RAFA to snubbed Ruud as he hasn't given up on luring Heskey
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TARGET ... Ruud Van Nistelrooy
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY looks certain to complete a shock return to the Premier League with Liverpool in the next few days.
SunSport also understands the striker's Real Madrid and Holland team-mate Rafael van der Vaart may also join the Reds on loan until the end of the season.
It is a dramatic double swoop as under-fire boss Rafa Benitez desperately seeks to turn around a disastrous season.
Former Manchester United idol Van Nistelrooy, 33, is out of contract at the end of the season and is out of favour at Real.
The striker wants to resurrect his international career and go to the World Cup with Holland this summer.
DEAL ... Rafael van der VaartHe knows that his first-team chances in Madrid will be limited as he is behind Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema and Raul in boss Manuel Pellegrini's pecking order.
The only remaining detail to be sorted out is whether Liverpool will pick up the hitman's whopping £140,000-a-week pay package.
Benitez wants Madrid to pay part of his salary but the Spanish giants insist on getting him off their wage bill.
Moving to Anfield gives Van Nistelrooy the chance to get regular first-team action and push his claim for a call-up.
The Dutchman knows he will have to take a pay cut to get a long-term deal at Anfield - but first he will have to convince the Merseyside club he can still produce.
The former Old Trafford hero spent last season sidelined with a knee injury and, although he has returned to full fitness, he is short of match practice.
The Reds will hope veteran Van Nistelrooy can be the credible partner Spanish hitman Fernando Torres has badly needed all season.
Winger Van der Vaart, 26, was told he is surplus to Real's requirements in the summer but he has fought back to earn some playing time and has impressed.
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vdv is good.
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To think Real didn't even want to give him a squad number at the start of the season hoping he would leave... They are wasting his talent over there... lol
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liverpool shld try n secure them n kick e useless out.
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Originally posted by AEW5001:
liverpool shld try n secure them n kick e useless out.
then Pool team left with Torres, Gerrard and Reina...
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You forgot the most useless one - Ah Ben.
Benny, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger should stay.
Babel have to play regularly for him to develop.
Masche can be sold for $$$.
Ngog need more experience in cup matches.
I will keep Kuyt as super sub as he have 0% creativity and like headless chicken running around.
Aquaman will remain for two more season to see.
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i wont mind if all stay behind, except for mr rafael
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will be great if the loans go thru...
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Definitely none of the Dutch players will fit perfectly into Liverpool's systems. Their main concern at the moment, imho, still lies in the middle of the park, where a static and ordinary, albeit disciplined, Lucas Leiva lies too deep and stagnant at times.
Other than buying for cover on the flanks, and cover for Torres, shud he get injured again, they've already got what they wanted.
VDV, no no, but Nistleroy, maybe, and could be effective. But his wage remains a stumbling block.
Anyway read somewhere about Arda Turan, perhaps he could be a utility player, like Benayoun.
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Won't mind giving Van Der Vaart a try, but Van Nistelrooy remains the big issue: Is he going on the bench once Torres has recovered?
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i just dont think mr rafael deserved to be saved.
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Benny was NEVER Ah Ben's favourite and he was at one time nearly sold.
But, Benny gained the respect of the fans when he FOUGHT and SCORED at the critical matches.
Unfortunately, he also saved some one's ass.
Ah Ben got the mentality of a loser and any good player will DIE in his hands.
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RAFA SNUBS RUUD FOR HESKEY
Benitez believes England striker is better option
HESKEY: Fancies return to LiverpoolRAFA Benitez has snubbed a move for Ruud Van Nistelrooy because he hasn't given up hope of luring Emile Heskey back to Anfield.
Liverpool's financial problems make the chances of Heskey completing an extraordinary return to Merseyside slim.
Aston Villa will resist efforts to sell to a top four rival and expect at least £5m, which is well beyond what Benitez can currently afford.
But if Benitez can scrape any funds together by the end of the month he'll bid for the Aston Villa target man.
The Kop boss believes the former Anfield striker is a better option than 33-year-old, ex-Manchester United hitman Van Nistelrooy.
Liverpool need a target man to complement Fernando Torres rather than an out-and-out goalscorer.
Heskey has struggled to match his international form at club level since his £3.5m move to Villa Park. Martin O'Neill secured the England striker relatively cheaply because he had just six months left on his Wigan contract.
But Heskey is understood to be excited by the prospect of a return to Liverpool even though there remain numerous obstacles in the way.
Liverpool were Heskey's first choice when he left Wigan 12 months ago, but a bid never materialised.
"I am not looking to sell players in January but I don't have a clue what will happen this month," said O'Neill on Saturday after his team's FA Cup win over Blackburn.
"We are trying to sign players because we will need the squad for a long season ahead."
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Hard-up Rafa Benitez leaves Ruud van Nistelrooy out in the cold
Injury-prone: Ruud Van Nistelrooy would welcome a Premier League return
Rafa Benitez is now unlikely to move for Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in the transfer window, with the striker's recent injury record counting against him.
Real Madrid striker Van would consider offers from Blackburn, Birmingham and Bolton in a bid to revive his career but has played only 141 minutes of football in the past year after a recurrence of his knee ligament injury.
He is desperate for a return to the Premier League because he wants to force his way into Holland's World Cup squad - and has no chance if he stays at Madrid, where he is now fifth choice.
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heskey is good as voronin nowadays. for what?
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if it's Ruud i still worry if liverpool really heng heng finished in the top 4.... but heskey ar....... maybe the bottom 4 lor.... good choice i support
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Heskey is not a scorer..... :x
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Ah Ben was crying father crying mother to seize 100% control over the player transfer last season.
He have already screwed up at the beginning of the season.
Come mid season, he will make some more expensive mistakes.
He is one manager who dunno when to stop.
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Even if he gets Heskey or RVN, I foresee these players will only get sporadic action on the pitch.
Then at the end of the season, he will offload them and look for more new players again.
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i just think that rafael should offload himself instead.
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i prefer heskey over rvn cos heskey can hold the ball and defend torres from pesky defenders
rvn is just a camper in the box and will not do much good if he comes to liverpool
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Originally posted by theyj:
i prefer heskey over rvn cos heskey can hold the ball and defend torres from pesky defenders
rvn is just a camper in the box and will not do much good if he comes to liverpool
I think there's a reason why Houllier sold him away.