Real Madrid interest affaire?

Answer: Pretty well. Xabi was my room mate and we both could talk with Rafa about everything. He knows what's the situation, and he has told us what he thinks. The relationship, at least mine, is a good one, and in the case of Xabi I think it's a relationship of mutual respect too.

Question: Do you understand Benitez's position of trying to force the situation to the limit?

Answer: Of course I do. In those cases you have to understand all the involved parties. There are not good guys and bad guys. Often the press tries to cling the "bad guy" label to someone and it's not like that. Each of us defend our interest and Benitez is defending the interests of Liverpool, just as we are defending our own interest and Real Madrid theirs. But bad guys, in this case, there's no one.

You say your signing for Real Madrid is about to be done, but Xabi can't say the same thing. His case seems more complez. Do you notice him worried?

That's his business and I don't have to say anything on the matter. But anyway, it's 20 days left  so that the league starts
and the club will want to have their squad clsed as soon as possible. Let's see if everything gets sorted, both in my case and Xabi's.

Question:  But it's no secret that Xabi wants to play for Real Madrid.

Answer: I only can talk for myself. Real Madrid's project is a challenging one and I think that nowadays any player would want to be part of it.




P.S.

" I am the one who has the most desire to sign for Madrid"

Yes that was part of the interview I've translated partially, and yes, he said exactly that in Spanish, this time we cannot doubt about losy translations. No sitting on the fence in this case.

He also says that both Xabi and him are calm because they're in a great club already, meaning that it would be no drama to stay.

[Sabre]

Anyhow I always maintained that Arbeloa is average-good at best and he will seem for fragile in Real Madrid than in Liverpool. I guess 3-4M is a decent deal because he costed over 1 million and there's only one year left in his contract.

[metalhead]

Best of Luck arbs

[Rafa D]

Why do Real need a right back?

Ramos is quality and haven't they got miguel torres and salado?

[metalhead]

Why do Real need a right back?

Ramos is quality and haven't they got miguel torres and salado?

I talked to a couple of Real madrid mates of mines, they are saying arbeloa is bought to play as a left back this season with them.