Agger is fast finding himself a sub-plot to the Luis
Suarez saga as Liverpool’s preparations for the new season threaten to unravel.
Liverpool are understood to have received an official bid
for Agger - – who, like Suarez, also missed last night’s friendly with
Valerenga – from Barcelona in the region of £15m after the Spaniards identified
him as their first choice.
It was rejected, but Liverpool are braced for a renewed
offer and £25m would test their resolve.
The Denmark defender - who has had fluid drained from his
knee after receiving a kick in Steven Gerrard’s testimonial - is interested in
making the move to the Nou Camp, but will not kick up a fuss a la Suarez out of
loyalty to Liverpool.
Rodgers claimed on Tuesday that when he took over as
manager last summer he spoke to Agger about interest from Manchester City and
Barcelona at the time, adding that the player told him he would stay at Anfield
for as long as he was wanted.
The onus is now on Barcelona to increase their offer and,
while they hold an interest in Chelsea’s David Luiz, Agger is top of their
wanted list.
That interest has also complicated the future of Martin
Skrtel, who had been told he could leave Liverpool last week by Rodgers after
new signing Kolo Toure seemingly moved above him in the pecking order.
However, the Slovakian international’s agent met Liverpool
managing director Ian Ayre earlier this week and he was subsequently informed
of a U-turn by the club and that he could not now depart.
It is a chain of events that suggests Liverpool are
concerned that Barcelona will press ahead with efforts to prise the influential
Agger away and will leave Skrtel, another absentee in Norway due to injury
along-with Glen Johnson, seeking more talks on his position.
Andy Carroll, Jonjo Shelvey and Pepe Reina have left this
summer with it emerging that Liverpool are still paying £2m of Reina’s wages to
help finance his loan move to Napoli.
Liverpool are now facing a major battle to not only
prevent their squad from fracturing but bringing in quality recruits and the
situation will serve to test Rodgers and his recruitment team and their ability
to work together.
Bizarrely, Rodgers denied any interest in Benfica
left-back Lorenzo Melgarezo last weekend despite Liverpool having a loan deal
agreed with Portuguese club.
A £17m move for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa also
appears to have stalled with the Spaniards insisting he will not be leaving to
increase the frustration of Liverpool, who missed out on Shakhtar Donetsk’s
Henrikh Mkhitaryan when he joined Borussia Dortmund.
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