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Last week my article on Kenny Dalglish’s dealings with the media did not go down at all well with Reds fans across the world. It was believed that I was viciously attacking their manager and it led to a lot of angry remarks. My name became a symbol of hate in the red half of Merseyside as they proudly stood behind him and while I have huge respect for those fans for loyally defending their boss, I think my comments were heavily misconstrued.

It was not a self righteous abuse of the 60-year-old, it was nothing to do with Liverpool FC and neither was it to do with his managerial ability which, as I will explain, is monumental.

My article was merely a discussion about my distaste for managers that refuse to answer questions properly. Many of the comments I received said that Sir Alex Ferguson controls the media and accused me of being prejudice but that is also wrong. It angers me to see Ferguson’s disregard for the media, refusing to talk to the BBC, walking out of interviews when asked if his team is struggling and choosing which reporters can attend his press conferences are all acts of petulance. While they both have the interests of their respective clubs at heart it is the journalist’s job to ask questions that provoke a response or even a whole article and they are entitled to report their query.

Attending these conferences and answering questions is part of their job and they should answer questions regardless of who they are and who asks them, even if they only offer a dull response. Dalglish was the subject of my article because he was the most recent example, so it was newsworthy, not a mindless slur. While I dislike his manner with the media nobody can deny the immense impact King Kenny has had at Anfield since his return.

Probably the greatest player to turn out in front of the Kop and the last manager to win the league with the Reds, only he could have put a smile on fans faces when he replaced Roy Hodgson in January, with the team languishing in 12th place and looking terrible.

The team looked as though they had lost their way, their confidence and their spark, winning just seven out of the first 20 league games. It even took time for Kenny to work his magic, losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup the day after his appointment, albeit to an early penalty decision and followed that up with a defeat to Blackpool but the determination to succeed was reinstalled into the team and they haven’t looked back since.

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What is being built at Anfield is perhaps the most astonishing story of 2011. The foundations of something special are being laid out and with a little more time, they could reach 19 as well.

In the final months of last season Liverpool were in sensational form, looking completely different to how they began the season and climbed the table at pace, putting them just 90 minutes away from claiming an unlikely spot in Europe, something that nobody would have considered possible at the New Year. In that run they defeated United, City and Chelsea as they picked up more points than their title winning rivals from those final 18 games, a true testament to the speed at which the Scot has been able to turn things around.

On the pitch, Dalglish has managed to get the best out of misfit Lucas Leiva and is starting to reap the rewards. The departure of Xabi Alonso left a huge void and the Brazilian never looked likely to live up to expectations at Anfield but the new season bought a new wave of life to his game and as the Kop began warming to him he has proved why Aquilani is not needed and has morphed into a Xabi 2.0.

The club’s confidence to back him in the transfer market despite only being caretaker manager last January shows how important he is at the club. Allowing him to spend nearly £60 million and Fernando Torres was a brave move by the new owners but they have reaped the rewards as the Spaniards form has completely deserted him while his replacement, Luis Suarez, has been a revelation in England, tormenting opposition defences every week and scoring a hat-full of goals in the process.

He appears to have a vision for the club and a style of play that he wants to embed at Anfield and although it will take time to move them away from the Rafa Benitez style of play it is paying dividends already. With the purchase of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing it is clear he hopes to have an old-fashioned attacking option at his disposable, with a big man little man front pairing to get the best of both worlds. And although Carroll has not hit the heights everyone hoped he would these things often take time and like most things Dalglish touches on Merseyside it will undoubtedly turn to gold before long. The rest of the squad is also being pieced together, with Charlie Adam and Lucas forming a tough tackling and creative midfield pairing while Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson offer attack-minded full backs to give them a wealth of options going forward. The club has structure that it lacked under Roy Hodgson and with this direction they will continue to go from strength to strength.

They are becoming so powerful now that they can cope without Steven Gerrard in the line-up. He has hardly featured under Dalglish because of injury but that hasn’t stopped them winning and when he comes back to fitness they will be even stronger.

Liverpool is in his heart and everything he does is in their best interests. Whether it is protecting his players with an awkward interview or flogging their main striker, it is done because he feels that is the right thing to do and it is working. Since his return he has picked up four points against both Manchester clubs as well as beating Chelsea twice. He has not lost a Merseyside derby and has not had to rely on Steven Gerrard for results like managers before him.

Dalglish has taken the pressure off of the club because the fans quite rightly love and trust him. He brings confidence to everybody and has put Liverpool’s darkest days under Hodgson way behind them and has pushed them on towards a fight for the top four.

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The turnaround is remarkable and it can only mean one thing. Kenny is no longer King, he is God.

Do you agree? What is the best thing Kenny has achieved since returning to the dugout? Comment below or follow me @jrobbins1991.

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Ever since Torres left Liverpool people have been waiting to see the old Fernando. People have been waiting for the Torres of old who used terrorise Vidic and put Chelsea back in their place. They’ve been waiting for the striker who scored the winning goal of Euro 2008; they’ve been waiting for the man Chelsea broke the British transfer record for. But is he ever going to actually turn up?

I don’t support Chelsea, and I wasn’t a fan of him whilst he was at Liverpool either, but I do want him back to his old self. Above all we want these players in our league so they can entertain us. And frankly, apart from missing a few open goals, Torres has not been providing much entertainment.

At first people were saying that the team was too centred around Drogba. Now it’s centred around Torres. People were saying that he had to adjust to life at Chelsea. He’s been there almost a year. There aren’t really many excuses left. He has excellent support in the form of Mata, Lampard, Ramires and others yet still he struggles. I’m not saying that he won’t regain some kind of form this season because he will. But I am starting to think that, sadly, he will never be the striker he was at Liverpool. Ever since his hamstring injuries he has lost a yard of pace and to say he’s lost is his spark is a bit of an understatement. When Arsenal played Chelsea at the weekend I was glad Torres was playing instead of Drogba. I genuinely didn’t feel worried by Torres at all. And I was right not to be. Chelsea are an excellent team and if anyone can get the best out of him I feel it is the attack-minded Villas-Boas but a look at other strikers with similar career paths suggests that his reputation as one of the best strikers in the world might be gone forever.

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Michael Owen

The Obvious comparison is Michael Owen. Now I know Owen was never as good as Torres in his prime but Owen’s career took a similar path in terms of peaks and troughs. Starting brightly for club and country Benitez sold Owen to Real Madrid. Some questionable form lead to a spell in the Spanish capital spent mostly on the bench before being sold to Newcastle. Here he should have enjoyed his peak years but injury and the fact that he never really regained his true form meant that he ended his spell in Newcastle averaging less than seven goals a year between 2005-09. I’m sure when Newcastle fans saw that they’d signed Owen they thought it would be only a matter of time before he emulated the great Alan Shearer. It wasn’t to be, and Newcastle fans will be able to tell their west London counterparts that Torres’ return to glory is by no means guaranteed.

Andriy Shevchenko 

But then again, don’t Chelsea fans already know this? Remember the former Ballon D’or winner Andriy Shevchenko? He went from being one of the most feared strikers in the world to an extravagant irrelevancy in less than a year. His struggles to adapt to the Premier League turned into a career-threatening nosedive in form from which he has never recovered. The similarities between the two purchases are in fact remarkable. Both stink of an over-involvement of Roman Abramovich and in the same way that Shevchenko was unable to deal with the pressure it remains to be seen with Torres is.

Fernando Torres

Torres may be unlucky with his current situation, but so were Owen and Shevchenko. So was Van Basten, So was Robbie Fowler with the way his career turned out too. The fact is that regardless of whether he has the mentality to return to his former standards the pressure and old injuries may mean that he may never do so. Torres will always bee a quality player; he will always be able to score goals and will always be a good striker. But ultimately he may be in something of an unstoppable decline. Every football fan in this country would love to see him back to his best, and he has shown signs of improvement this season. However it has been far too inconsistent and he is still a shadow of his former self.

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Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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It was an emotional weekend in the Bundesliga, not because of any spectacular results, but more to do with departures. The two clubs occupying third and fourth, Schalke and Gladbach, are coming to terms with losing players next season.

Whilst Gladbach will be saying auf wiedersehen to Roman Neustadter, Dante and Marco Reus, Schalke have to bid farewell to Raul, a man who’s made quite an impression in his two years in Gelsenkirchen.

Signing a month after his 33rd birthday, Felix Magath, the man who brought him over to Gelsenkirchen, has called him the most influential foreigner to play in Germany. This is an exaggeration but you can understand where the-now Wolfsburg coach is coming from.

Raul has only missed one game in the Bundesliga since joining Schalke. During that time, he’s amassed 28 goals along with 11 assists. Add to that the Bundesliga Goal of the Year in 2011 (an extraordinary chip over Michael Rensing) and it is little wonder the Spaniard was overcome with emotion such was the send off he was given after Schalke’s victory over Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Teammates bowed to the Spaniard when celebrating his obligatory goal against Hertha. That in itself isn’t much of an achievement such has been the form of Otto Rehhagel’s side. Schalke’s 4-0 victory means they will go straight into the Champions League group stages – without Raul however. Saturday’s win pushed them out of reach of fourth placed Borussia Mönchengladbach. They were held to a goalless draw at home by Augsburg.

Gladbach have somewhat limped over the line in securing a place in the 4th Round Qualifying of the Champions League in 2012-2013. That said Lucien Favre’s side deserve credit for their performance over the course of the season, going from relegation play-off survivors to Champions League qualifiers. The problem for Gladbach is that three key players who helped to make this possible depart this summer.

Roman Neustadter, Dante and Marco Reus have all played their final game for the Foals at Borussia Park. They’ll move to the three sides above them in the table. Neustadter’s departure to Schalke has gone slightly under the radar, a bit like the player himself, whose contribution has been underestimated.

Dante and Reus meanwhile are off to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Dante has been part of the second best defence in the Bundesliga this season whilst Reus is the most high profile departure. With 16 goals and 11 assists, he’s certainly one of the players of the season in the Bundesliga. It’s not too surprising that Dortmund were so keen to get a former trainee of theirs back at the club.

At Gladbach though will come Lucien Favre’s greatest test. It would be most impressive if he can build a side which can compete in the Champions League and most importantly in the Bundesliga.

Schalke are better equipped to deal with the departure of Raul than Gladbach with their leavers. Nevertheless, it’s overlooked that last season they finished 13th in the Bundesliga, only four points ahead of Gladbach in the Relegation Play-Off position. The Royal Blues excellent run to the Champions League Semi Finals and their DFB-Pokal win helped erase memories of the league campaign though.

Memories of Raul will arguably remain for longer although it’s odd to see that Schalke have decided to retire his shirt number for an indefinite period, after all he’s only been there two years. Still, Schalke must move on.

They have the squad to cope with Raul’s departure whilst Gladbach are going to have to rebuild. It would be a shame from a neutral perspective to see the Foals flutter away into the ether after the great work done by Lucien Favre so far.

But for now, both clubs can be thankful for what Reus, Dante, Neustadter and Raul have given to Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke respectively.

For more on the Bundesliga on Twitter, follow @archiert1

Matchday 33 Results:

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Hannover

Bayern Munich 2-0 Stuttgart

Freiburg 4-1 Cologne

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Gladbach 0-0 Augsburg

Hamburg 0-0 Mainz

Hoffenheim 2-3 Nuremberg

Kaiserslautern 2-5 Borussia Dortmund

Schalke 4-0 Hertha Berlin

Wolfsburg 3-1 Werder Bremen

Table

Rank

Club

Matches

W*

D*

L*

G*

GD*

PTS*

1

Borussia Dortmund

33

24

6

3

76:25

+51

78

CL*

2

FC Bayern Munich

33

22

4

7

73:21

+52

70

CL*

3

FC Schalke 04

33

19

4

10

71:42

+29

61

CL*

4

Borussia Mönchengladbach

33

16

9

8

46:24

+22

57

CL* Qual.

5

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

33

14

9

10

48:43

+5

51

EL*

6

VfB Stuttgart

33

14

8

11

60:44

+16

50

EL* Qual.

7

Hannover 96

33

11

12

10

39:44

-5

45

EL* Qual.

8

VfL Wolfsburg

33

13

5

15

45:57

-12

44

9

SV Werder Bremen

33

11

9

13

47:55

-8

42

10

1. FC Nuremberg

33

12

6

15

37:45

-8

42

11

1899 Hoffenheim

33

10

11

12

40:44

-4

41

12

SC Freiburg

33

10

10

13

45:57

-12

40

13

1. FSV Mainz 05

33

9

12

12

47:48

-1

39

14

Hamburger SV

33

8

12

13

35:56

-21

36

15

FC Augsburg

33

7

14

12

35:49

-14

35

16

1. FC Köln

33

8

6

19

38:71

-33

30

Play-offs

17

Hertha BSC Berlin

33

6

10

17

35:63

-28

28

Relegation

18

1. FC Kaiserslautern

33

4

11

18

23:52

-29

23

Relegation

Table thanks to Official Bundesliga Website

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The high standard of the Premier League has often meant that many of England’s best clubs will go head-to-head over the summer’s biggest transfers. Some of this year’s biggest prospective moves have involved London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur battling each other to get the best deals in the transfer market.

Both clubs have been involved in somewhat of a transfer quadrangle with Luka Modric and Juan Mata stuck in the middle. Whilst Chelsea have finalised a deal for Mata, Tottenham did also show a healthy interest in the Valencia winger. Another of this summer’s biggest stories has been Modric’s desire to leave Spurs for Chelsea with Daniel Levy at the Tottenham helm refusing any possible deal. But have Chelsea got the better deal in landing Mata but missing out on Modric?

Chelsea’s interest in both Mata and Modric has been well publicised but who is the better player? Last season Mata scored eight goals and made 12 assists and was the most impressive player outside the big two in La Liga. Despite impressing again last season for Spurs, Modric only managed three goals and three assists (a figure which he replicated the season before as well). But it is hard to compare the players solely on statistics. Apart from playing in two very different leagues, Mata and Modric are different types of attacking midfield players. Mata can be employed as a wide player, likely to fulfill that role perfectly in Andre Villas-Boas’ 4-3-3 formation. Modric on the other hand is an attacking midfielder best utilised in the centre where he can better dictate play and find pockets of space.

But even without considering the stats, I believe Chelsea have got the better deal this summer by snapping up Mata. The exciting Spanish international is the younger of the two at only 23-years-old (compared to 25-year-old Luka Modric) and so has plenty of time to continue to develop and adjust to the Premier League. Mata also shone at the recent European U21 Championships, playing a big part in Spain’s success at the tournament. Mata being part of the Spanish national side in its present state is also a huge bonus for Chelsea.

Mata also looks to be the cheaper option for Chelsea as Spurs continue to reject bids for Modric of near £30million. Reports on the fee Chelsea have spent on Mata range from around £23-26million but if the former Valencia man can deliver, a fee cheaper than what Chelsea would probably have to pay if they stand any chance of singing Modric, will look like a very good deal for the Stamford Bridge side.

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But whilst Chelsea looked to have snapped up a very good deal with Mata, where does this leave Spurs and Modric? Despite reports that Chelsea signing Mata was not putting the Blues off making a renewed bid for Modric, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has insisted that he will stay and that Mata’s deal would kill off any further advances for Modric. But the speculation about a move and Tottenham’s insistence that he will not go has unsettled Modric and Spurs now risk not seeing the best of the Croatian if he does stay. Chelsea will now have the exciting Mata at their disposal, beating Spurs’ to the Spanish star in the process.

Whilst Mata’s future currently looks a lot clearer than Modric’s, Chelsea have made a strong signal of intent by signing Mata. For now Modric looks like he will remain a Tottenham player but Chelsea should not be too disappointed if they miss out on the Croatian as a deal of Mata could potentially be the best signing of the summer at Stamford Bridge.

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Do you think Mata is a better signing for Chelsea than a potential deal for Modric? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

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Liverpool talisman Steven Gerrard is 50-50 to whether he will feature for the Merseyside outfit against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday, as the England international looks to return to first team action.

A groin injury kept the midfielder on the sidelines for the bulk of the second half of last season, and Gerrard has not yet featured for the Anfield team in 2011-12.

He has however returned to first team training, and manager Kenny Dalglish has stated that he does not know whether Gerrard will feature against Spurs or not.

“We’ll pick and choose when is best for Steven,” the Scot told Sky Sports.

“We’ll decide which game suits him best. We’ll analyse his progress like we do with everybody. We’ll do the same for Martin Kelly.

“Everybody that is asked to play will be fit enough to play. We’ll just wait and see – there is no rush. We’ve just got to use common sense,” he continued.

One man sure to miss the trip is right-back Glen Johnson, but the defender is seemingly the only real injury concern for The Reds.

We’ve only got Glen Johnson (out) really. We are just waiting for some test results to come back. We’ll take it on from there,” Dalglish concluded.

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Liverpool go into the clash looking to repeat their performance for their last visit to North London, when they beat Arsenal 2-0 earlier in the season.

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Manchester City goalkeeper has moved to silence claims that he should replace John Terry as England captain, and feels there are other experienced players more qualified for the job.

The FA stripped the Chelsea centre back of the armband as he scandal over his reported racist comments against Anton Ferdinand continues, with Terry set to answer his case in court in July.

Hart has made the Three Lions’ number one jersey his own with outstanding performances for club and country, but does not consider himself an option to replace Terry as skipper.

“I’m flattered to be linked with it, but I think anyone who’s having a consistent run in the England side is being linked with it,” the stopper told Mirror Football.

“There are a lot stronger candidates than myself.

“There’s a long way to go. I’ve got a really important season with games for Manchester City and hopefully a couple for England coming up. That’s all I’m concentrating on just now,” he stated.

The debate over Terry’s potential inclusion or exclusion from Fabio Capello’s Euro 2012 squad continues in the press, but Hart has declined to comment or judge the veteran defender’s conduct.

“It’s not really for me to comment upon. I don’t know what was or was not said,” he finished.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has gone under the knife, with the Midlands club stating that the forward’s ankle operation was a success.

The England international suffered the injury against Wigan at the DW Stadium, after falling awkwardly under pressure from Latics defender Antolin Alcaraz.

Villa have confirmed that Bent is expected to be sidelined for around 12 weeks.

“Darren Bent underwent surgery tonight in a London clinic to repair ruptured ligaments in his left ankle,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.

“The operation was a complete success and it is expected that Darren will be able to resume full training in around 12 weeks.”

Bent now faces a race against time to see whether he can be fit to participate in Euro 2012, as England’s striking options take another blow; the Villa man was expected to harbour the bulk of the goalscoring responsibilities in the first two games whilst Wayne Rooney is suspended.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Queens Park Rangers have had a bid for Blackpool striker DJ Campbell accepted with the player to undergo a medical in London on Friday.The forward only joined the Tangerines permanently last term after enjoying a successful loan spell and continued his good form during the club’s first Premier League season, scoring 13 goals in 31 matches in the top flight.

The 29-year-old joins the newly promoted club for an undisclosed fee, and only need to agree to personal terms with QPR for the deal to go through.

“Blackpool Football Club can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Queen Park Rangers for the transfer of striker DJ Campbell,” Blackpool said on their official website.

“The 29-year-old has now been given permission to discuss personal terms with Neil Warnock’s side and undergo a medical.”

QPR have already secured the signings of Kieron Dyer, Jay Bothroyd and Danny Gabbidon so far this summer, but all three deals were on free transfers.

Elsewhere in England, Bolton Wanderers have completed the signing of Burnley duo Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears on three-year deals.

Right-back Mears and Eagles, a striker, rejoin manager Owen Coyle, who signed them for Burnely during his time in charge there.

In the Eredivisie, PSV striker Ola Toivonen has said he wants to stay at Eindhoven, but has urged the club to strengthen its squad ahead of the new season.

Toivonen has been linked with a move to England throughout the of-season, but said he was happy to remain in the Netherlands if PSV could muster a serious title challenge.

“I’d like to stay at PSV, but I really want to play for the Eredivisie title this season,” the Swede said to Algemeen Dagblad.

“However, this squad lacks the depth to compete right until the end. I have no doubt that the club is working hard to sign some more players, but I really hope that their attempts will be successful.”

And in Spain, the agent of Villarreal attacker Giuseppe Rossi has announced the player will remain with the La Liga outit, much to the disappointment of potential suitor Juventus.

Rossi had looked on the way out as Villarreal looked to solve their financial problems, but the sale of Santi Cazorla to Malaga has eased the burden, allowing Rossi to remain at El Madrigal.

This is always going to be a controversial issue for Newcastle fans. For years now Mike Ashley has come as close to winning a popularity contest on Tyneside as Lee Cattermole and his controversial choice to rename St James’ Park the Sports Direct Arena was understandably met with disdain. It is pretty much the worst stadium name I’ve ever heard (if there are worse out there please tell me in the comments section). However to dismiss this action as idiotic would be idiotic in itself. As Paul Wilson said in The Guardian:

“However depressing the Sports Direct Arena match-day atmosphere sounds, Newcastle do not have the global fan base of Manchester United or Arsenal, or the luxury of backers with deep pockets like Manchester City or Chelsea. They have to make money where they can, or think they can.”

And this is exactly the point. Ashley is trying to run a sustainable business and with the exception of Barton’s free transfer all of his actions have been with the interests of the club in mind. Ashley saw that Manchester City had made £400m for selling their naming rights just as Arsenal had done with The Emirates and that he could make some money even if it wasn’t nearly as much. The truth is he probably thought he would get more. When Ashley initially bought Newcastle he helped write off £130m debt by lending the money to the club interest free. Therefore he not only immediately stabilised the club financially but saved Newcastle millions of pounds in interest that they would have been paying had the debt been allowed to fester.

Therefore claims from some fans that Ashley greedily hoarded the club’s money when he sold Andy Carroll are wide of the mark to say the least. The money received for Carroll’s transfer may not have immediately gone back in to transfer fees but it has clearly been spent in other areas. Some on transfer fees, some on wages.

Former chairman Sir John Hall had nothing but praise for the current Newcastle owner when speaking to Goal:

“Ashley runs his business by keeping a very tight rein on things and he is doing very, very well. Sports Direct has done exceptionally well since he founded the company and he has brought his business principles to St James’ Park. I don’t have as much money as Mike but I would probably be doing the same thing as him. In my day we were local millionaires such as Jack Walker at Blackburn, Dave Whelan at Wigan and Bill Kenwright at Everton and we put our money in to the clubs because we were fans. But now the game is being rub by billionaires and for me it is wrong and stupid if any English businessman tries to compete with these billionaires…Ashley has a formula that is working and long may it continue.”

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Scouting

In fact Ashley’s attitude towards transfers seems to have been spot on. Not only has he heavily invested in Newcastle’s scouting network (Newcastle now have twenty scouts who are active every week looking for future talent) but that scout network has paid dividends. The signings of Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux and Mehdi Abeid were all brought in for the same price as Nolan was sold for. Admittedly three of them were free transfers but then again their wages still had to be paid and offloading the diminishing Nolan was the perfect way to do that. Newcastle now have a young talented team with an exciting French core to it. Moreover players like Cheik Tiote who were signed for less than £5m are now rumoured to be worth almost four times that amount.

Management

Some people will argue that the well calculated transfer forays were down to Alan Pardew but even if they were who was it that brought Pardew in? There was outrage when Chris Hughton was sacked and whilst it did seem unfair on the former Spurs man Pardew has done an excellent job. Ashley was ridiculed for his choice but Pardew has repaid the owner’s faith with an unbelievable start to the season.

For many Newcastle fans the stadium rights fiasco was an unforgivable act but if you were to summarise the club’s journey since Ashley arrived you would have to say that they are performing better on the pitch and are much more financially stable off it. To add to that the scouting network set up by Ashley and his policy of investing in young players is as sustainable as any other club, and more sustainable than most. The sale of Andy Carroll was lamented by many but now appears a masterstroke and the departures of Barton and Nolan now seem to have been a wise move in order for younger continental talents to develop at the club. The departure of the excellent José Enrique is the only disappointing transfer for Newcastle fans but that can hardly be blamed on Ashley. After a slow start to life at the club, which saw them relegated, Ashley loaned Newcastle the money to keep their star players whilst in the Championship, ensuring immediate promotion, and has built on that success ever since. However much pride swallowing may be involved it seems that it is time for Newcastle fans to admit that Newcastle are much better off as a result of Ashley’s tenure.

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Liverpool have joined fierce rivals Manchester United in the chase for Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa with both clubs preparing bids when the transfer window opens in January talkSPORT understands.

Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is still keen to add fresh faces to his squad with a midfield playmaker high on his agenda and is prepared to spend big to bring Kagawa to Anfield despite signing Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing in the summer.

Reports coming from Germany suggest Dalglish has already sent scouts to cast their eyes over the Japanese international who is contracted to the Bundesliga side until 2013.

It’s thought that Dortmund would be prepared to do business if an offer of £18 million is put on the table for the 22-year-old who is rated as one of the best young midfielders in Europe.

Liverpool have the finances to afford that sort of price tag despite spending over £100 million on players in 2011 but they will face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan and Juventus who are also vying for Kagawa’s signature.

Rivals United are also thought to be interested in bringing him to the Premier League although Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have cooled his interest in the midfielder which could let Dalglish in.

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