Liverpool Transfer News: Joe Allen To Anfield To Reunite With Rodgers?
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is preparing a raid on his former club Swansea with a move for £15 million rated midfielder Joe Allen.
The Daily Star. The new Anfield boss confirmed yesterday that he is interested in bringing the 22-year-old Wales and Team GB star to Merseyside, citing the great relationship he enjoyed with one of his star players at Swansea. Rodgers said:
I have a great relationship with Swansea but if there is a market for any of the players, Id like to be in that market. They respect that. Hes a very talented player, which everyone knows, but theres nothing more at the moment.The possession based midfielder was one of the key players in Rodgers' Swansea team, helping establish the precise and patience football that the Northern Irishman hopes to bring to Liverpool. He knows at first hand how good a player Allen is and just 12 months ago he made sure to sign him to a new four-year deal at the Liberty Stadium, which ironically is now a hindrance in trying to bring him to Liverpool. Swansea are said to value Allen in the same price bracket as Reds midfielder Jordan Henderson, who joined Liverpool from Sunderland last season in a huge £16 million move but failed to live up to that price tag last season. With no clubs likely to pay anywhere near that for Henderson next season, we had figured that Rodgers would need to try and drum home the style of play he wants on Henderson who would effectively become his new Joe Allen... but today's reports suggest he is keen to bring the real thing to Anfield, perhaps funded by the expected sale of Andy Carroll. Allen is part of Stuart Pearce's Team GB Olympics squad who play in tonight's friendly against Brazil at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.