We start today’s news round up with a report in The Indepedent which claims Rafa Benitez is ready to accept bids of around £4m for 21 year old goalkeeper Scott Carson.
Carson has spent the season on loan to Charlton, where he has impressed so much he won their fans’ player of the year award, and now has ambitions to continue his development elsewhere. Carson said:
“If I end up at Liverpool and sit on the bench, then I would have taken one step forward and taken one back. Next year I want to carry on playing games.”
With Pepe Reina firmly established as Benitez’s first choice keeper, Carson will therefore be allowed to leave – with the club making a tidy profit since paying Leeds £750,000 in January 2005.
Dudek and Fowler departures confirmed
Another keeper will also be leaving this summer, with Jerzy Dudek hoping to be able to make a goodbye appearance against Charlton on Sunday. But another player making his final appearance at Anfield will be Robbie Fowler, the Guardian newspaper reports Rafa Benitez this week confirmed the decision not to offer Fowler a new deal and he will leave in the summer.
They report that fomer Reds coach Sammy Lee may be interested in taking Fowler to Bolton.
Final ticket fall out continues
The fall out from the ballot for Champions League Final tickets continued on Thursday with some angry fans going as far as suggesting a protest prior to the Charlton match. The Liverpool Way fanzine editor Dave Usher places the blame at Rick Parry’s door and calls for his dismissal.
Uefa yesterday denied the Reds’ request for more tickets.
Reds heading to Spain next week
Liverpool will head to Spain for a five day training camp ahead of the Champions League Final ready to acclimatise to warmer conditions – as they did before the Barcelona quarter final when they went to Portugal. Rafa says:
“When we did this before the Barcelona game it had a positive impact, although I know people talked about other things in the end. The most positive thing is we can work together in a climate and in conditions which will be more like those we’ll play in in the final.”
And then off to Asia in summer
Liverpool have confirmed plans to take part in this summer’s Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong as part of their pre-season preparations.
The Reds will take on the Hong Kong FA Cup winners on July 24 and then either Portsmouth or Fulham on July 27.
The games will be played in the 40,000 Hong Kong Stadium and all matches will be screened live by Sky Sports.
Agger gets Riise’s vote
John Arne Riise says Daniel Agger would be his pick for player of the year after an impressive first full season in England. The Norweigan said “Pepe Reina has also had a great season and been absolutely brilliant for us but if I had to pick our Player of the Year then it would be Daniel.”
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