Oh dear, are the club about to be ripped off royally?

Florentino Perez: This is one hell of a sneaky man!

Liverpool have reportedly given Real Madrid a 48-hour deadline to come up with the cash for Xabi Alonso.

Exit strategy: Xabi Alonso lines up against Singapore on Sunday in what could have been his last Liverpool appearance.

Liverpool are to have their will tested after reports claimed that Barcelona are set to offer the Premier League runners-up Samuel Eto'o in a swap deal that would see Javier Mascherano move the other way.
It is the second time in a week the unsettled Argentina midfielder has been linked with the European champions, following reports that Liverpool turned down a £20 million offer from the Nou Camp, adding that not even £50m would be enough.

English paper "The Daily Mail" – sensationalist as it maybe – havepublished that with the transfer of Portsmouth & English Internationaldefender GLEN JOHNSON for 20M€ to LIVERPOOL FC, the actioncreates the necessity of the latter to sell. This has increasedspeculation within the Football World that the interest of REALMADRID for Liverpool FC & Spanish International XABI ALONSO may transform

Together for the moment

The much-anticipated return of La Liga began with a scintillating match between the new galácticos of Real Madrid and the pesky Deportivo La Coruña, who always gives Madrid a run for their money, literally. Because of the continued suspension of Pepe and the tendinitis suffered by Sergio Ramos, the Real Madrid defense was not at full strength, and Ezequiel Garay and Álvaro Arbeloa started in their positions respectively.

International strike partner wants deal to be done!

The Rumour

Fernando Torres has urged Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez to buy Valencia striker David Villa.

"Rafa Benitez makes the signings and I'm sure those who come will improve us," Torres said in the Daily Star.

VALENCIA CF & REAL MADRID may not be in agreement over DavidVilla, but according to "Marca" both are very close in agreeing tothe transfer of Valencia & Spanish International 23 year old defenderRAÚL ALBIOL to Real Madrid. The operation is being said to bearound 15M€ & if successful would be the first Spanish player signedby Real in their promised process of acquiring more Spanish playersinto the

Listen up Rafa!

With some of the Alonso cash still burning a hole in Rafa's pocket and some cash from Leto and Arbeloa sales on the table, perhaps Messrs Hicks and Gillett can dig into their pockets to cover these signings, they could well lead the club to a sustained title push and perhaps end the painful wait for a Premier League title!

I was so pleased yesterday that Oguchi was ready to move to Ajax, so this news wasn't exactly what i was hoping for. While Real Madrid will be a Champions League contender, and a La Liga title contender as well, this rumor should do nothing but frighten you. Read on...

If Gooch were to Join Real Madrid, it would not be as a starter, and if we've seen anything for our National Team, players must be playing regularly.

Rounding up all the days biggest transfer news and gossip.

Has Mido Joined Liverpool?
"Egypt striker Mido is set to leave Middlesbrough after manager Gareth Southgate accepted an undisclosed offer for him from an unnamed club." BBC

Right. Nowhere on the world wide web, does it state that Mido has joined Liverpool.

Liverpool were hammered in their own back-yard in the Champions League tonight as Chelsea took a huge step on the road to a possible Rome final.
Chelsea produced a performance of great quality and strength to leave Liverpool's dreams in tatters after this quarter-final first leg.

The latest rumour and gossip from the FA Premier League - Ribery not for sale, Robben not interested in Spurs move.

In the win over West Brom, Arbeloa and Carragher squared up to each other, after Carra had a go at Arbeloa for not closing down properly. After a few push and shoves, it was over with, but is it really that big a deal?

read more

And speculation turns into fact. When there's smoke, there's fire. Just as we reported last weekend, Liverpool finally get their man Glen Johnson.
Johnson will come in as a direct replacement (and upgrade?) to Alvaro Arbeloa - who will now surely end up in Spain - perhaps even with former Premier League rival Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Sebastian Leto is set for Anfield departure after reports in the Greek media has mentioned Liverpool have accepted a bid from Panathinaikos.

According to the reports, the Greek club has bid in the region of £3million for the Argentinian midfielder.

Leto has spent last season on loan at Olympiakos, after problems securing a work permit to play in Britain and made 22 appearances for them.

Real Madrid are hopeful of pushing through a deal to sign back Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool for just €6 million next week, according to a report.
The Reds may be struggling to fend off the advances of the Spanish giants as Real attempt to prise Xabi Alonso away from Anfield; but they are prepared to do a deal for the defender.

REAL MADRID used its traditional new season showcase, the "SantiagoBernabeu Trophy" match, in front of its home crowd & fans topresent some of their new signings (Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Garay &Granedo), farewell 10 year veteran defender MICHEL SALGADO (seebelow video) & defeat Norwegian team ROSENBERG 4-0.

Much to the delight of Liverpool fans, Daniel Agger, Alberto Aquilani and Fabio Aurelio will all be ready to start soon, and while we all know what positions Agger and Aquilani will play upon their return, Aurelio's position and influence on the team is more of a mystery. New Liverpool-Kop writer Bikram Rana takes a look at how the infludential Brazilian will fit into the team.

Great news for the Merseysiders!

The Rumour

Rafa Benitez is on the verge of making Glen Johnson Liverpool's first summer signing after Chelsea beat a tactical retreat in their chase for the England defender.
Portsmouth are understood to have agreed a fee with Liverpool following more talks yesterday that could eventually reach £18.

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Degen, Carragher, Agger, San Jose, Babel, Mascherano, Lucas, Benayoun, Voronin, Ngog.

Substitutes: Johnson, Plessis, Torres, Riera, Pacheco, Dossena, Gulacsi, Insua, Alonso, Kelly, Arbeloa, Kuyt, Reina, Spearing, Nemeth.

Well, the Galácticos 2.0 era is underway.
Real Madrid were able to overshadow the treble-winning rivals off the pitch by spending unheard of amounts of money. Just to give some perspective, the money that they spent on Kaká, Ronaldo, Benzema, Albiol and the rest of their transactions was the equivalent of the payroll of the New York Yankees.

Quick break from WCQ for a second - Spain has released its squad for the Confederations Cup later this month. It's pretty loaded. Vicente del Bosque's side features 13 players that featured in last year's friendly against the United States including captain Iker Casillas, dyanmic Barcelona duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and the ever-dangerous Fernando Torres up top.

The Spain international defender Alvaro Arbeloa is likely to cost Los Blancos around €5.9 million. According to a report in the British broadsheet The Independent, Alvaro Arbeloa may move from Premier League outfit Liverpool to Primera Division giants Real Madrid at some point this week. On Sunday, quotes attributed to the 26-year-old's agent suggested that the player [.

Well the transfer window is finally open, no doubt the media will treat us to even more rumours which have no basis in reality. But with Rafa now having more control over transfers, hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see who the real transfer targets are.
There's been quite a few departures from LFC already (Hyypia, Pennant, Hobbs, Anderson, Leto), with more to follow (possibly Dossena, Arbeloa, and Babel).

Real Madrid want to delay their offer for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso to prevent Real Sociedad claiming 20 per cent of any transfer fee.
Real Sociedad's agreement with Liverpool is believed to run out on July 18 and Madrid see it as an obstacle with Anfield's valuation at €35m and their last offer at €25m.

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A fantasy Premier League Butt's Brain rundown from blogger One-One-Eight:

• 2008-2009 fantasy Premier League stud Brede Hangeland to replace Kolo Toure at Arsenal [Telegraph]

• Martin O'Neill gives a drunken EPL prediction.

Xabi Alonso's move from Liverpool to Real Madrid appears to be imminent after a source at the Merseyside club confirmed that the Spanish midfielder had submitted a transfer request.
The 28 year-old, who arrived for training on Thursday, expects to hold talks with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as Real are believed to be preparing a new, improved bid.

It looks like Ayala and Carragher may well be the centre back pairing for the Stoke game!

Over 700 Ashes tickets still available Click Here to Buy!

Liverpool have been left sweating on the fitness of Martin Skrtel as they face up to a fresh injury crisis.

It's a battle of the semi-confirmed bumps, Kickettes.

We've got two Los Blancos wives out with their hubbies for the Chocron jewellery presentation in Madrid last week.

Xabi Alonso's wife Nagore (left) has gone public with her pregnancy (the couple is expecting a girl), but we've not heard anything formal from Alvaro Arbeloa's other half, Carlota (above) about her expanding midsection.

Liverpool v Chelsea
This is the fifth consecutive season that these two have met in the Champions League, which says a lot about their remarkable consistency in the tournament.
Or, another way of looking at it: oh no, not again. It might not be exciting, but it should at least be absorbing.

(highlights di Liverpool-Arsenal 4-4)
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina ; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio; Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt (86' El Zhar ), Benayoun, Riera (74' Babel ); Torres . A disposizione: Cavalieri, Skrtel, Dossena, Lucas, N'Gog. All. Benitez.
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Fabianski ; Sagna, Tourè, Silvestre, Gibbs; Song, Denilson, (65' Walcott); Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin; Bendtner (90' Diaby ).

I'm sure you'll find more thorough Barca/Chelsea discussion at a variety of other blogs. The Barca and Chelsea Offside sites are probably good places to start.
But I had to point something out about Chelsea's draw at the Camp Nou. Not only was the physical, pressing defensive performance reminiscent of past Liverpool displays in Europe (although Liverpool usually offer more in attack – the 2005 match at Juventus not withstanding), but Messi was also kept similarly quiet.

Some very quick footie related musings... I've been out of town for a few days but will return tomorrow evening in preparation for a weekend of Premier League action...

• I'm a bit down - I've all but lost the inaugural "home Microsoft Excel based fantasy premier league competition.

The rumour mill is beginning to get into the swing now we're nearing the summer transfer window and yet again Gareth Barry is being linked with a move to Liverpool, with Xabi Alonso emerging as a target for probable Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. It would seem as if Benitez will have to let Alonso go to fund a move for Barry.

Real Madrid have nine days to find €80 million and sign Franck Ribery. After that deadline, Bayern will pull out of the deal. Captain Van Bommel wants the situation to resolve as soon as possible so that the team can continue preparations for the new season, with or without Ribery.

£3.5 million for Arvalro Arbeloa? That's all? Seriously?

I mean, I know that's probably what his services are worth but that's not the issue. When Real Madrid have their checkbook out and are licking the tip of their bottomless ballpoint pen there is no call to stop at £3.5 million.

Back to the drawing board!

Why is it that too many of our players instinctively opt for a backwards ball? That was what I found myself repeating to myself as the game wore on and our performance got progressively worse. Secondly can anyone tell me why Yossi Benayoun didn't start the game?

According to reports, Liverpool FC allegedly has only £1.5m to spend for the remainder of the current transfer window. Predictably, Tom Hicks and George Gillett are being demonised over this issue and Rafa Benitez is being painted as the blameless victim whose hands are tied due to lack of funds. Poor Rafa, right?

Three games, two defeats and six points adrift of the Premier League's pace-setters are hardly the criteria Liverpool would have wished for at the start of the season they were supposed to end their 20-year wait for the title.
Yossi Benayoun has insisted that Rafael Benítez's players still think they "can win the title", the Israeli adamant that "we believe we are strong enough, even if maybe we cannot lose any more games".

Alvaro Arbeloa has questioned his former club Liverpool's title credentials after selling Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid this summer.
Arbeloa made the switch from Anfield to the Bernabeu in July, with Alonso following the same path just a week later for a fee believed to be in the region of £28million.

Liverpool travel to the Hawthorns knowing they need seven points from two games, which won't be easy. West Brom desperately need a win to try to escape the drop, and if they can't get all three points they are sure to be relegated.

Liverpool Starting XI:
Reina
Arbeloa-Carragher-Agger-Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Benayoun
Torres

Bench: Cavalieri, Dossena, Alonso, Riera, Babel, Ngog, Skrtel

West Bromwich Starting XI:
Kiely -
Zuiverloon-Olsson-Martis-Donk
Brunt-Mulumbu-Greening-Koren
Fortune -Menseguez

Bench: Carson, Moore, Teixera, Meite, Valero, Simpson, Wood