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Wednesday Kickoff: Liverpool complete Sturridge transfer, Man City wait on Aguero injury, and more

By DAN KARELL

Liverpool has kicked off the English Premier League transfer season by completing the signing of former Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge.

The Reds will be adding Sturridge to an attack that has struggled at times this season, with only Luis Suarez providing a consistent goal-scoring threat.

Sturridge, 23, joins Liverpool on a reported £12 million transfer fee and could make his debut this weekend, when the Reds face Mansfield Town in the FA Cup.

Here are some other stories to get your Wednesday started:

CITY AWAIT WORD ON AGUERO INJURY

Manchester City’s injury woes went from bad to worse on Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly after scoring a penalty-kick goal, striker Sergio Aguero pulled up with what has now been diagnosed as a hamstring strain. The Argentine is expected to miss up to two weeks of action, including the important match against Arsenal on Sunday January 13.

Roberto Mancini can ill afford to have Aguero on the training table for a long period of time, having scored 10 goals this season, tied for the top mark on the team. City will also be without Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, and Kolo Toure for the coming weeks, among others.

CHELSEA TRIGGER RELEASE CLAUSE, INCHES CLOSER TO SIGNING BA

Newcastle striker Demba Ba has been given permission by the club to speak with Chelsea, and as such, has been left out of his team’s squad for their match tonight against Everton, according to an official statement on Newcastle’s website.

Chelsea has been negotiating with Ba’s representatives for the past few days, and though the talks seemed to have hit a snag, it seems that both sides have agreed to meet in London, and it is only a matter of time before Ba is introduced at Stamford Bridge.

The transfer bid is thought to be in the region of £7 million, according to reports in England.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND MIDFIELDER GÖTZE WON’T BE SOLD

The young German international has been the subject of intense transfer speculation ever since bursting on the scene in 2009, but in an interview with German publication Bild, Borussia Dortmund manager Marc Zorc has waived away any chances of Götze leaving.

Zorc was quoted saying that Götze feels at home in Dortmund, and at the age of 20, still can develop into an even better player.

Previous reports have stated that it would take a bid of at least €35 million for Götze to switch teams.

REAL MADRID DEFENDER PEPE TO MISS A MONTH

The Brazilian-born Portuguese international centerback Pepe underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle, according to a statement from Real Madrid.

There has been no timetable for his return, but local media have speculated he could be out for a month.

Pepe had already been set to miss Real Madrid’s next match due to accumulation of yellow cards, and with his backline teammate Sergio Ramos also suspended for the next match, Jose Mourinho will have a massive selection headache ahead of Sunday’s home match against Real Sociedad.

QUICK KICKS

Chelsea and Arsenal scoff at Wesley Sneijder wage demands. (REPORT)

Brazil releases squad for upcoming South American U-20 Championships, includes Barcelona product Rafael “Rafinha” Alcantara (REPORT)

Mexico’s Club Atlas manager Tomás Boy has slammed El Tri players Miguel Sabah and Rafa Márquez for spurning his club for more lucrative salaries elsewhere. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these reports? See Sturridge helping Liverpool’s inconsistent attack? Think City can still catch Manchester United without Aguero? How do you see Ba fitting in at Chelsea?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Did Tim Howard give up a soft goal against Newcastle? One clean sheet in 12 Everton games is worrying for the USMNT, which doesn’t score a boatload of goals.

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  2. They got Ba as a free agent, and they had to put the transfer clause in to get him. He scored 29 goals in a season and a half for them, and I can’t fault him if he moves to Chelsea, competes to win things and makes more money.

    I wish he stayed, but can’t hold it against him. He was absolutely brilliant for Newcastle, and I’ll wish him well.

    Now I hope they can bring in Remy as a replacement, and him going might actually be a blessing in disguise for Cisse. Him and Ba play a lot alike, and someone with a little pace like Remy would be a better partner for him.

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    • agreed. think it’s a good bit of business for both newcastle and ba (if the transfer actually goes through). newcastle’s pretty much getting all profit (less wages and any bonuses paid).

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    • 11.25 mil is a lot to pay for Remy though, he hasn’t been on form all year. Think someone like Aubemeyang would be better for Newcastle.

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  3. How on earth is Sturridge worth 12 million pounds? I know it’s not entirely his fault, but he has played about three games all season, and he’s the answer for Liverpool’s scoring problems? I also am curious to see how the Ba situation works with Chelsea should it happen. Are they seriously going to play either Torres or Ba and not both at the same time? If they play them both, they can’t have Mata, Hazard, and Oscar on the field at the same time, and if they play them separately, at least Torres will be pissy about sitting on the bench. Why would Ba want to split time with someone who has scored less than half the goals as he has?

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      • Its ture, i initially thought this was just a strategy ahead of impending “rules” always on the horizen from either UEFA or the English FA, but we do over pay for english “talent”.

        Hopefully a few of them will show their worth eventually (looking at you Henderson). We have some holes (Defense, Wing, Striker, Dmid) and considering how many tournaments we are playing in the squad is way too thin in general.

        Sad to say I dont see all of those things being fixed in the winter. If we finish top 6 I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

    • Firstly, Premier League regulations make it so that UK players cost more than foreign players.
      Secondly, he’s a 23 year old player who has shown an ability to score goals in the Premier League at Bolton (where he wasn’t receiving the service that Suarez and Gerrard provided) and at Chelsea before AVB got fired. He’s only played three games because Torres is Abrahamovic’s golden boy and not playing Torres possibly leads to being fired (hence the Benitez hiring) and he is not better than Hazard. Liverpool just needs someone to get in the box and finish all the chances they create. Sturridge is certainly capable of that

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    • Sturridge is worth 12mil because he’s young, British, and filled with talent. As far as Ba and Torres that’s a real predicament. If Benitez knows anything about what’s good for the team if should be playing Ba with Torres only sporadically starting and coming off the bench.

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  4. How many clubs has Sturridge been through now? Man City, Chelsea, a loan somewhere else, and now Liverpool? Is this the downside to signing with a top team when you are young, you get tossed around because of your potential but you can’t break through so you wind up with a second tier team and have to learn their system? Wouldn’t you be better off breaking through with a second tier team from the get go?

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    • good point for those who think that a player has to sign with a top team at a young age in order to be a great player. the euro model has flaws and the handcuffs that are put on young players at big clubs is one of the major ones. these big clubs have to win which puts pressure on managers and players — that does not usually go well with young developing players. when the player looks for a new team, contractual terms severely limit his options. if he goes to another big club, he faces the same competition and the same pressures. if he goes to a smaller club, he is often seen as damaged goods or as someone else’s player that will have to prove his worth before being integrated.

      sturridge is not at that point yet, and he is still in great shape in terms of his development and professional situation. but think of chelsea’s other youth players who have watched a flood of other young talent come into the club over the summer. what does their future look like?

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