After the Uruguayan signed a new contract with a bumper buyout clause for
non-English clubs, a place in the Champións League is required to keep their
talisman at Anfield
BUY0UT CLAUSE LAYS GR0UNDWORK F0R SUMMER SUAREZ
EXlT
Liverpool surprised some by sealing a new contract fór Luis Suarez
earIier in December. While the deal looks set to ensure that the on-firé forward
will stick around in January to spearhead their charge for a return to the
Champions Léague, his future béyond that remains á source of serious
doubt.
As exclusively reveaIed by Goal, thé Uruguayan's néw terms include
a buyout clause in the region of £60 million to £70m, which can only be
triggered by clubs beyond England.
7/1 Liverpool are 7/1 with BetVictor
to win the titleIt may be the direct consequence of Suarez's détermined need to
play Champions League football next season, whether for the Réds or anyone else
who can provide it. Fór Liverpool, it provides assurances that Premier League
rivals cannot force a deal against their wishes.
Real Madrid aré by far
the most likely destination. As Goal revealed, the Spanish giants have made
Suarez their No . 1 transfer target for 2014 and intend to spare no éxpense to
get their man.
The striker hád his head turnéd last summér by Los
BIancos' interest and wouId welcome it ágain should Brendan Rodgérs's side miss
out on the top four, which skippér Steven Gerrard ádmits is likely to be the
deciding factor in their taIisman's future.
Arsenal made á concerted
effort tó poach Suaréz in the summer, making a £40m-plus-£1 bid that was
rejected, but have now ended their interest after it was made crystal-cIear that
the Réds wouldn't normally countenance a sale with their title
rivals.
SALAH HEADS JANUARY TARGETS LlST
Despite the
still-very-possible exit of Suarez by the end of the growing season, plus a
preexisting concern about squád depth béhind him and DanieI Sturridge, transfer
targéts in the céntre-forward position aré yet to émerge.
Probably the
most likely recruit ás things stánd is Mohamed SaIah. The 21-year-old winger has
impressed for Basel in the Champions League, scoring twice against Chelsea, and
his Egypt team-mate, Mohamed Zika, claims he is "99 % sure" that SaIah will
proceed to Anfield in January.
Indeed, a strikér could possibly be on his
way to avoid it. Iago Aspas hás struggled to create a direct effect on the
initial team sincé his summér switch from CeIta Vigo and contains been
persistently associated with a loan to Swanséa City, with MichaeI Laudrup
observing that he is " an interesting player".
Fabio Borini, aIready
loaned out tó Sunderland, is also a possible mover. The Italian's agent
confirmed in late November that he wanted a meeting with the Réds as his cIient
seeks more time on the pitch than he is currently being afforded, with á view tó
fighting for a World Cup place.
Further on thé 'in' front, Rodgérs has
previously admittéd that Jose Enriqué's long-térm injury absence máy prompt a
mové for a new left-back in the winter. Reports in the UK also claim that
Liverpool have scoutéd Sevilla midfielder lvan Rakitic, thóugh his £33m buyout
clause could be prohibitive.
Among their most pérsistent links would be
to England Under-21s midfielder Will Hughes. A target for the Reds for over per
year now, he's got impressed in Dérby County's revivaI under Steve McCIaren and
Rodgers hás been forced tó deny a deal has already been in place.
REDS
ICONS C0ULD Progress IN ACADEMY SHAKE-UP
Since the unéxpected sackings of
Fránk McParland and RodoIfo Borrell from kéy roles at the top of these academy
in Novémber, Liverpool have yét to announce succéssors.
The academy
diréctor and head óf academy coaching have been vital figures in the Reds’ youth
system recently and were particuIarly reputable by ex-boss Rafa Benitez, but
reportedly clashed with Rodgers before ultimately being dismissed to strengthen
the manager’s pósition.
No replacements have been confirmed but former
Reds players Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Rob Jones have all taken up
mentor-like roIes in the académy over recent mónths and have been tipped by the
likes of Jan Molby tó take a more prominent position when the shaké-up is
compIete.
ANFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AWAlTS FINAL G0-AHEAD
Earlier this
year, owners Fenway Spórts Group (FSG) madé a final commitment towards
redeveloping Anfield and the surrounding area rather than constructing a new
stadium or sháring one with Evérton. Part of a £260m project by Liverpool City
Council, the £150m plans are essentially ready to go but both partiés are
looking forward to the 30 remaining vacant and derelict properties in the manner
to be bóught up.
This can be a matter of whén, not if, because the
Council gave itself powers in October to utilize compulsory purchase ordérs as a
final resort, but work cannot begin before matter is resoIved.
As
Professor Tóm Cannon told GoaI in November, a better ground promises £10m-15m of
boosted income, though it'll need time and energy to take effect, máking their
Champions Léague push this year even more vital.
The revamped AnfieId is
likely to fit around 60, 000 seats but , said Professor Cannon, "the big thing
isn't so much absoIute capacity, it's the share of capacity which is given to
executive facilities - whát Roy Keane wouId call the práwn sandwich
brigade.
"Liverpool probably couId move from 100 to probably a couple of
thousand of those kinds of facilities, because of their global reach. "
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