Liverpool FC Forum

[Reg]

Liverpool bank £16m as Cisse and Bellamy are moved On

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, was stepping up his search for a world-class winger last night after off-loading Craig Bellamy and Djibril Cissé for a combined fee of about £16 million. Bellamy, the Wales forward, has joined West Ham United in a deal worth up to £8 million after passing a medical in East London yesterday and agreeing a four-year contract worth about £70,000 a week.

Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, turned his attention to Bellamy after missing out to Tottenham Hotspur for Darren Bent. Bellamy’s departure brings to an end a frustrating 12 months for the Welshman, who struggled to adapt to BenÍtez’s rotation policy and whose spell at Liverpool was marred by controversy when he was accused of attacking John Arne Riise with a golf club at a training camp.

Bellamy was reluctant to leave Anfield but came to accept that his chances of first-team football next season were limited and favoured a move to West Ham over a return to Black-burn Rovers, whom he left last summer, or Aston Villa, where Martin O’Neill, who has worked with the player at Celtic, was thought to be keen to sign him.

Yossi Benayoun, the Israel midfield player, is expected to move in the opposite direction and become Liverpool’s second significant signing of the summer after the £20.2 million capture of Fernando Torres, although a deal had still to be concluded last night. Liverpool have also agreed to sell Cissé to Marseilles for about £8 million. Cissé will sign a three or four-year contract with the French club, who have also signed Boudewijin Zenden on a free transfer after he was released by Liverpool.

Although Liverpool will make a significant loss on Cissé, whom they signed for £14.2 million from Auxerre in 2004, the money from his sale, and that of Bellamy, will give Benítez the funds to make another big signing.

Bellamy, 27, is joining his seventh club since making his debut for Nor-wich City in 1996 and despite having cost a total of more than £30 million in transfer fees, he has yet to make the impact that his talent suggests he should. Benayoun will offer BenÍtez more options on the right side of midfield, but the Spaniard is keen to bring in a second winger who can play on either flank. Alessandro Mancini, the AS Roma winger, and Ricardo Quares-ma, of FC Porto, are thought to be interesting BenÍtez, although the manager appears to have conceded defeat in his efforts to sign Florent Malouda, with the Lyons winger likely to join Chelsea.

While all the talk on Merseyside this week may have been about Torres, one player also hoping to make a big impression at Anfield is Andriy Voronin. The Ukraine striker, signed on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, was formally welcomed yesterday after signing a four-year contract with the club.

With Dirk Kuyt or Peter Crouch expected to be the preferred partners for Torres up front, Voronin appears to have been signed to offer cover in attack, but the player does not see it that way.

“I haven’t made this decision to just sit on the bench,” he said. “I am coming to get into the team and form a partnership with someone. I played against Liverpool two years ago in the Champions League and I remember the madness before the game of all the supporters. I will never forget the atmosphere at the stadium and can’t wait to experience it as a Liverpool player.”

Benítez believes that Voronin could prove a real asset. “He’s a free transfer, but maybe that’s better for him because he won’t have the pressure of the others,” the manager said. “These players play better because they aren’t under pressure.”

Liverpool have agreed an undisclosed fee with Stockport County for Ryan Crowther, the young winger.

Clubs in the bag

Craig Bellamy has played for six clubs. More often than not, he has not left fond memories behind.

Norwich City 1996-2000 Showed his potential at Carrow Road, despite suffering injuries

Coventry City 2000-01 Cost £6.5 million but left when Coventry went down

Newcastle United 2001-05 Run-ins with Graeme Souness led to the £6 million striker being loaned out

Celtic 2005 Upset Alan Shearer with abusive text messages while in exile in Scotland

Blackburn Rovers 2005-06 Fine season after £5 million move but was off at first interest from Anfield

Liverpool 2006-07 Hit John Arne Riise with a golf club and scored in the Nou Camp to help to beat Barcelona. Fair return for £6 million

[The Manhattan Project]

Liverpool bank £16m as Cisse and Bellamy are moved On

Ahh very good.

[Reg]

Yeah, we've reduced the wage bill by Bellamy, Cisse, Garcia and recouped 20 million. Like to think that we've got cash in the kitty and wagers to pay more new buys.

I'm glad we didnt take Tevez, to have two key players on loan is building a castle on sand.

Game on. 

[kunilson]

yes rafa's rotation policy off the pitch is something i do like a lot..

we have the money back on our record signing and we should be good to go for a good winger/creative midfielder now.
sad story for Bellamy, the season for him was gonna go one way or the other and it didnt really go that well for him. hope he enjoys his stay at West Ham, im sure he will with that fat paycheque..and glad the cisse thing is over with also. was doing my head in that one.

oh wait this aint official yet?

[redmikey]

Yeah, we've reduced the wage bill by Bellamy, Cisse, Garcia and recouped 20 million. Like to think that we've got cash in the kitty and wagers to pay more new buys.

I'm glad we didnt take Tevez, to have two key players on loan is building a castle on sand.

Game on. 

i would have taken tevez like a flash even if it was to stop the scum getting him

the lad is quality and has had a season to settle in, god i hate them b@stards

voronin or tevez   not much of a choice there ,i watched voronin in the ufea cup and i would rather had cissie still at the club

[lakes10]

Yeah, we've reduced the wage bill by Bellamy, Cisse, Garcia and recouped 20 million. Like to think that we've got cash in the kitty and wagers to pay more new buys.

I'm glad we didnt take Tevez, to have two key players on loan is building a castle on sand.

Game on. 

yes you are right thats not bad.
i dont think Tevez would have fitted into the team for sometime but he is still a top player and and i am a bit gutted that he has gone to the Scum.

[Wilhelmsson]

It’s a nice return on two players who have become surplus to requirements. I’m curious to know how much Rafa received for both Bellamy and Cisse individually. I gather Bellamy and Cisse will be unveiled at their new clubs tomorrow or have they already been unveiled?

Now Rafa can go and sign a top class winger, I hear we are after both Quaresma and Mancini, is this true or is it just media speculation? I haven’t had time to keep up with the goings on.

[tubby]

Just media speculation but you know how it is. Dont ever expect Rafa to come out and announce who they want to sign. They will only say something when the deals about done.

[weringo]

Should be enough received from that deal to bring in Quaresma, £16m hopefully will be enough to tempt Porto to let go.

[LFC2007]

The fee agreed for Bellamy is £7.5m, not bad for a guy who cost £6m the season earlier.

[Beerbaron]

I still dont think money is a problem,firm beliver that americans in general,no matter what their involved in,always want to be the best,its just the way they are as a nation.I think they'll back Rafa no matter how much ha wants,even if its just to make them feel big,the only thing is,i think Rafa hates the taught of payin above hes valuation for a player+will never do it,hes a brilliant,but very head strong man.i think he could get who he wants but wont break hes valuation of a player,so if a silly sum of money is asked for any player,he wont make the deal..problem is people know we've the money+are asking for stupid money for any player we show interest in.I wouldnt be surprised if we dont sign again till later on this mt,like last few day in transfer market,when other teams start getting panicey for cash...wait+see they'll sign someone monday morning first thing just to prove me wrong!!!!

[Elchris]

Should be enough received from that deal to bring in Quaresma, £16m hopefully will be enough to tempt Porto to let go.

If Liverpool handed in a 16 million bid for queresma , i'm quite sure he'll be ours.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

Well Bellamy and Cisse are all but gone now and not before time. This of course has given us an extra 15/16 millon to spend, I'd still like Matty Taylor and Morten Gamst Pedersen and I'm pretty sure if we got the two of them we'd have money left over to bring in a few more youngsters or a bit part squad player.

[puroresu]

Should be enough received from that deal to bring in Quaresma, £16m hopefully will be enough to tempt Porto to let go.

If Liverpool handed in a 16 million bid for queresma , i'm quite sure he'll be ours.

I think he will cost a bit more.  They told Athletico they want 25 mil euro's.

[kawaton]

They want 25m euros?

oh, so just another 1m £ then

I think its a good price tbh