Matters at Anfield not as good as they appear
The general image of Aston Villa is that they do not pose as that big of a threat to Liverpool but in recent times things have changed a lot and the respect for the Lions is growing.
They have recently generated a lot of quality players and top notch clubs are bidding for them. After the last season there is no doubt that Aston Villa will be a team that will not be taken as lightly as before. They put on a pretty decent show last season after they finished 6th, a position above Liverpool who were at the 7th.
Top notch clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City are now bidding for players like James Milner. Liverpool is interested in their players too and had made bids on defender Luke Young and midfielder Stiliyan Petrov.
The 31 year old Bulgarian Stiliyan Petrov is the replacement of the Argentinean midfielder from Liverpool, Javier Mascherano. Roy Hodgson has commented that it will benefit Liverpool a lot if the manager is able to attain the former Celtic midfielder.
Mascherano is on the verge of leaving Liverpool to join Inter Milan where his former boss Rafael Benitez is managing now. The Champions League winners have offered 25 million pounds but Hodgson will try to acquire as much as he can for his prized possession. His replacement Petrov on the other hand is expected to come in at around 7 million pounds.
Petrov may not be one of the best signings done by Hodgson, that is if the transfer is completed, however it may not be a bad one either and may even prompt Luke Young to sign. The 31 year old English right back has snubbed the deal offered by Liverpool. Apparently there was a cutback in his salary which the player has not agreed to.
There have been different reports about him circulating. Some claim that he wants to cash in from Aston Villa at a bigger price but realistically that is not possible. It is appearing that the attitude problems from the player have not disappeared too and this could prove a problem at the already toiling Liverpool Club.
At Aston Villa the right back is making around 40, 000 pounds per week; an amount that he is not prepared to risk at another club. The club’s manager Martin O'Neill has stated on the issue, “We will see how that develops. He is having a think about it. If he chooses to go that's it, if he chooses to stay then he needs to start playing because with the new rules I have to name a 25-man squad for the Premier League”.
The former Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has stated that the two are among the top of his priority list, however the man at the top most place is the coveted Spanish striker Fernando Torres. He has stated that he is the key for the next season and will prove to be the man that will take them to their former glory. He has also stated that in order for the club’s unity next season he is essential. He also added that his stay will give the team a remarkable morale boost.
The 62 year old Hodgson has informed that El Nino wants to be a part of the practice sessions of Liverpool and is looking forward to play for the Scrousers. However this does not mean that the player will stay for the whole campaign. Chelsea and Manchester City are looking forward to make a record bid for the striker in order to attain him. The bid has gone up as high as 70 million pounds which is said to be a record deal for Britain.
The Englishman Hodgson has stated, “As far as I know he (Torres) is looking forward to coming back here on Monday. He has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, looking forward to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season. That is what I know, so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous”.
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