Why is Keane really out of Liverpool squad?
Robbie Keane’s omission from the Liverpool squad to face Chelsea at Anfield this afternoon has sparked a flurry of rumours and prompted many of you to get in touch asking me what I know….
RedEric writes: "Guillem, is Keane signing for Spurs now he's out of the squad for Chelsea...why did Rafa sign him then? The rumour is that there could be a swap deal with Spurs today. Heard anything?"
Thanks to everyone who has been in touch - and keep your questions, comments and rumours coming in - but the first thing that must be said is that, with the clock ticking down fast on the January transfer window, things can move very quickly and any situation as it appears at the moment can change in the blink of an eye and deals are being proposed and advanced all over the place as you read this.
However, at the moment I’ve got the impression that Robbie Keane has been left out of the Liverpool squad to face Chelsea this afternoon because he has simply had enough of being left on the bench and started to believe that he may be better off leaving the club. With a game of such importance as this afternoon’s, Benitez plainly cannot risk including a player who has one eye on the exit door.
According to sources at Spurs, Daniel Levy has already approached Liverpool with a view to taking Robbie Keane back to White Hart Lane and the Tottenham chairman has even suggested that he would allow Bale and Bentley to feature in an exchange. Liverpool, however, have said they are not interested in either player.
A lot of you have been commenting on the wisdom of spending £20 million on Robbie Keane and asking ‘why did Rafa spend so much money on him if he wasn’t going to use him.’ The thing that needs to be understood – and is at the core of the current contract negotiations – is that Rafa Benitez did not have control over how funds were allocated: in other words, he did not sanction the spending of £20 million on Robbie Keane.
That doesn’t mean Rafa never wanted the player, but it does mean that he may never have spent that much. And while he may have only been willing to sign him for a smaller fee, it now places Benitez in a very difficult position if he sells him for any less than the £20 million Liverpool paid for him and the club is seen to have made a loss. Benitez will be held responsible for underselling a player who has surprised many at the club – including players and technical staff – who had expected a great deal more from the Republic of Ireland forward.
That means, if Liverpool do decide to sell Robbie Keane, it is going to take a very interesting offer from someone and it will probably only involve a straight cash deal, rather than a player swap.
http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_d ... ad?&id=167
Måske er han på vej ud, men hvem er så på vej ind?