KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum The offical transfer and manager rumour thread.

PAPER ROUND UP/ GERRARD
Liverpool might be losing more than just their manager this week: their iconic skipper Steven Gerrard could also be on his way after becoming Real Madrid's number one transfer target this summer
The Daily Telegraph reports that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has identified the 30-year-old as the top priority for the Spanish giants, with new manager Jose Mourinho determined to bring him to the Bernabeu.

The paper adds that the sacking of Rafa Benitez will not be enough to keep Gerrard with the club; apparently, he will want assurances that the new manager will have money to spend. And considering that Benitez was recently told the transfer kitty would be £5 million - barely enough to buy a limb of a top player - it looks like there could be plenty more intrigue left to come from Liverpool over the next couple of months.

Benitez's sacking - or agreement to leave, depending on who you believe - naturally dominates today's back pages.

The Daily Mirror puts it in the bluntest terms: "SACKED!" is their giant headline, claiming that "the decision was taken last night to sack the Liverpool manager". Latest news from Anfield suggests it's a cat-and-mouse game of negotiation over a multi-million-pound pay-off rather than a done deal.

While most of the papers claim the pay-off offered will be £3m, the Daily Mail goes one better - or one million better - by claiming that it's £4m.

Either way, you have to wonder where Liverpool are coming from with this. The Daily Star tells us that Benitez was ordered back from a family holiday on the charming Mediterranean island of Sardinia in order to face the music in the Anfield boardroom; and having been dragged away from champagne cocktails by the pool, they have then asked him to take a £13m hit in the wallet.

The Sun believes that the carrot which will tempt Rafa away is the promise of replacing Jose Mourinho at Internazionale; but if he's on a hiding to nothing at cash-strapped Liverpool, wouldn't trying to follow an iconic, treble-winning manager at one of Europe's very biggest clubs be just as tough?

we won't. we're one of the few clubs in europe who's only had two managers in the last 12 years. compare that to madrid, they've probably had 20-25 in the same time.

we won't be like that, a change was needed and i don't really buy the argument that no one wants the job. we're liverpool fc and we're about to get new owners. i think there's plenty of managers who wants the job.

Or Rafa and Lucas doing Dirty Dancing

According to this we want to go british and the shortlist is MON, Hodgson and Hughes.

Problem with the choices above is that Hughes is the cheapest option and we all know how our Owners love to splash the cash!

http://www.setanta.com/ien/Articles/2010/06/041/Reds-candidate-shortlist/gnid-70014/

Wonder if O'Niell has still got that house he alledgedly purchased just before Rafa was appointed 6 years ago, near to where Rafa lives/lived now.

My dosh is on O'Neill.

no Keegan fan?

Out of the three mentioned O'Neill would be best. Would he leave Villa though and could we afford the compo for Villa?

i also believe it will be one out of those three. personally i would give it to kenny but i believe it will be one of the others.

i would go for oneill out of the three. am not sure his going to leave villa, didnt he say a few weeks back he was going to stay after he and learner had a meeting?