Liverpool sign Brazillian U-20 wonderkid

Brazil U20 captain Lucas Leiva has revealed he rejected an offer from Manchester United to sign with Liverpool.Lucas claims he turned down moves to Manchester United and Everton before joining Liverpool from Gremio in a £5million deal.
“We knew Lucas could be a good signing because he played at a high level for Brazil Under-21s. A lot of other top clubs were after him, so we had to move quickly,” revealed manager Rafa Benitez.
“One of those other clubs plays in red, and Lucas told me the other wears blue, but I won’t say which.”
Leiva told the manager Everton and United were those clubs, while Atletico Madrid were also hoping to secure a deal.

The 20-year old midfielder will join the Reds at the start of next season after Benitez beat a host of European clubs for his signature."The deal with the player and his club is almost done and I am really pleased he is coming to us," said Benitez.Leiva, Lucas"He is the captain of the Brazil under-20 side and won the Golden Boot in his country last year so we know he has quality and we also believe he has the mentality and the character you need to do well in England."He can play as a holding midfielder but he can also get from box to box and so I am looking forward to seeing him score goals for Liverpool in the future."A lot of clubs in England and Spain were asking about him but our scouting department has again been working really hard and it's good that he's coming to us."He will arrive in the summer and then will start adapting to football in this country. We know it can take time but I think he has the quality to be putting pressure on Gerrard, Mascherano, Xabi and Sissoko next season."

Dudek Confirms Madrid Deal

Jerzy Dudek has confirmed a deal has been agreed between him and the Spanish champions, leaving just a medical to pass for the Polish International.
The highly-experienced goalkeeper was available on a free transfer after being released by Liverpool FC at the end of last season.
He was expected to join one of his many suitors in England, with Manchester City and Bolton being strong favourites, however it seems a move to Real Madrid was to difficult to turn down at this late stage of his career,
"On Sunday or Monday I will fly to Spain to pass medicals," Dudek told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
"On the same day I will sign a contract and will be presented as a new Real player. I hope so and I am really happy with this."
"The offer from Real overshadowed all the others”, continued Dudek, revealing interest arrived from across Europe.
"I was considering a return to Feyenoord, Jacek Krzynowek was encouraging me to join him at Wolfsburg, an interesting offer from a respected newly promoted Premiership club appeared and I was also thinking of moving to Portugal."
"However, when Real showed interest I was very proud and did not think long.”
Although Dudek will surely pass his medical in the next couple of days, he was adamant that he did not see his move as translating to being Iker Casillas’ backup, a role that most journalists have already relegated him to,
"Real is the best. I know that Iker Casillas plays there. He is a great goalkeeper and, moreover, he is a club trainee. Fans love and respect such players. However, you can always find a place for yourself."
"No player who has ambitions will tell you that he will be satisfied with sitting on the bench. I have gone through something like this at Liverpool and I know what kind of feeling it is. Why do you already give me such a role?"
"I am 34 years old, feel good and live a sporting way of life. I intend to play a few more years as it is possible being a goalkeeper."
Dudek will become the third arrival at Los Merengues this summer, following the signings of defenders Pepe and Christoph Metzelder.

Bolo Zenden set to join Marseille

BOLO Zenden was today set to sign for Marseille after being released by Liverpool at the end of last season.
The former Holland midfielder was expected to sign a two-year contract at OM after completing a medical today.
A Marseille statement read: “Boudewijn Zenden is at Marseille.
“He is currently taking medical exams as a pre-condition to him signing, and should then sign for two years at OM, before being presented to the press.”
Zenden, 30, has played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough before joining Liverpool in summer 2005.
His last competitive appearance came in the Reds’ 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in the final of last season’s Champions League.
He has played 54 times for Holland but not since September 2004.
Marseille qualified for this season’s Champions League after finishing second in Ligue 1 last term.

Liverpool’s new Spanish superstar no Spice Boy

LIVERPOOL FC’s latest Spanish import may have olive skin, blond highlights and a horde of adoring female fans but he is not likely to herald a new “Spice Boys” era for the club.
A quiet man who shuns the limelight, striker Fernando Torres is said to favour a night in over partying at city nightspots.
The 23-year-old Madrid-born striker has been known to criticise footballers who consider themselves “part-time athletes and full-time stars”.
Nicknamed “El Niño” (the kid) because of his fresh-faced looks, Torres yesterday completed a £20m transfer deal from Atlético Madrid to Liverpool.
He will wear the number nine shirt, also worn by Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler, himself once tagged with the Spice Boy image.
He was born in Madrid’s Fuenlabrada neighbourhood, traditional Real Madrid territory, but grew up to wear the red and white stripes of Atlético Madrid, known as the “cloth cap team” with a working class fan-base.
Since 1999, Torres has been dating childhood sweetheart Olalla, who he met at the age of eight when his parents moved to the same street as her family in Galicia. The pair are rumoured to be marrying this September.
Madrid-based journalist Tim Brown said he hoped Torres’s team mates would help him settle in . He said: “He is a quiet lad. His goal celebrations are even conservative. He has a steady girlfriend so that could disappoint the ladies in Liverpool. He doesn’t speak English and is very used to life in Madrid.
“Hopefully, he’ll spend a lot of time with his Spanish co-players. That should help him settle in..”
But Madrid-based football writer Javier Conzuelas thinks Torres’s clean-living nature may change once he gets a taste of life in Merseyside.
She said: “El Niño is famous for being the football geek.
“He likes his nights in with his childhood sweetheart Olalla.
“But there is a lot of concern about whether he will change once he is away from the watchful eyes of his family. Liverpool may be much smaller than Madrid, but there are still a lot of distractions for a young lad working away from home for the first time.”
Sky TV’s La Liga expert Guillem Balague believes Liverpool are on to a winner.
“The fans of Liverpool can relate to him and he can be a big success,” he said.
Earlier this year, friends gave Torres an unusual birthday present, a captain’s armband bearing the logo: “We’ll never walk alone”.
It was meant simply as a symbol of their friendship, but led to inevitable speculation.
He has been so dedicated to playing for the Spanish side that around 1,500 Atlético supporters, shocked at his departure, yesterday gathered at the club’s ground yelling about their feelings of disquiet.
As well as “El Niño”, Torres has amassed other nicknames during his six-year stint with Atlético. These include “El Niño de Oro” (goldenboy), “el Dios” (God) and “La Flecha” (the arrow).
Lord of the Rings fan Torres also has a collection of tattoos. One says “Fernando” in Tengwar, the “elvish” language created by JRR Tolkien.
The number nine, his shirt number for Atlético Madrid and the Spanish team, is tattooed on the inside of his right wrist.
And the Roman numerals VII VII MMI (07/07/2001), thought to be the day of his first date with Olalla, are tattooed on his right shin.

Liverpool Complete Double Hungarian Swoop

Liverpool have confirmed that the signing of two Hungarian youngsters has been completed.
It had been announced earlier this year that the teenage duo were to sign for the Champions League runners up and the moves have now been finalised.
Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon arrive from MTK Hungaria having starred in last year's UEFA under-17 Championships.
They also impressed the Anfield management during a trial spell at Melwood and have both agreed a three-year contract.
Nemeth, 18, an attacking midfielder and Simon, 17, a forward will join Gary Ablett's reserve team squad next season.

Luis Garcia Signs For Atletico Madrid

The former Barcelona man returns to the Vicente Calderon for £3.4m - Fernando Torres, however, is yet to leave the club...
Luis Garcia was expected to return to Atletico Madrid as part of the deal bringing Fernando Torres to Anfield. It hasn't quite worked out that way.
While the latter has yet to sign on at Liverpool, Luis Garcia has returned to the Vicente Calderon after four years away from the Spanish capital.
Garcia departed the Vicente Calderon in favour of the Nou Camp in 2003 before heading to Liverpool a year later, where he rapidly established himself as a fans' favourite.
Now, despite this success, his agent reports that he's heading back to Atletico despite generally impressing during his time at Liverpool. A 5 million euro (GBP£3.4m) fee has been agreed between the clubs, and he's expected to be officially unveiled later today.
The attacker, who can play behind the strikers, out wide or as a forward, proved himself a valuable member of the Liverpool squad in his first two years at Anfield.
After scaling the Liverpool scoring charts with 13 goals in all competitions in his debut season, Luis picked up a Champions League winner's medal after that penalty shoot-out win over Milan, before continuing his good form with seven league goals in the following campaign.
However, Injury struck in the second half of the 2006-07 season, meaning he has only played 18 competitive matches in the last year. Seemingly, he was subsequently seen as surplus to requirements at the Reds.
With this transfer now fully completed, Liverpool are widely expected to bag Torres in the next couple of days. If the wages can be sorted, that is!

Benitez knows way to San Jose

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has captured a second top European teenager inside two days, signing Mikel San Jose from Athletic Bilbao.
Just a day after Levski Sofia announced that Bulgarian international goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov would be joining Liverpool on a three-year deal, Bilbao confirmed that young defender San Jose was also bound for Anfield.
While Benitez and Liverpool are still locked in talks over their plans to sign Atletico Madrid's striker Fernando Torres, it is also clear the Spaniard remains committed to bolstering younger players at the club.
San Jose, 18, will move for a fee of around £270,000. Bilbao were aiming to use the youngster in their second team next season, but a club statement said: "For us it is bad news, but Mikel has decided on the choice of Liverpool and it was impossible for us to fight against a European giant."
San Jose added: "It was a surprise for me but I have decided to accept the chance at Liverpool.
"I am very excited but now I know that I have to work more each day to get in the first team."
The arrival of Mihaylov will put pressure on England squad man Scott Carson, who has been told that he will be Jose Reina's number two next season and will not be allowed out on loan again.
Mihaylov is the son of Bulgarian soccer federation chairman, Borislav Mihaylov - the former Reading keeper - and celebrates his 19th birthday on Thursday.
He has been a regular in Bulgaria's Under-21 side and has made one full international appearance. He already has Champions League experience, playing for Levski Sofia against Werder Bremen last season.
Although Benitez's only other top-line signing so far this season is Bayer Leverkusen striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer, two young Hungarians also started training with the club on Thursday.
Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon are hoping to make a big impression at Anfield, and hope for first-team action within two seasons.
The teenagers were signed from MTK Budapest and 18-year-old Nemeth said: "We hope that in a year or two we can make our debut in the first team.
"I'm very happy with this, I think this is great news for our whole country. It's a big honour."
Simon, 17, added: "We want to play regular football in the reserves. We will do our best to step forward as soon as it's possible."
The pending arrival of a clutch of new youth talent at Anfield coincides with the announcement of a restructuring of the academy.
Former Ajax player Piet Hamberg was on Wednesday unveiled as the club's new academy technical manager with Under-18 coach John Owens promoted to academy manager.
The pair will work alongside Malcolm Elias, who joined Liverpool from Southampton last summer, and is in charge of recruitment.
The appointments follow the retirement of Steve Heighway after 18 years in charge of the academy.
Chief executive Rick Parry said: "Steve Heighway's departure gave us a chance to assess things and it was felt the role in charge of the academy had become too big for one person so it made sense to separate the two sides of the role.
"We wanted to bring someone in to concentrate solely on the technical side of things, on being out on the pitch coaching, while also having someone in charge of the managing of the academy.
"Steve's great strength was coaching and yet a lot of time in the role would be spent in the office. John Owens has been with us a long time and understands the system and Liverpool, while Piet will be able to concentrate on doing what he does best, which is coaching the young players."

Reds sign Bulgarian keeper

Levski Sofia goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov has signed a three-year contract with English side Liverpool, the Bulgarian football champions announced on Thursday.
"Nikolay Mihaylov signed a contract with Liverpool on Wednesday," the Bulgarian club's spokesman Atanas Kassabov said.

The contract is for three years but can be extended for another two.

The signing took place on Wednesday in Liverpool, on the eve of Mihaylov's 19th birthday.

The young reserve goalkeeper, who played 12 games for Levski Sofia after impressing in the junior league, comes from a footballing dynasty in Bulgaria.

His father Borislav Mihaylov, now president of the Bulgarian football union, and his grandfather Bissa Mihaylov were already goalkeepers for Levski Sofia and the national side before him.

In an interview with the Bulgarian daily 7 dni sport published on Thursday, Nikolay Mihaylov said "the offer from Liverpool was unexpected, but I couldn't turn it down."

"I always wanted to play in England," he added just before signing the contract.

Liverpool chasing £ 14 million England international

Darren Bent is according to several UK tabloids close to a move to Liverpool. A fee of £ 14 million would be what Charlton expects.If Liverpool are succesfull in their chase for Darren Bent it could lead to a move for either Peter Crouch or Craig Bellamy. Both these players are linked with other clubs.Bent has also been linked with Tottenham and West Ham and during the January transfer window speculations of a move to Chelsea was also in the press, but now it looks as if Liverpool will be the next club for Darren Bent.