Liverpool FC to take on Lazio in final friendly
LIVERPOOL will stage a pre-season curtain raiser for the new season at Anfield on Friday, August 8.
But Italian giants Lazio are now the likely opposition - not Atletico Madrid.
The Reds had been negotiating with Fernando Torres' old club about the possibility of a friendly match at Anfield, but could not reach agreement.
But Roman club Lazio have now stepped in and are "highly likely" to be the visitors to Anfield for Liverpool's final warm-up match before the Champions League qualifying round and the big kick-off at Sunderland on August 16.
Lazio had a disappointing Serie A campaign, finishing 12th, but boast stars like Dino Baggio and Argentinian striker Claudio Lopez.
The Reds, meanwhile, have confirmed that they are in discussions with Danish club Herfolge BK and AZ Alkmaar in Holland with a view to the respective signings of young strikers Nikola Saric and Vincent Weijl.
But chief executive Rick Parry said reports claiming the deals were already done were "highly presumptuous."
The Reds chief executive did confirm that with the transfer window officially re-opening next Tuesday, Liverpool will complete the signing of Italian full-back Andrea Dossena for £7m.
Parry said: "We are now ready to confirm the signing of Dossena. The deal should go through next week after finalising the paper work."
The Reds will also hope to fund further signings with the departures of Peter Crouch, Xabi Alonso and Scott Carson.
The Reds rejected a £9m bid from Portsmouth for Crouch earlier this week, Juventus have still not made an improved offer for Alonso, while West Brom boss Tony Mowbray's plans to ask the Reds to loan out Scott Carson for another season look doomed to failure.
Aston Villa have sent Carson back to Anfield and are now focusing on a £4m deal for Spurs outcast Paul Robinson.
Carson will be offered another season in the West Midlands as Mowbray hunts for a new goalkeeper, but Liverpool are hoping to raise £10m with a permanent deal for the England international.
Reds reserve striker Paul Anderson, meanwhile, who spent last season on loan at Swansea, has now agreed to join Nottingham Forest on another season-long loan.
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the transfer situation now is ludicrous, manager / hypocrite mark hughes tells the world david bentley is going nowhere and then leaves himself !
'Lazio had a disappointing Serie A campaign, finishing 12th, but boast stars like Dino Baggio and Argentinian striker Claudio Lopez.'
This info is a bit outdated dont you think???
Don't mean to be a bit of stickler, but Dino Baggio and Lopez haven't played for Lazio for half a decade. For those who care, Lazio do have Pandev (linked with Liverpool), Ledesma (linked with Man United and Bayern) and have just bought Argentina's No. 1 keeper Carrizo.
And anyone who thinks we are, or were ever going to, receive anywhere near £10m for Carson must have been on the sauce.
Unless Sunderland are interested - they spend fortunes on crap keepers.
On the plus side, looks like we've duped Galatasaray into giving us £2m for Charles 'Djimi In Goal' Itandje!
Rafa truly is el genio.
dino baggio has been playing in the lower leagues in Italy for a few years now (he's nearly 37), and claudio lopez plays in America I believe....