Liverpool FC Forum

The Specialist wrote:

metalhead wrote:RIERA SET TO SIGN

Riera Ready To Become A Red
According to reports emanating from Spain, Espanyol winger Albert Riera is set to complete his move to Liverpool today.


El Mundo Deportivo has reported that Catalan outfit Espanyol have reached an agreement with Premiership giants Liverpool for the sale of winger Albert Riera.

The deal is believed to be worth €9 million upfront, plus €3 million based on the player’s performance, totalling the €12 million that Espanyol were holding out for.

Both clubs are now working on the finer details of the transfer and once it is completed, the 26 year old will fly out to Merseyside to pen a four year contract with the option of a fifth.

Espanyol president Daniel Sánchez Llibre revealed that the Blanc-i-Blau will have to dish out 30% of the transfer fee from the sale to Girondins Bordeaux as part of the agreement when the winger joined the Catalan side from the French outfit.

Llibre has also assured that the club have already begun looking for Riera’s replacement and a possible option is River Plate’s Olympic gold medallist, Diego Bounanotte. The 20 year old would only cost Los Periquitos around the region of €4 million and El Mundo believes that both parties have already made contact to begin negotiations.

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Im not too convinced about this signing, would have loved Garreth Barry, but I hope he does well.

Bounanotte is the player WE should be signing. He's a tricky, little player who can go past people and can score spectacular goals.

lakes10 wrote:

Emerald Red wrote:

s@int wrote:First things first, is it 12million euro's or 12million pounds ?

Secondly for those that think that if its a mistake its a cheap one....... If it costs us a chance of the league, it would be an expensive mistake in my book no matter what price we pay.

My thoughts exactly. It's amazing how people breath a sigh of relief once a player they don't rate (or know little of) is announced as being bought for a cheaper price than what they first heard, as if the coin was coming out of their own pocket, but that's another issue. Regardless of price or reputation, this player is taking up a important berth in the squad. Whether he is a big namer player with a big reputation that costs 50 million, or a lesser known player with little to no rep that can be construed as a bad signing and cost considerably cheaper, yet possibly over the odds, is irrelevant  IMO. It's simply a case of him doing the job at hand regardless. Only time can tell this. It's stupid to judge the player otherwise.

i understand what you are saying but he could not cut it here befoe and i dont see who he can change.
as you are saying he is taking up a big roll in the team, this roll should be taken by a player that we know can have pace or at least play well in the Prem.

there is no time and no game where he can make a mistake and learn from them.

john craig wrote:If Benitez had got his first wish, we'd have signed a central midfielder for 18 million (Gareth Barry) and then probably played him out of position on the left of midfield. IMO Riera is most likely going to be a better left midfielder than Gareth Barry would have been.

lakes10 wrote:even Morten Gamst Pedersen would be better

heimdall wrote:

lakes10 wrote:even Morten Gamst Pedersen would be better

Are you kidding, he would be an awesome signing, I would love to get "Gamsten", in my opinion he's one of the best left wingers in the prem.

heimdall wrote:

lakes10 wrote:even Morten Gamst Pedersen would be better

Are you kidding, he would be an awesome signing, I would love to get "Gamsten", in my opinion he's one of the best left wingers in the prem.

Yer what  hes a worst version of Riise, best winger in the prem after Ronaldo is Ashley Young FACT.

heimdall wrote:

lakes10 wrote:even Morten Gamst Pedersen would be better

Are you kidding, he would be an awesome signing, I would love to get "Gamsten", in my opinion he's one of the best left wingers in the prem.

He just happens to be Norwegian 

john craig wrote:I can't see it this transfer window ciggy, unless you know something we don't?

If that's the case I don't mind.  But if Gareth Barry is brought here to play left midfield I think it's a big mistake.

How will Benitez explain that one to Alonso then?  Alonso was told he was being sold to raise funds for a left midfielder as we already had plenty of central midfielders.  That suggested Barry was being brought in for the left.  If we sign Riera and Benitez is still trying to sell Alonso and buy Barry then he will struggle to explain that one to Alonso imo as it would be obvious that Barry is a direct replacement as a central midfielder.

I think the most likely scenario now is that we have given up on Barry, signed Riera as a cheaper option and Alonso will stay for now.