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Bye, Bye, Bye - Sissoko

I wish him all the best but Momo Sissoko isn’t a player I’m going to miss at Liverpool

He arrived in a torrent of praise at Anfield, played well for the club when he had the chance but he’s nowhere near the level of Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano.

When he was injured, I didn’t miss him.

When he wasn’t getting picked this season, I didn’t miss him.

Now that he’s off to Juventus, I still won’t miss him. But he’s young, just younger than I am, and at least he got to score for the club before he left (remember the Sunderland goal?).

Somewhere in the region of 8.2 million the Italians have paid for his services so that’s not too bad - more cash to splash on getting Mascherano to the club full time. Hopefully, for his sake, he sees more action in Serie A than he did in the Premier League this season.

His move also represents a near 3 million pound profit. Perhaps through the Champions League he’ll cross paths with Liverpool once again.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Voronin Tops LiverpoolFC.tv Poll

While Fernando Torres topped the LiverpoolAccess.com poll for favourite summer signing, Andriy Voronin made the biggest impression of the pre-season as the Ukranian free-transfer scored two of Liverpool’s seventeen pre-season goals while getting run-outs in five games - this according to LiverpoolFC.tv.

The results this morning show Voronin miles ahead in the charts, taking 62% of the total votes cast.

Can’t say that I’d argue against it though, for me he’s been a shining light in pre-season and I really hope he can keep up his A-game when the season opens against Aston Villa this coming weekend.

Popularity: 56% [?]

Ryan Babel “Excited”; A “Dream” For Yossi Benayoun

Liverpool’s latest two signings were unveiled to the press a few hours ago and Yossi Benayoun, who will wear the number 11 jersey next season, wasted no time in claiming that his move to Liverpool was “a dream” to move from West Ham to Liverpool. Ryan Babel showed his excitement too. The Dutch U21 winger will wear the number 19 jersey next season and was quoted earlier as saying it was “very exciting for me to sign for Liverpool and it gives me a great feeling”.

Babel replaces fellow Dutchman Bolo Zenden (about bloody time, no offence Bolo) on the left wing and can move around easy enough up front while Yossi Benayoun, 27, slots in on the opposite side of the pitch taking over the flanks once patrolled by Luis Garcia.

Its definitely going to be an interesting season. There’s no way at the end of the last campaign that I could have seen any of the three big summer signings (especially Torres) arrive at Liverpool but there’s no way either I imagined that Luis Garcia or Craig Bellamy would be plying their trade away from Anfield this coming season but there you go.

Babel has been compared to Thierry Henry in the past and although Rafa Benitez says its still early days to be drawing any kind of comparison, you’ll remember that Henry too started out on the wing with pace in his early 20s before shifting to a full striker role. Is the same path in store for this 20 year old? Quite possible.

Needless to say anyway Rafa has the two wingers he’s been after but there’s no word still on whether thats the end of the transfer happenings. Possible moves still to be made for Gabriel Heinze and Quaresma but who’s to know at this stage.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Ryan Babel A Liverpool Player In The Morning

Only a few hours to go and it is expected that Ryan Babel will sign a five year deal at Liverpool having agreed personal times, passing his medical and Ajax agreeing to release him for a fee of £11.5m, bringing Liverpool’s summer transfer spend thus far to just below the £50m mark, only two million short of Man United who have yet to wrap up the now-agreed transfer of Carlos Tevez (well, agreed between the player and United anyway).

With Yossi Benayoun also now a Liverpool player after signing a four year deal earlier this afternoon (Thursday, mind you it’s after 1am while I write this) I think things are looking pretty rosy both in the transfer market and now around Anfield as well. Things are starting to settle, the right players for the right positions are being picked up and I wouldn’t be surprised if thats not the end of the summer signing altogether.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Agreement Over Ryan Babel Transfer To Liverpool Expected “very shortly”

Rick Parry has said that Liverpool “hope to reach an agreement with Ajax very shortly” over the transfer of Ryan Babel having now been given permission to talk to the young left winger. This comes after it was reported yesterday and subsequently confirmed by Liverpool that Yossi Benayoun’s transfer to the club will also go ahead.

Babel’s agent Winnie Haatrecht looks like he wants everything wrapped up by the weekend though, which can only be good for Liverpool, with Babel due to report back to Ajax on Monday for pre-season. Liverpool certainly aren’t letting up anyway since the news broke earlier in the week so we may well see another two transfers into the club this week. Good stuff.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Yossi Benayoun Fee Agreed - Liverpool Player By Thursday?

If reports are to be believed this evening it looks like the transfer of Yossi Benayoun from West Ham to Liverpool could be completed by Thursday, failing that by the weekend.

Liverpool have long been associated with the Israeli winger, moreso this summer but Ronan Katzav (Yossi Benayoun’s agent) has spoken out to say that he expects the transfer, rumoured to be agreed at £4m, to go through by Thursday.

It should be completed in the next 48 hours. Everybody would be happy to play for Liverpool. West Ham will always be in his heart but he is looking to move up a level.

If he’s looking to move up a level then Craig Bellamy must have stepped back a level following his unveiling as a West Ham player first thing this morning. Though the fee for Benayoun is rumoured to be £4m, nothing has been confirmed at this point.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Liverpool In For Ryan Babel? Emmm… Yep.

If the stories are to be believed it looks like we’re laying money on the table for Ryan Babel. By we I mean Liverpool of course but this one seems to have snuck out of the water all stealthy like. Both TeamTalk and Sky Sports News are reporting that Liverpool have lodged a bid with Ajax for the Dutch winger (he can play out on the left wing and move up front centre with relative ease).

The 20 year old is highly sought after and highly regarded in Europe (and I’d be a fan of him as well) but he’s been quoted as saying he’s staying with Ajax for the long haul.

His agent, Winne Haatrect says

I can say nothing about transfer fees, but I can confirm that Liverpool have made a bid for Ryan. Ryan himself hasn’t spoken with that club. Only when Ajax says that the clubs have an agreement can we speak, and phase two starts.

Arsenal were reportedly looking for the winger as well, and its also known that Rafa Benitez is after a winger or two to complete the summer spending and let the squad settle into the pre-season action. Babel for certain would be a welcome addition at Anfield. Any thoughts?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Cisse Gone, Bellamy Leaves Tomorrow

I managed to get a rare weekend away for myself this weekend and return (having avoided all papers and internet over the weekend) to find Cisse gone altogether to Marselli and Craig Bellamy on the way out, likely rubber-stamping the deal tomorrow morning.

Cisse was announced as a full-time signing for Marselle the same day Bolo Zenden left at the end of last week and figures being tossed around suggest that the transfer is somewhere in the range of £6m, a sure size smaller than the £14m Liverpool paid for him when he arrived at Anfield. You can read the full translated (ever dodgily translated) interview with OM.net here.

As for Craig Bellamy, it looks like the suggested £9m move from last week will materialise tomorrow or Tuesday with West Ham issuing a press release over the weekend to say that Bellamy has in fact passed a medical and a fee in the region of £7.5m has been agreed between Liverpool and West Ham. Its a bit lower than reported but still represents an extra million up on his transfer to Liverpool last season. I’m still disappointed that he hasn’t had more of a chance to shine for Liverpool, hopefully he’ll do some good with the Hammers.

Liverpool got their pre-season calender underway yesterday with a 3-2 win over Wrexham, after the match Rafa Benitez confirming that Bellamy “has signed with West Ham. It’s done. It’s a good move for him.”

Nine goals out of 42 appearances, just not good enough in Rafa’s books.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Voronin Unveiled, Zenden Departs

Its a case of one-in-one-out for Liverpool today as Andriy Voronin was unveiled to the media at Anfield while Bolo Zenden is set to depart for Marseille having been released from his contract this week.

It has long been known Voronin would play for Liverpool, the transfer having been agreed this week and there’s already pictures of him on the training ground, having been around Liverpool this past week. As the Ukranian striker puts it himself though, he hasn’t come to Liverpool “just to sit on the bench” and fully intends to be making his mark up front with Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy or whoever he is partnered with. That said though, Bellamy might be out the door soon enough so he’ll have one less striker to worry about in the pecking order.

Still no word on whats happening with Djibril Cisse in relation to his move to Marseille but Zenden should be unveiled to the media on a two year contract today after completing his medical exam.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Torres Unveiling Later Today?

Looks like Fernando Torres is floating around Liverpool today and has already passed a medical with a view to being unveiled today. A press conference has been called for this afternoon with Torres being paraded to the media. 82 goals in 214 games for Atletico is a fairly good record to be bringing to Anfield and I’ll be delighted to see him on the pitch. Young, talented - gifted - proven scorer, proven leader, hard worker, all the ingredients that go into the formation of a championship winning side.

Its a lot of money - big transfer fee and a huge contract - but its been a long time coming. May this be the next big spark in the Rafalution at Liverpool.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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