News has emerged from Turin that Italian giants Juventus aren’t willing to pay the pre-arranged fee, believed to be around £10M, for Alberto Aquilani. The midfielder, 26, left Anfield in August on a season-long loan, with an option for Juventus to buy at the end of the season.
Aquilani found life in England tough after his big money move from Roma in 2009, and ended up playing just one season, making a handful of appearences in a Liverpool shirt. The arrival of Roy Hodgson meant new ideas, and Aquilani departed for Italy.
But Juve are only willing to pay £5M for the player, who has made 23 appearences and scored 2 goals for the club this season. Although Juventus insist this is the most they will pay due to their financial position, it has been reported that Kenny Dalglish will prefer to bring the player back to Anfield, rather than face such a huge loss in money.
Aquilani spoke out about his future on Friday, here’s what he had to say:
“There is nothing for me, just a loan with an option to buy. Liverpool set a high buy-out clause on my loan, especially in the current financial climate.
“I know it’s not easy. I knew coming here to Juventus that it would not be easy, but in all honesty I am calm, I’m not thinking about it and have never thought about it.
“Now I will finish off the year and try to give everything, as in any case Juventus have given me the chance to come back to Italy and have an important role in this squad.”
We can’t predict what the future will hold, but it looks unlikely that the Liverpool manager and board will allow Aquilani to leave for such a low fee. So don’t be too surprised if we see Aquilani in Liverpool’s plans for the new season.
Hey Bradley! You anticipated me here dude. So, let’s talk Aquilani. Bought by Rafa injured for Euro 20 million. Came back to fitness, was not given enough playing time. Liverpool is another world to Rome, so he was ultimately homesick. The Reds have excellent relations with Juve. So they loan him out and a Euro 12 million clause option is included. That’s Euro 8 million (excluding salaries and bonuses) for one season where he barely played.
Now he has fitted well at Juve. Had he not he would have been wrapped and sent back to us with a ‘Thank You’ card. But since he has done well, Juve want him for….Euro 5 million?
First of all a deal is a deal. If they don’t respect it, bring him back. Homesick or no homesick. The lad is quality, there is no doubt.
The lad wants to stay, Juve want him, but the Reds need to do as they did with Alonso, Mascherano and Torres…hold on to their assets until they get the right sum.
It’s useless to add 15,000 capacity to Anfield or build a new stadium for all that matters, then throw Euro 15 million down the drain in 12 months on 1 player!
Let him be at liverpool ! Keep him as sub until aqua finds his form bak at anfield ! Lfc is nt mad to sell aqua for tat 5m ! He was bought around 17 so let him show his worth
Bring him back, he’ll shine under Dalglish. Juve have some nerve with a derisory offer like that, if possible I’d bring him back straight away, and tell Juve to shove it.
Thanks for your comments.
@Tonio Bone – I agree basically with everything you’ve said there. If Juve really want the player, they will have to stump up the £10M and buy him. If not, it’s not Liverpool’s job to be negotiating a fee with Juventus, it should be the other way round. And I still believe we could see a different Aquilani return to Anfield.
Aquilani is a quality player. I had been watching him ever since he was at Roma and he was wonderful when he played alongside Totti and De Rossi.
When he was brought here he was never given enough time on the pitch to settle to the English game because of the increasing pressure on Benitez at the time. I had been keeping a check on his stats for the times he played and the stats were astounding!
What I’m trying to say is that a player of his quality should never be sold in the first place and he could play a vital part in Liverpool’s resurgence to the top.
Come back home Il Principino!
He is doing an excellent job at JUVE!!! Aquilani Gerrard Meireles Midfield would be world class…No better midfield in the EPL with and then you add Carroll and Suarez and hopefully ELia…..Next year will be amazing!!!!
Aquilani put in some decent performances in a Liverpool shirt, so I don’t see why he shouldn’t be able to do so again when he returns. Just look at Meireles. Gets better an better!
Just bring him back, if he’s not happy then put him up for sale Man City will give us £15mil for him anyway. Chelski would offer £30mil.
Bring him back! Just as he was finding his feet last season- and putting some decent performances in- he was shipped out when Woy arrived. Bring back Insua too- a young lad with ability!
Aberto is quality, I think it is not beyond possibility that the guy was ‘homesick’ simply because he did’nt get enough playing time to get match fit and therefore had no chance of winning a place in the side. Under Kenny he would probably blossom and would provide an option to Mereles, its still all about strength in depth.
he is one year older now ,bring him back to see what he can do.
Liverpool should get him back then at the end of the season, he has played well in Italy and after a whole season his injuries should be behind him.
Wonderful, I wouldn’t hesitate to have him back. He’s shown in Italy what he’s capable of. He would be a quality addition to an imrpoving squad and as KK has already said, players will all treated equally by him.
HOW PATHETICALLY PREDICTABLE – ALL A PLOY BY JUVENTUS TO GET HIM ON THE CHEAP AND HE IS PLAYING ALONG – WE SHOULD NOW ONLY SELL TO ANOTHER ITALIAN CLUS – YOU WANT TO PLAY GAMES – THEN LETS PLAY – OTHERWISE WE LET HIM ROT IN OUR RESERVES FOR HIS DISLOYALTY. LFC DONT LISTEN TOO THIS BULLSHIT FROM ITALIANA
The prince shouldn’t be sent out on loan in the first place, thank to fergie pal roy he sent alberto on lone and get juve garbage pulson. Alberto is a class act he just didn’t get a chance to prove and the games he got on the end of last season he performed well, now king kenny at the helm and his style of play will suit alberto he will blossom. out-maxi,pulson In-contreo lb, ashley young, pato, aquilani.
…..and then Alberto was ‘born’ to play the passing game. His one touch football is sublime and he would compliment Raul and or Stevie hands down.
It’s natural for an italian to want to play in Italy, especially Juve, so let’s not slam him for that. Having said that, it was Liverpool that believed in him (well Rafa at the time actually) and coughed up Euro 20 mil or thereabouts to bring him to the PL, INJURED. That means he owes us!
I’d say do not let him go for a penny less than the sum agreed, otherwise bring him back as he is quality.
This guy is class and we should not let him go for less than we bought him for. Too often Liverpool are bullied by other clubs in the transfer market. If Juve won’t pay up, keep him and either use him next season or sell him to a club who will pay.
Aquilani should be brought back to the club in the summer, the cheek of it, as season before we bought him from Roma for £20m when he was injured, then we got him fit and up and running again.
Then in the games he played he showed his quality and he was improving game by game, then hodgson comes in and loans him out.
And the club gave them the option of buying him for £13m, so thats already a £7M loss and now he’s playing well and probably been their best player this season they want to buy him for just £5M.
Is that the same £5M they ripped Hodgson off with when we brought Poulsen to Anfield?
So they are comparing Aquilani to terrible poulsen, King kenny bring Aquilani back and let him compete with Meireles and Gerrard for a place in the team.
Because he said he was not happy here and he’s settled well in Italy juve want to take advantage of the situation and by him for cheap, LFC should not lower the buy out price and for whatever reason.
Bring him back and let the lad play and once he shows his quality I’m sure he will change his mind because there is nothing like anfield and LFC fans.
But if juve wants him let them pay the buy out price, not a pound less.
YNWA
I reiterate that the lad has been playing in ALL of Juve’s matches and he IS in his homeland. His declarations are natural and should NOT be slammed. He is a professional and if he is called back to Liverpool he will give his best as he did when he was called upon.
Dunno why everyone thinks we won’t sell at a loss, he was bought under the previous owners, after which he just became an employee on a salary, therefore, as no financial outlay was made by the new owners, they stand to lose nothing, but gain his wages off the wage bill, plus Kenny’s kitty goes up by whatever we gain in transfer fee. If we bring back a home sick player we’ll end up selling at a loss anyway as clubs will know he’s home sick and play hard ball till the end of the window, knowing we won’t want to have a unhappy player till January, taking up wages, iirc, around 90,000 a week
@ Jose. Sorry mate you got it all wrong here. Are you saying that if there was deal for Euro 16 million and Juve are offering Euro 5 million the new owners will let him go just because they had not bought the player? Don’t you think he was included in the due diligence? Do you think the owners or the club will through way Euro 11 million just like that?
Clubs do sell at a loss but in this case there was a deal in place beforehand and the player has a future and oozes quality. I do suggest you get your facts right. Aquilani is not a sick player. Sometimes I wonder what world some of you guys live in………..
I disagree Jose, it is obvious Albert is quality and if he is homesick like I suspect he is, SOMEONE will pay for him. Perhaps AC Milan as Pirlo may be done there. Tonio he meant homesick not home and sick haha.
Someone will buy him, Serie A has seen how good he has been all year. He will be sold at full value or he comes back per contract. And I hope in my heart he comes back, he is better than Adam or any alternative on the market this summer quality wise.
I’m completely against buying injured players. I’m surprised we did it again with Carroll but hopefully it works out with him.
I’d be happy to have him back. The kid could pass with flair! And was a goal scoring threat on the offensive side of the ball if he’s played in an attacking role. Although I think he’s a bit weak for the English game.
As already stated – IT is NOT our responsibility to negotiate on this! They have an agreement. Hopefully they won’t apply it as this guy always was good , just short of playing time, and recovering. He is absolute class and with KD behind him and Suarez et al to feed off him next season will show it. Tell Juve thanks but no thanks. He stays with us…