Roy Hodgson is expected to be in place as Liverpool manager on Thursday — and his first job will be to field formal offers for the club’s crown jewels, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
Real Madrid have tabled a £20 million take-it-or-leave-it bid for the England captain, whom Liverpool value at £35 million.
Torres, the Spain striker, would cost in excess of £60 million, but Chelsea and Real are aware that Liverpool’s precarious financial situation allows the opportunity to acquire their players at knockdown prices. There were suggestions last night that the London club’s initial offer could be as low as £25 million.
Hodgson, 62, who took Fulham to the Europa League final last season, will be consulted over any decision to sell, but can expect to receive only a small proportion of any money raised.
Liverpool are expected to have to pay Fulham about £2 million in compensation for the services of Hodgson, who would also have been a candidate to become the next England manager should the Football Association decide to part company with Fabio Capello.
Advertisement
The Italian said yesterday that the FA wanted two weeks to think about his position, but by then Hodgson will be installed at Anfield.
Liverpool needed to act quickly because only Sammy Lee remains from Rafael Benítez’s coaching staff. Benítez left Anfield on June 3 by mutual agreement with a £6 million payoff.
Hodgson can expect a muted reception from the fans, especially since his appointment will raise questions about the future of Kenny Dalglish.
The former manager and club icon was charged by Christian Purslow, the managing director, with finding a successor to Benítez. After assessing the candidates, the Scot put himself forward for the job, despite a longstanding friendship with Hodgson.
Internal politics may be the least of Hodgson’s problems at Anfield, however. Despite Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the co-owners, putting Liverpool up for sale in April, there is no buyer on the horizon. The club owe £351 million in loans, mainly to Royal Bank of Scotland, which is irritated with the Americans’ inability to sell.
Advertisement
Martin Broughton was brought in as chairman to oversee the sale, but Hicks’s asking price of £600-£800 million has caused a number of potential investors to walk away.