by Ciggy » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:24 am
Liverpool: Agent holds the key 27/03/2006 00:00:00
Following a week of claim and counter claim it would appear that Djibril Cisse will probably leave Liverpool in the summer, but now we also have a manager up before the Premier League, with a row that may take a little while to defuse.
Ranko Stojic, the agent of the French striker would appear to have opened a hornet’s nest by stating that his client would the move to North London, joining Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs has since denied ever being interested in the player, and have also affirmed their conviction in retaining Jermain Defoe at White Hart Lane, following a rather different version from Rafa Benitez.
Mr. Stojic must therefore be a complete liar as he claimed, ‘We know Tottenham are very interested. They got in touch with us on January 31 at 3pm. That was only a few hours before the market closed and we did not want to do business.'
'Tottenham should be in touch again this summer and Djibril is very interested.'
Tottenham’s statement of denial that they didn’t actually ever make an approach would then leave us to assume that Mr. Stojic is looking to engineer a transfer for his client, and he has certainly made any takers firmly aware of Cisse’s apparent availability.
He continued, 'The situation will sort itself out at the end of the season and I do not think the club will oppose his leaving if they can get £8m. Liverpool will need to sell in order to buy this summer.’ (Nice of the agent to tell everybody Liverpool’s financial situation!!)
However in the midst of all this, Rafa Benitez is reportedly none too happy with Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy as the Liverpool boss has claimed that he was offered Jermain Defoe in a swap deal for Cisse (….Like no-one could work that one out??), which then questioned Tottenham’s stance on their denial.
Benitez’s comments that Spurs were desperate to part company with Defoe has seen him reported to the Premier League, but has certainly thickened the plot around what actually may or may not have happened at the end of January.
Reports that Defoe was spotted at Liverpool Airport would suggest that something may well have been afoot and that Mr. Stojic may have had a point after all, but evidently the Tottenham player’s agent may be the one to ask.
Now it would seem that both Benitez and Jol are more than happy with their forwards, but of course the summer will more than likely bring a change of heart (although it would now appear unlikely that Liverpool and Spurs will do business).
As for Cisse, it would appear that his days are numbered as a Liverpool player, although when pressed on the subject he has always stated his own ambition to remain with The Reds.
Not too long has passed since Cisse’s brother claimed the striker was on his way back to France in a deal that would take him to Marseille, but this was again rubbished by the player.
Rafa Benitez has recently utilized Cisse’s speed by using him as a right-sided player; a position that the Spanish tactician has worked incredibly hard to find a solution for.
Benitez has been happy with the way Cisse has adapted in the current set-up, ‘We are missing solutions on the right. We need him in that position and his performances on the wing are satisfying’.
However, when pressed on Cisse’s long-term Anfield future Benitez said ‘I don’t want to talk about that now’, which is hardly encouraging for the player.
Cisse has managed 12 goals this season, but has found regular first team opportunities more difficult to come by.
He was France’s top scorer during their qualification for the World Cup, although injuries to Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet would have aided this fact, and it would seem that the tournament this summer may well prove to be a shop-window for the former Auxerre striker.
There is no-one anywhere in the world at any stage who is any bigger or any better than this football club.
Kenny Dalglish 1/2/2011
REST IN PEACE PHIL, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
that has to go its up there with Robert Earnshaws 
