Liverpool: Kalou in, Aquilani out?
The latest set of transfer rumours involving Liverpool FC suggest the Reds are ready to take a huge loss on Alberto Aquilani and bring in Salomon Kalou on a free.
Sky Sports are the leading media outlet to suggest talented midfielder Aquilani is finally ready to make a permanent return to Italy with AC Milan.
The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at the San Siro and despite Milan refusing to meet the £7m fee originally arranged to make the temporary switch permanent, a compromise now seems likely.
The deal is suggested to be as little as £3m which would represent a massive loss on the almost £20m price Rafael Benitez paid Roma back in 2009.
Aquilani, who spent the previous season on loan at Juventus, arrived on Merseyside injured and struggled to find his feet at a time Liverpool were reeling from the departure of midfield general Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.
Despite Kop boss Brendan Rodgers recently voicing his admiration for Aquilani's talent the new Liverpool manager did concede he was unsure of the exact situation relating to the player.
"I thought Aquilani was a really good player. I'd seen him in the Champions League and he came to Liverpool but it didn't quite work out and he went back [to Italy] on loan," explained the 39-year-old to TalkSPORT last week.
"There might be other situations. I just need to find out from speaking with those players because there are always other reasons.
"The boy Aquilani is a wonderful talent and a terrific player but he might not be able to settle. He might not be able to adapt to the country so you've got all those issues and sometimes you're not aware of that until you sit down and speak to the people."
The stories linking versatile Chelsea attacker Kalou with Anfield stem from quotes by Schalke manager Huub Stevens.
The German club have a confirmed interest in signing the 26-year-old who will leave Stamford Bridge on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires on July 1.
"Kalou is a Bosman player," commented Stevens in the Daily Mirror.
"It's obvious - there are many other clubs keen on him. Liverpool for example. But I know for sure he wants to move away from England. This might be our chance."
Should Liverpool sign Kalou it could prove a welcome boost to the club's strength in depth following the recent departure of Dirk Kuyt to Fenerbahce and continued uncertainty surrounding Maxi Rodriguez.
Vital Verdict
Whether either of these rumours become true only time will tell but neither seems too fanciful to us especially when compared to some of the tosh written during close season. The number and reputable nature of many of the sources voicing these two stories add further weight to the view that there might just be some foundation to them.
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