KopStuff 2/6/10 - Gerrard to Join Mourinho in Madrid? Torres Inter Bound?

Wednesday 2nd June.

Gerrard Mourinho’s ‘number one target’? Torres Inter bound?

Rumour: The Daily Mirror returns to speculation regarding Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s future, suggesting that the midfielder is Jose Mourinho’s ‘number one target’. The newly appointed Real Madrid manager has apparently identified a central midfielder as the Spanish sides most pressing need. Regular readers will recognise this story, as it has been bouncing around the rumour mill ever since Mourinho left Inter, although the alleged quotes and targets appear to change on an almost daily basis. The Mirror adds nothing new, regurgitating old news to fill column space, ignoring the fact that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard would appear to be the more likely target for the Portuguese.

Rumour: The Mail runs with a multitude of Liverpool stories, beginning the with news that Fabio Aurelio may be a target for Fulham boss Roy Hodgson. Aurelio was deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield, with the club unwilling to offer anything other than a pay-as-you-play deal to the frequently injured Brazilian.

Rumour: Second is the slightly more interesting suggestion that Rafa Benitez is weighing up a move for out of favour Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz. The paper proposes that any move would see Yossi Benayoun travelling in the opposite direction, but Reds fans would see that as a small price to pay for a chance to partner up the talented Paraguayan with Fernando Torres.

Rumour: ...although, if the Mail is to be believed, Torres himself may be on his way to Inter, should new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho succeed in taking Diego Milito or Samuel Eto’o to Real Madrid. The latter would seem unlikely, as the big Cameroon has only recently left arch rivals Barcelona, although Milito is known to have a fractious relationship with the Italian club.

Rumour: ...or should that be Chelsea? Or City? The Mail obviously believes that if you throw enough stones, you’ll end up with at least one broken window. In the very same story, Torres is linked with champions Chelsea, and big-spending Manchester City, both of whom are apparently ready to table £70million bids. The reason for the claims? Last week's news conference where Torres made the heinous mistake of failing to declare his absolute, undying love for the club and sign a new contract, in blood, live on Spanish TV.

Rumour: And finally, the S*n reports that Rafa’s future should be sorted out later this week, with the Spaniard having a third round of talks with the Liverpool board. The summer transfer budget is likely to be one of the major issues being discussed, as well as Rafa’s commitment to the club in the light of alleged interest from Inter.

KopStuff 1/6/10 - Benayoun Target for Chelsea? Inter to Swoop for Rafa?

Tuesday 1st June.

Benayoun in Chelsea switch? Inter in shock swoop for Rafa?

Fabio Capello has named his final World Cup squad, with Liverpool players Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Jamie Carragher preparing for the trip to South Africa. Gerrard is included despite taking a knock to his knee against Japan, although the Red’s captain is expected to recover in time for the match against the USA. Former Reds David James and Peter Crouch have also been handed their boarding cards, with Emile Heskey and, surprisingly, Stephen Warnock joining them. No current or former Reds are amongst the seven players who have missed out this time around.

News: One more Liverpool player who will be in South Africa is Martin Skrtel. The defender has made Slovakia’s twenty-three man squad, in what will be the countries World Cup debut.

News: …and he will be joined by fellow defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos. The big Greek has been included in the European Champions squad. Whether he’ll have to buy his own plane ticket is another story.

Rumour: TeamTalk reports that Liverpool and West Ham are amongst a number of clubs watching Real Madrid’s Ghanaian youngster, Daniel Opare. The full-back was injured for much of last season, and it is believed that Madrid are looking to loan him out for a year. Whilst Liverpool may be the highest profile club in the chase for the player, Opare may want more of a first team guarantee than the Liverpool management would be able to offer, making a move to the Hammers more likely.

Rumour: The Daily Mail, tiring of the Danny Wilson saga, turns its Anfield attentions to Reds midfielder Yossi Benayoun. Sportsmail reports that the 30 year old Israeli is a target for champions Chelsea, with the Stamford Bridge club willing to pay £10million for his services. Ironically, the sale of Benayoun to Chelsea could help in Rafa’s pursuit of Joe Cole whose contract with the Blues expires at the end of this month. Cole’s high wage demands were believed to have been a stumbling block, but if Cole were to be acquired on a free, the funds from the sale of Benayoun could be used as a signing on bonus for the England man.

Rumour: Picking up on yesterday’s quotes attributed to Inter President Massimo Moratti, the S*n has managed to spin a tale about a ‘sensational swoop’ for Reds boss Rafa Benitez. Evidence is provided by means of a dubious ‘unnamed source’, suggesting that yet another S*n reporter may have been eating too much cheese before bed…