Usually it would be a bit too early to get into the transfer wheelings, dealings and general nonsense that comes along with the transfer window, but with Liverpool already submitting a bid for a big money player in Southampton captain Adam Lallana, the craziness has started in earnest.
The Reds have reportedly lodged a £20mil bid for the highly rated Englishman, and though there has been no official word from either club as to the progress of his transfer, it’s believed that the South Coast side are holding out for £25mil — a valuation that Brendan Rodgers and company could be reluctant to meet. Despite securing Champions League football and a windfall of cash from the very lucrative Premier League TV deal, Liverpool’s American owners Fenway Sports Group aren’t keen on paying over the odds for players and could look elsewhere as they try to wrap up deals before prices balloon following the World Cup.
Still, when asked directly about the Reds interest in the 26-year old, Rodgers refused to be drawn on the progress, or lack thereof, that the two sides are, or aren’t, making. “Our criteria is that we look for players with strong technique, football intelligence and they need to mentally have the attitude and the capacity to learn,” explained the Northern Irishman when asked for an update. “Certainly, Adam is a very good player but I’m not going to tell you and you can respect that.”
With the World Cup kicking off a month from now, Lallana may be forced to push through the move if he’s interested in moving to Merseyside before this summers show-piece event. England boss Roy Hodgson has taken a hard-line on players focusing on domestic football and has banned agents from the national teams training camp. “I am definitely not going to have agents swirling around or any cases of this or that player has got to leave the camp,” said the Three Lion’s manager who went on to say that he wants deals to be done before the competition kicks off. “I was asked if I would like any transfer deals to be sorted before we go to Miami. Of course I would. It is not an ideal world and that might not happen. But there is one thing I am going to be very firm on.”
With Lallana included in Hodgson’s 23-man squad, time is ticking away on his chance to get this deal done. Liverpool wasted no time in lodging the bid and a number of major outlets are reporting — but mostly speculating — that the 26-year old may very well hand in a transfer request to insure the move is completed ahead of England’s first match against Italy on June 14th.
