In the Papers: 15th August

Following on from the rumours from yesterday, it appears as though most media outlets are still under the impression that Brendan Rodgers is looking to bolster his squad with several players linked with a move to Anfield.

Starting with one of the old rumours, the Metro are still reporting that the Reds are tracking Cristian Tello. The newspaper is reporting that Barcelona want just £5m for the midfielder and while the player is due to meet with the club for talks over his future this week, Liverpool have supposedly flown chief executive Ian Eyre out in preparation for a move. The Metro is also suggesting that Eyre, while out in Spain, will turn his attention towards Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, who is supposedly another player on the radar of Rodgers.

The same paper has also claimed that the club have given up on their attempts to sign Clint Dempsey and Gaston Ramirez. Such a report is in complete contrast to a story that has been run by Setanta Sports Ireland, with the broadcaster stating that the Reds are still in the hunt for the latter’s signature. Nevertheless, the story by Setanta has at least suggested that there is plenty of competition for Ramirez, with Southampton supposedly joining the likes of Inter Milan and Tottenham in registering an interest.

Taking the Ramirez story even further, another outlet has claimed that Inter Milan are actually leading the race to sign the Bologna ace. TalkSport have stated that Milan are already in negotiations with the player’s agent, although they are yet to strike a deal with Bologna over a fee.

In other news, West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has told The Mirror that their bid for Andy Carroll would have blown the Hammers’ budget for the next few years. Sullivan has told the paper that the offer put to Liverpool and Carroll was terribly expensive, but he was willing to bankroll it as Sam Allardyce was desperate to land the former Newcastle striker. The report also indicated that Carroll actually wants to stay at Anfield, as he thinks he can win his place back in Brendan Rodgers’ plans.