Bert Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 Link. Liverpool have completed the signing of striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham for a fee that could rise to £20.3m.Keane, 28, underwent a medical on Monday after agreeing personal terms on a four-year contract worth around £80,000 a week over the weekend. Spurs said they agreed an initial fee of £19m plus a potential further £1.3m. Tottenham have also agreed to drop their official complaint to the Premier League after Liverpool apologised for their conduct in pursuing the Irishman. Relations between the clubs became strained after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy accused the Reds of breaking Premier League rules in making their interest in Keane known despite being told by the Londoners he was not for sale. However, a statement on the Spurs website read: "Liverpool FC have acknowledged that the way its website reported comments of its manager, which were widely covered by the media, was inappropriate. "In light of that acknowledgement (they) have apologised and agreed to make a donation to our Club's main charity, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. "Tottenham Hotspur has therefore agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League." But Levy added: "I was incredibly disappointed when I first heard, not only that Liverpool had been working behind the scenes to bring Robbie to Anfield, but that Robbie himself wanted to go and submitted a transfer request to this effect. "I have already made my opinion clear on the nature of this transaction. "I don't regard it as a transfer deal - that is something which happens between two clubs when they both agree to trade - this is very much an enforced sale, for which we have agreed a sum of £19m as compensation plus a potential further £1.3m in additional compensation." Liverpool will now become Keane's sixth club after spells at Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds, before his switch to Tottenham in 2002 for £7m. The Ireland captain had become Benitez's number one summer target over recent weeks, with the need to replace Peter Crouch, who joined Portsmouth earlier this month, seemingly more important than pursuing the complicated and protracted move for Aston Villa's 27-year-old midfielder Gareth Barry. Keane paid tribute to Levy and Spurs and revealed that the move to Anfield was too good to turn down. He said: "I would like to place on record my thanks to the board, players and fans of Tottenham for the past six years, which were the best and most enjoyable of my career to date. "I will never forget them. I would specifically like to thank chairman Daniel Levy for understanding, that, as a fan, joining Liverpool is a lifelong dream of mine and one I couldn't let pass me by. "I hope one day the Spurs fans, who have been brilliant to me, can understand this too. "I have only good things to say about my time at Tottenham and expect them to go from strength to strength under Juande Ramos and Daniel Levy." The arrival of Keane takes Liverpool's spending to about £32m since the end of last season. They have already drafted in Degen, fellow full-back Andrea Dossena, goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri and teenagers David Ngog and Emmanuel Mendy. About £20m has been raised by selling Crouch, John Arne Riise, Scott Carson and Danny Guthrie.
Maybes Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 Link. Recooping money spent on Bent. Good deal for spurs.
lildave3 Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 never heard of him, but he must be good at that price! Danny Boy?
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 Definately better than Crouch, and it is good to see a team from the Big 4 buying players from the British Isles.
Austin Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 Think he'll do well for them actually .. Solid signing.
Jack Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 I rate him but think the price is a bit steap but I suppose if he does well for them and brings them success you can't really put a price on that.
Samilktray Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 Don't think he'll be as effective without Berbatov. Them 2 linked up well together.
lildave3 Posted 28 July 2008 Posted 28 July 2008 I'm now very interested as to who Spurs are gonna bring in. God I hope it's Semih.
billyfox1 Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 Don't think he'll be as effective without Berbatov.Them 2 linked up well together. I agree, but if he can link up well with Torres early on and form a strong partnership they would be a bloody good strike force. Can't believe he's only 28. Seems to have been around for ages.
Tommy G Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 never heard of him, but he must be good at that price! Oh dear -do you follow football?
dandannieldanok Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 Keane will always score goals so in that sense it's a good signing, a lot of money though for someone who is close to 30.
Alexikokopops Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 Definately better than Crouch, and it is good to see a team from the Big 4 buying players from the British Isles. Just out of curiosity why is it better to sign an Irish player than, say, a Ghanaian? It's still not going to help the English team to stop being gash.
Lovejoy Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 Good signing for them, but they still won't be anywhere near Chelsea and United. Player for player they can't compete and don't have the squad depth.
Head Honcho Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 They've paid well over the odds for him but if he does the business which I think he will then who cares I suppose!
Head Honcho Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 Just out of curiosity why is it better to sign an Irish player than, say, a Ghanaian? It's still not going to help the English team to stop being gash. I suppose he thinks the money Spurs recieve will remain in this country rather then go abroad. That would be true if Joe Lewis the owner of ENIC wasn't a tax exile!
C-man Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 I don't see where Keane is going to fit into Benitez's system. I hope he's not just going to sit on the bench like Crouch because I enjoy watching him.
Ric Flair Posted 29 July 2008 Posted 29 July 2008 I don't see where Keane is going to fit into Benitez's system. I hope he's not just going to sit on the bench like Crouch because I enjoy watching him. Crouch didn't fit in to Benitez's system due to the style of football Crouch, allegedly plays, or what the players around him play when he is on the pitch. Liverpool played with 2 strikers in quite a few games last season and it was usually Kuyt who'd move from out wide to join him, now I guess, Keane will join Torres and that should be a dangerous partnership.
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