New bid for Suarez?

Where's Babel going? New bid for Suarez? Inter Milan midfielder on the radar. American international in part exchange deal? Liverpool flopp to help transfer of Belgium international?

Today, let's start with some transfers that may not be...

Ryan Babel may be prised out of a transfer back to his Ajax.

He is now stalling over a move to Hoffenheim, despite the Bundesliga's club's £5.8million bid being accepted by Liverpool, in the hope that Ajax will take him back, says The Daily Mail.

And tonight Sky Sports report Liverpool have had a £4m bid for Charlie Adam turned down by Blackpool.

Adam has been heavily linked with a move away from Bloomfield Road during this month's transfer window, with Aston Villa having already had two offers for the 25-year-old rejected.

Pool boss Ian Holloway previously branded Villa's failed £3.5m bid for Adam 'insulting', and it appears the Seasiders were equally unimpressed by the Reds' offer, which was similarly snubbed despite being the highest bid yet for his services.

Holloway has continuously stated that Adam is going nowhere this month, stressing his desire to keep the highly-rated midfielder at the promoted club.

Now back to this transfer window's longest running saga; will Luis Suarez finaly become a Liverpool player?

Well, according to FootyLatest, money still appears to be an issue at Anfield and their recent pursuit of Ajax striker Luis Suarez has highlighted this fact, after Ajax knocked back Liverpool’s initial £13 Million offer as derisory.

Liverpool have been told they are a clear £8 Million short and that they need to come back with an offer that matches the Ajax valuation, or Kenny Dalglish will have to start looking elsewhere.

If we are to belive The Daily Mail, Liverpool's initial bid for striker Luis Suarez was reportedly worth about half of what Ajax was looking for. Now, however, it appears as though Liverpool has closed the gap considerably, and a deal could soon follow.

Liverpool has upped its initial bid of £10.95 million ($17.38 million) to £18 million ($28.58 million), the paper claims. Ajax was reportedly seeking £20 million ($31.75 million) for the Uruguayan star, but £18 million certainly might be enough to get the job done, despite Ajax's insistence that it's not enough.

Elswhere The Metro claims Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari looks set to spark a £10 million transfer tug-of-war between Liverpool and Spurs with fresh transfer talk emerging from the San Siro.

The former Portsmouth player has been encouraged by Ghana team-mate Asamoah Gyan to leave the Nerazzurri for Sunderland but a high profile shift to Liverpool or Tottenham appears to be the more likely option for the 26-year-old.

Liverpool’s active transfer mindset and vast available funds also has them at the helm to secure Muntari’s signature valued at £9.6m.

Promised plenty of funds, Reds manager Kenny Dalglish would like to have a replacement for Lucas in the centre of the park and Muntari’s accurate passing game would be a valued asset at Anfield.

Inter Milan’s technical director Marco Branca said earlier in the week that Muntari is free to leave as long as a suitable fee and club is found before the window closes at the end of the month.

- He (Muntari) has made himself available to leave as long as a team wants him and is interested in him, Branca explained to Sky Italia.

Liverpool are also being linked with a shock part-exchange move as part of the deal to bring Clint Dempsey to the club.

The American international has been linked with a move to Anfield in recent months, and Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is reportedly considering off-loading full-back Paul Konchesky as part of the deal, GiveMeFootball report.

Konchesky joined the Reds in the summer from Fulham, with former Liverpool chief Roy Hodgson bringing the player to Merseyside in a deal worth around £4 million.

And, finaly, speculations regarding the future of Steven Defour keeps on coming. Maybe a current Liverpool-player could play a key role in bringing him to Anfield in the summer?

According to GiveMeFootball Liverpool have been maintaining a line of contact with the Manchester United target.

The Belgium captain has long been on the radar of Sir Alex Ferguson and is thought to be keen to eventually seal a move to Manchester.

He is, however, in regular contact with Liverpool…well, that is to say 'in contact' with Reds' flop Milan Jovanovic, who played with the 22-year-old at Standard Liege.

"Sometimes I hear something from Steven Defour,” said the Serbia international. "He supports me in Liverpool and I support him now that he is injured.”

French winger in January?

Roy Hodgson today said he hopes for January transfers.

- I can only hope we get some of the injured players back and I can also hope if there is any possibility of transfers in the January window that will help us and make us a better team that I’ll be given the opportunity to take those players, he said Talksport reports.

A 24 years old Frenchman could become Hodgsons first signing in January....

One of the names mentioned most often this fall on the Liverpool transfer rumour mill is that of  Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia.

According to the Daily Express, Liverpool have held talks over the potential signing of Charles N'Zogbia. The club is ready to table an offer of around £7 million after scouts were dispatched to watch the Wigan winger at close quarters.

It's not the first time Liverpool representatives have been to watch the 24-year-old Frenchman, with three Anfield scouts - including chief talent-spotter Eduardo Macia - allegedly deployed to monitor N'Zogbia during Wigan's Carling Cup victory against Swansea in October.

And, according to Click Lancashire, Roy Hodgson was at the DW Stadium earlier this month and was wowed by N'Zogbia's man-of-the-match performance in the 2-2 draw with Stoke.

N'Zogbia is understood to have been identified as a high-priority target by Liverpool in their pursuit of attacking reinforcements when the transfer window opens next month.

Belgium starlet Eden Hazard has talked up the prospect of a move to Liverpool or Arsenal in the summer after apparently rejecting a move to Chelsea.

Lille winger Hazard, 19, is rated among the most promising talents in Europe and has for some time been talking up the prospect of a move to Real Madrid or Arsenal.

Zinedine Zidane has recommended the player to Madrid, but Hazard has now said he believes his first-team opportunities would be restricted at the Bernabeu and that he would prefer to continue his development at a club like Arsenal.

- I could have gone [to Chelsea] last June, but I was not ready to make that big leap, he said Soccernet reports.

- Recently, the press have been writing about interest from Liverpool, and it is nice to hear your name being mentioned everywhere, especially with the best teams in the world.

- If I do leave at the end of the season, I don't want to go somewhere I will be on the bench, and it will be difficult to break through in a team like Real, where Ronaldo and Kaka will be my competitors. But there are teams like Arsenal, where youngsters can grow more easily into the first team and make their mark.

- I will not leave for another French club because, with 100 matches under my belt for Lille, I don't think I have to prove my qualities for a team in the same league.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson saw Hazard in action during a recent scouting trip in France.

Sport.co.uk can exclusively reveal that there will not be any transfer for Belgian international Steven Defour.

The Belgian international and Standard Liege midfielder is being followed closely by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while Liverpool are also monitoring the player's progress.

Speaking exclusively to Sport.co.uk, the player’s chief representative Paul Stefani said the 22-year-old would remain at current club Standard Liege for the remainder of the season to recover from injury.

- He’s injured at the moment. He’s out for three months, he said.

Defour has been relentlessly linked with Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson a known admirer.

Asked if there was any chance that a move could be agreed, Stefani promptly rebuffed the rumours.

- No, no it’s impossible. A January move is impossible.

The player’s representative had previously told Sport.co.uk that as many as seven clubs were interested in Defour.

- Yes, it is true he is being watched. He is being monitored by seven clubs at the moment from England, France, Spain and Italy.

Stefani was then asked if a January move was in the pipe line. He replied:

- We don’t know. It depends on the club and whether or not there is a big move in the January window that could see other people move.

- I have received positive phone calls from clubs in the UK, who have said they can do things, so we will wait and see.

However, another injury set-back means a January move is out of the question.

Liverpool want Real Madrid outcast?

In january the hunt for a new striker will probably be the most important for Roy Hodgson. But today Liverpool is also being linked a couple of midfielders.

Most important is the rumour of Liverpool being associated with a move for Real Madrid outcast Lassana Diarra. He is being tracked by four Premier League clubs after falling out of favour at Real Madrid this season, Talksport reports.

Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira have been manager Jose Mourinho's first-choice midfield partnership since the summer and Diarra has started only three of Madrid's 12 games so far under the Portuguese.

Now Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham and Liverpool are all interested in bringing the France international back to England, according to reports in Spain.

However, it is thought Madrid president Florentino Perez wants to recoup at least half of the £20m fee he shelled out for the tenacious midfielder less than two years ago.

The other significant rumour of the day is that of earlier linked Standard Liege captain Steven Defour.

Todays report brought by Sport.co.uk says that seven clubs are interested in the player with Manchester United still firmly in the hunt for the 22-year-old.

Manchester United were confirmed as one of the seven clubs monitoring the player while Everton and Liverpool are also rumoured to have registered their interest in the player.

- Yes, it is true he is being watched. He is being monitored by seven clubs at the moment from England, France, Spain and Italy, his agent told the site.

Being asked if a January move was a bit too soon to think about leaving Standard Liege. He replied:

- We don’t know. It depends on the club and whether or not there is a big move in the January window that could see other people move. I have received positive phone calls from clubs in the UK, who have said they can do things, so we will wait and see, the agent says. 

Finaly a new name appears. 

Liverpool is today being linked with a Russian striker. Apparently Roy Hodgson has set his sights on Stuttgart targetman Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Despite Stuttart's poor start to the season Pogrebnyak has managed to net five goals in seven games. The rangy 6ft 3in striker could work well as a foil for Fernando Torres and help Liverpool become more of an attacking threat.

A move for the former Zenit St Petersburg man would set Liverpool back around £12m, Caughtoffside reports.

No big signings in January?

Today there are several reports on Liverpool not going to bring in any new big names in the January transfer window. On the other hand the rumours of transfer war chests and players keep on coming like never before.

The Evening Herald reports about Liverpool needing to get theire books in order before the club can buy players.

Hodgson will not target any trophy signings in the January transfer window as Liverpool's new owner, New England Sports Ventures, looks to put a stop to the profligate spending which it believes has hampered the club's progress in recent years, the paper reports.

NESV's takeover freed up £36m a year on revenue -- money that had previously been used to service Liverpool's £282m debts -- to be reinvested in the club.

Although its offer also made provisions for an immediate injection of funds into the playing staff, the American consortium has made it clear it expects value for money, both from fees and salaries.

- At the Boston Red Sox, we invested a lot in management and the scouting system, said NESV chairman Tom Werner, The Daily Telegraph reports.

- We believe the foundation of any good sports club has to be the experience, valuation and understanding of scouting, so we will invest in that as well, he sayd.

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Also says the same newspaper Hodgson and his scouting team in recent weeks have been following the Standard Liège captain Steven Defour. A long-term target for the Liverpool manager.

The newspaper believes that at 22, and around £12 million, Defour represents minimum risk for maximum reward.

The player has also been followed by Hodgsons good friend Alex Ferguson, but the manager according to Sportsvibe intends to challenge Manchester United in securing the signature of highly-rated Standard Liege midfielder

The Telegraph also mentions the PSV Eindhoven Winger Ibrahim Afellay, whom Liverpool have assessed on several occasions.

Already a Dutch international at 24 and heralded for several years as one of the brightest prospects in Europe, Afellay would fall within Liverpool's budget, while his wage demands would remain comparatively modest.

More expensive would be Eden Hazard, Defour's Belgian international team-mate, currently with Lille.

Earlier reported transfer goal for Hodgson, Diego Forlan is again being mentioned on the rumour mill.

According to Goal.com the Atletico Madrid striker is keen on a move to the Premiership in january. They say Liverpool and Tottenham are set to battle for the Uruguayan star.

He is apparently targeting a move to England after setting his heart on a return to the Premier League when the transfer window re-opens.

Liverpool and Spurs have been made aware of the €17 million-rated striker's availability and NESV will back the manager with funds to strengthen the squad and the former Fulham boss has made signing a striker to partner Fernando Torres his priority.

Spurs made a summer enquiry for Forlan but were put off by the €27m asking price. 

Another new name appearing today is the St Etienne defensive midfielder Blaise Matuidi. 

The French player was linked with Arsenal and a host of other clubs last winter and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in Matuidi. It appears that English clubs would have an advantage in any attempt to sign the France international.

- The league that would suit me best is the Premier League. This is due to tactical, cultural and physical reasons, and the atmosphere in the stadiums, the player says according to Sky Sports.

Todays most surprising link is to the West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt. 

The 25-year-old Northern Ireland international has produced a string of eye-catching displays at the Hawthorns, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is thought to be keen on bringing the player to Anfield, Givemefootball reports.

The have taken the story from The Belfast Telegraph, who says the player is an £8m target for Liverpool.

- West Brom will be reluctant to let Brunt go but Roy will have money to spend and he’s been impressed by Brunt and the influence he’s had on games this season, a Liverpool source told the paper.

And the most shocking link right now is to Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar.

Pienaar has been unable to agree terms on a new deal, and the Metro reports that new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is keen to bring the player to Anfield, according to Givemefootball.

David Moyes could be forced to sell or risk losing the player on a free transfer in the summer, although he has said he'd rather have the player for six more months than sell on the cheap.

Midfielder linked again

With new owners in place Liverpool will very likely look to strenghten the side in January. Now the club is again being linked with a Belgian midfielder.

Roy Hodgson is reportedly looking to beat arch rivals Manchester United to the signing of impressive international midfielder Steven Defour, Transfertavern reports.

Alex Ferguson has earlier, when the player was injured, sent a letter wishing him well. This sparked a frenzy of speculations linking the player to Old Trafford.

But with fresh owners installed at Anfield Liverpool will look to sign a player that many have dubbed the “New Steven Gerrard”. The 22 year old does play in a similar style to the Liverpool captain and does have a great deal of potential that appears to eclipse what he can achieve with his Belgian side. 

United will remain firm favourites to sign him, but with the growing interest from Premier League sides, it will probably be up to the player to choose.

Do you think Defour would give Liverpool the boost the side needs in midfield?

Belgisk midtbanespiller?

Belgisk midtbanespiller til Merseyside? Sveitsisk spiller linkes igjen. Benitez må få ny kontrakt!

Stadig nye spillere blir satt i forbindelse med overgang til Liverpool FC nå som transfervinduet er åpent, til tross for at Benitez har sagt at han er fornøyd med den troppen han har. Nå ser det imidlertid ut til at Jermaine Pennant går til Portsmouth og Rafa vil da kanskje måtte hente en erstatter til troppen.

I dag er det den belgiske spilleren Steven Defour som trekkes fram, av nettstedet Eyefootball. Men han er i såfall neppe noen egna erstatter for Pennant. Defour er en playmaker som liker seg på midten av midtbanen, slik han spiller for sin klubb, Standard Liège. Sist sesong fikk han utmerkelsen Golden Shoe, som blant annet sier at han er den mest verdifulle spilleren i belgisk fotball. Tidligere har han blitt linket til overganger til blant andre Arsenal og Middlesbrough og flere italienske klubber skal også være interessert.

Nå skal, i følge nettstedet, Benitez være klar for å hente spilleren, som blir 21 år i april, for £8m. Liverpool skal ligge godt an i forhold til å hente ham og Benitez ser ham som en ideell partner for Gerrard og Mascherano på midtbanen.

Og nå linkes også en annen midtbanespiller, nemlig Gokhan Inler. Den opprinnelig tyrkiske spilleren har tidligere blitt linket til Liverpool to ganger, som jeg har registrert. I april og mai 2008.

Nå er det nettstedet Vital Football som skriver at Liverpool kan være interessert i Udinese-spilleren. Inler spiller landslagsfotball for Sveits og både Arsenal og Real Madrid skal også ha 24-åringen på blokka.

Bølgene går dessverre, nok en gang, høyt i vår kjære klubb. Rafa Benitez har nektet å godta tilbudet om en ny kontrakt. Manageren ønsker å få mer kontroll på transferaktiviteten og ungdomsakademiet til Liverpool FC. Nå står klubben i fare for å miste sin manager når hans nåværende avtale går ut om 18 måneder.

Liverpool-eier Tom Hicks sier imidlertid han er trygg på at kontraktsforhandlingene vil gå i orden.

Det ville vært en tragedie av dimensjoner for Liverpool FC dersom Benitez nå ikke fikk den kontrakten han ønsker seg og må trekke seg når den nåværende avtalen går ut. Det var mye av det samme som var grunnen til at han i sin tid forlot Valencia. Benitez kan være i ferd med å krone verket, etter å ha brukt år på å bygge den troppen han ønsker seg. La oss ikke få en situasjon der en manager må begynne å bygge på nytt!

Eller?