LFC Rumour mill:Battle for Joaquin, Crouch to Villa, Guthrie to Bolton, Carra for England, Raids at Sevilla and Lazio planned

May 11 2008

ARE Everton and Liverpool poised to do battle over Valencia winger Joaquin? That's one of the more imaginative rumours doing the rounds on the internet?

The speculations states that he is ready to leave Spain to play in England and the two clubs on Merseyside might be ready to fight over him

The Spanish international who plays on the right wing would be a welcome addition to both clubs, and many more in the Premier League.

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Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is pushing Peter Crouch towards Aston Villa.

The Mail on Sunday says he is desperate for Crouch to join Villa as part of a swap deal with Barry and is annoyed that Crouch's agents are trying to get a £75,000-a-week offer from Portsmouth.

Martin O'Neill has been offered Scott Carson, Jon Arne Riise and Crouch for Barry but Liverpool wanted cash as well - something O'Neill is reluctant to pay as he regards Barry as more valuable than Crouch, who only has one year left on his contract.

Crouch is interested in a return to Villa Park but he also has a strong loyalty to Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, while a move to Manchester City would allow him to keep his north-west home.

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Bolton Wanderers boss Gary Megson wants to sign permanently Danny Guthrie.

The Mail on Sunday says Megson is closing in on the signature of Guthrie from Liverpool for £1.5million.

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Fabio Capello wants Jamie Carragher to come out of international retirement.

The England boss wants Carragher and Man Utd's Paul Scholes to reconsider their decisions to retire from international football and be part of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

"Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher are very good players and the door is always open," said Capello.

"If they want to come back, we will certainly have them back.

"We will make attempts with the players that have retired from international football, but we won't and can't force anybody to play for England.

"It is down to them."

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Italian web reports suggest Rafa Benitez wants to cash in on the chaos at Lazio by signing Swiss defender Valon Behrami.

Sporting director Walter Sabatini and general secretary Giampiero Persichetti have quit the Rome club this week after Lazio's Coppa Italia defeat brought the curtain down on a poor season.

Star names are set to be sold off in the summer with Liverpool leading the chase for Swiss defender Valon Behrami.

West Ham, Portsmouth and Manchester City are also keen on the 22-year-old.

A formal bid is now being prepared, say reports.

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IF Liverpool don't get Gareth Barry, then web rumours say he will turn his attention to  Sevilla midfielder Seydou Keita.

The Spanish boss bid £10 million for Barry last week but the bid looks set to get laughed out by the midlands giants who would seek £20 million plus to even consider letting their captain leave.

With Liverpool having a limited budget this season, Benitez may now turn his attention to Keita, who would command a fee in the £10 million range.

A Liverpool insider told The Sun: "Rafa has Keita very high up on his list for this summer and may well make a bid for him."

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Norway International John Arne Riise's future looks uncertain, after Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has indicated that Riise may be for sale, one year before his contract is up.

At a press conference on Thursday, Benitez admitted he would listen to offers for the left-back, who has a year remaining on his current contract.

"He is not playing at the moment but he knows that if we receive an offer that is good for him and good for us, okay, we will talk," said the Spaniard to BBC.

"But at this moment he is our player. I am really pleased with him because he is a fantastic professional," Benitez said.

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Once again, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is being linked with an exit from Anfield, this time to Inter Milan for £25million.

A tabloid newspaper says the Italian giants want to make him their main signing as they begin their centenary celebrations.

A top Inter official is reported to have said: "We need to make a big signing for next season and Gerrard was at the centre of our thoughts.

"Liverpool gave us the most emphatic response he was not for sale.

"We have drawn up a list of alternatives. But if Liverpool decide to sell, Gerrard is our top priority."

It is not the first time Inter have tried to take the England midfielder.

Preliminary contact for the Kop skipper, 27, who has two years left on his current contract, was made during the Champions League second-round tie between the sides in February

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Elsewhere, Benitez is reportedly planning a ₤10 million swoop for Sevilla midfielder Seydou Keita.

The Mali international moved to Andalusia from RC Lens last summer, and has impressed during his debut season in Spain.

The 28-year-old has already garnered significant interest from Juventus, who are also chasing his Sevilla team-mate Diego Capel.

And according to a national newspaper, Benitez is prepared to splash out £10 million – a third of his projected transfer budget – on the defensive midfielder, thus activating a release clause in his contract.

An inside source said: “Rafa has Keita very high up on his list for this summer and may well make a bid for him.”

The Reds’ sudden interest in central players has sparked speculation that Xabi Alonso – also linked with Juve – could leave in the summer, but it could also mean that Benitez simply seeks reinforcements for the two holding spots in his 4-2-3-1 formation.

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Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is reported to want "showdown talks" with bossBenitez regarding his future at the end of the season.

His comments appeared today, after Benitez put a £15million price tag the striker.

Crouch told a national newspaper: "What I must do is speak to the manager. When all is said and done, I don't think I can have another season like this year where I've started nine Premier League games.

"Out of a 38-game league season, nine games is not the amount you want to be playing.

"I'll have to speak to the manager and see what his plans are. I need to see him and sort things out."

"I have to find out what he wants from me for next season and whether or not I can continue with that. In some ways I want to feel wanted. I've got a few questions I want to ask him, and I'm sure he has with me, too.

"So I'd like to speak to the manager and the club before I commit to anything and know whether or not I'll be here next year."

Speculation linking Liverpool to a new keeper has been steady for weeks, and the latest in line is Birmingham's Maik Taylor.

But the keeper has insisted that he is unaware if speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool is true or not.

Taylor said: "I don't know anything about it [Liverpool] but obviously I'm out of contract and would like my future sorted. But we have a big game on Sunday and that is the only thing on my mind right now."