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Brendan Rodgers is facing his first battle at Liverpool, and it is to hold on to Skrtel as City, Napoli and Anzhi wait in the wings for defender. Liverpool had made improving the terms of Slovakian defender one of their top priorities this summer but he has been courted by Manchester City, Russia’s super rich club Anzhi Machakala and Napoli.
Rodgers said:
“I’ve heard nothing from any other club. Martin has been fantastic. He seems happy and contented. He has fit into my plans and ideas. I will fight as hard as I can to keep the players that I want here and Martin is one of them.”
Edinson Cavani will cost Chelsea €100m if they wish to prise him away from Napoli, club president Aurelio de Laurentiis announced yesterday. Cavani is one of the options being considered by Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo as he looks to fill the gaping hole left by Didier Drogba. But it seems that Napoli will not budge to Chelsea’s financial power too easily. The President said:
“Cavani is not for sale, but we could let him go for €100m. ‘This is not his actual value, but his value to me and he won’t leave for less.”
Napoli aren’t the only team that are irritated with Chelsea’s demands. Chelsea have been told by Borussia Dortmund they must double their offer if they want to prise Robert Lewandowski away from Borussia Dortmund. The European champions are understood to have made an initial offer of £13million rising to £17m for the Poland striker, 23, who has two years left on his contract.
Media sources in UAE claim Al Ain have confirmed to them that the outfit are interested in the 27-year-old South Korean Park Chu-Young, who only managed six first-team appearances for the Gunners last term. Al Ain, who have former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan on their books and Olympique Lyonnais’ Brazil international Michel Bastos in their sights, are keen on an Asian player following the departure of Yasser Al Qahtani to parent club Al Hilal.
Chu-Young was somewhat political in his response:
“If an offer comes, then I’ll consider it. Right now, I don’t want to think about Arsenal (as he’s focusing on the Olympics).”
