Sunderland's Jordan Henderson is close to Liverpool transfer | Football | The Guardian)
Sunderland's Jordan Henderson is close to Liverpool transfer
Jordan Henderson may become a Liverpool player before he departs for the European Under-21 Championship providing the club raise their offer for the Sunderland midfielder towards £20m.
Sunderland and Liverpool officials opened talks last week and there is acceptance at the Stadium of Light that the 20-year-old will leave if the £20m valuation Steve Bruce, the manager, has placed on the midfielder is met.
Liverpool are understood to have increased their initial offer of £13m to around £16m over the weekend. Sunderland rejected both bids but, with Henderson keen to have his future resolved before the Under-21 tournament in Denmark, another improved offer from Liverpool may secure Kenny Dalglish the first of several major transfers expected at Anfield this summer.
Sunderland are not under pressure to sell a home-grown player who committed to a new five-year contract at the club in April 2010. However, with Henderson receptive to a move to Anfield, Liverpool's owner, Fenway Sports Group, edging closer to Sunderland's asking price and talks continuing between the clubs, a resolution may arrive before the midfielder teams up with Stuart Pearce's England squad on Wednesday.
Manchester United were linked with Henderson when his fine start to the season earned a call-up to the senior England side and their friendly against France in November. But Liverpool have made the more concerted effort to clinch his signature, even though the midfielder's form dipped as Sunderland dropped down the table in the second half of the campaign and he was booed by the club's supporters at one point.
Dalglish envisages a central midfield role for Henderson at Anfield, despite appearing to be well stocked in that department with Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Raul Meireles and the emergence of Jay Spearing. The Sunderland player has also operated on the right of midfield since establishing himself in Bruce's team but prefers to play in the middle, as the Liverpool manager has noted.
There is a desire from Liverpool's director of football, Damien Comolli, to sign young talent although, should the club pay £20m for Henderson, it would reflect a willingness to spend heavily in the interests of Champions League qualification rather than securing emerging players at a more cost-effective stage. Ashley Young, another Anfield target, appeared to tilt the contest for his signature towards Manchester United following England's draw with Switzerland on Saturday when he expressed his wish to play in the Champions League.
Bruce is keen to address Sunderland's alarming slide since January by acquiring "eight or nine" players this summer. The Sunderland manager still has available the initial £18m received from Aston Villa for Darren Bent, and £20m for Henderson – a player he has heralded as one of the finest prospects in the country – would help his rebuilding plans.
Liverpool are also continuing efforts to sign Henderson's England Under-21 colleague Connor Wickham from Ipswich Town. The 18-year-old is attracting interest from several Premier League clubs but Liverpool's offer for the striker is believed to be around £2m short of Ipswich's £10m valuation.
What do you think of that?
(Will put some in if and when we qualify for the CL too).