City winger linked

Conflicting reports keeps on coming on what kind of transfer budget Roy Hodgson will be given for the January window.

On one hand there is The Daily Mail reporting that Hodgson must develop young players rather than splashing the cash on new faces. Other sources on the other hand says he will be given anything between £25m and £40m to update the Liverpool squad.

Anyway, with former Everton defender Alan Harper in a key role in the club's scouting department Liverpool is at the moment keeping a watchful eye over several players from both home and abroad.

Today The Daily Mirror is reporting that Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is a January Hodgson target.

The manager is said to be tracking the 29 year old and he could be available for £5m, according to the paper.

Wright-Phillips is available as he is in the last year of his contract and will be allowed to leave in January if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Contract talks are said to have stalled with the England international as Wright-Phillips is not prepared to stay as a reserve as manager Roberto Mancini has dropped him to a bench since his arrival last year.

The Mirror believes that Wright-Phillips figures highly on the list of Roy Hodgson’s transfer targets and the City winger is prepared to leave Eastlands for the second time in search of first team football. 

A new name on the Liverpool transfer mary-go-round is Italian forward Antonio Cassano.

The former Roma forward appeared to have finally got his career back on track at Sampdoria before insulting president Ricardo Garrone in what was termed "gravely offensive and disrespectful behaviour", Sportsvibe reports.

Cassano was immediately suspended with rumours persisting that the Italian forward will have his contract terminated and could become a free agent. That has alerted a number of managers with Hodgson in particular keen to bring in reinforcements.

Liverpool do not have the resources to spend millions in the transfer window, the site claims, and Cassano could be a cheap and talented alternative.

A name tha re-appears is Oscar Cordozo.

The Benfica striker is a major target for Liverpool and the club are preparing a January move for the Paraguay international, according to Ultima Hora, TribalFootball reports.
 
Cardozo has shone since arriving in Lisbon from Newell's Old Boys three years ago, and has scored 81 goals in 135 games for the Aguias.

The centre-forward's physical frame would apparently make him a good foil for Reds ace Fernando Torres.

Five strikers and one defender linked

The Mirror today comes up with an utterly silly and gibberish story about Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina wanting to leave Liverpool in january.

They are, according to the paper, ready to use secret escape clauses in theire contracts to quit Anfield. The paper though has no quoted sources what so ever. So we don't belive that, do we?

Roy Hodgson has on his hand warned Manchester United that goalkeeper Pepe Reina is not for sale.

Anyway Roy Hodgson would want to pair Torres with another striker in january. But who would that be?

One alternative apparently is Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo. Liverpool are prepared to break the bank to land the Chilean goal scorer who could make a £22 million move to Anfield in January, if we are to belive Mexican publication Ultima Hora, Givemefootball.com reports.

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Cardozo will be a familiar name to the Anfield faithful after the Chilean struck three times in two matches against Rafa Benitez's Reds in last season's Europa League.

Liverpool appear to be frontrunners for his signature in a deal which would firmly establish NESV as serious backers to the Anfield cause.

Earlier reported Liverpool target Ibrahim Afellay has according to Goal.com rubbished talk of an agreement with Atletico Madrid. 


The player has been made available by PSV Eindhoven in January after he failed to agree a new contract. The Dutch side do no want the player to leave on a free transfer next summer when his deal runs out, and a fee had reportedly been agreed with Atletico. 

But this is not true. 

- We have not reached any agreement with any club whatsoever. Not even with Atletico. Some of the names in the press are correct, but I do not wish to confirm any one, his agent says.

Another earlier reported potential transfer target in the January transfer window is Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan.

It is believed that he could be made available in January to finance a move for Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez, reports Spanish newspaper Cadena Ser.

Both Spurs and Liverpool are said to be interested in signing the 31 year old Uruguayan and any move by Atletico for Lopez could see either English club pounce for the prolific goalscorer.

The same is the case for Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez, who according to The Daily Mail are going to be offloaded to finance a £40m move for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.

The Reds missed out on a loan deal for the German international in the summer but Roy Hodgson is still believed to be keen on signing the 25 year old.

Another striker turning up on the rumour mill is Mirko Vucinic. 

The Montenegro international is reportedly keen on a Stadio Olimpico exit after clashing with manager Claudio Ranieri, and Liverpool are thought to be one of the interested parties in the player, says Givemefootball.com. 

Temperament could be a key issue in any decision to move for the player, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson would have to pay in the region of £13 million to bring him to Anfield. 

Reports in Italy suggest the player is looking to move after reactingly badly to being substituted in the 0-0 draw against Parma, and the aforementioned fee is a reduced price from La Maggica's original valuation. 

And finaly a defencive player is being linked. This time it's the Real Madrid defender Royston Drenthe, who Liverpool reportedly have made contact with Real Madrid over.

The 23-year-old is currently on a season-long loan at La Liga side Hercules, earning rave-reviews for his performances. Liverpool are thought to have been impressed by Drenthe's performances at the José Rico Pérez stadium, and Spanish paper Sport notes that Jose Mourinho would be willing to listen to offers for the former U21 international.

Roy Hodgson is still thought to be keen on bringing the player to Anfield, and it's thought that Liverpool will have to pay a fee in the region of £8 million for the player.