Liverpool Signing Spree Starts with Degen: Italian Star Next on Rafa’s Hitlist!
Rafa Benitez completed his first signing of the summer after Philipp Degen agreed to join the Reds today. The Swiss right-back will join the club on July 1st on a free transfer from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.
The 25 year-old attacking full-back has won 29 caps for his country and is expected to be part of Switzerland’s European Championship finals squad. However, he made just 10 League appearances this season as Borussia finished a lowly 13th in the German top division. In 3 seasons in Germany he made a total of 68 League appearances and scored just once. Degen began his career alongside identical twin brother David at Swiss side Basel where he won back to back League titles in 2004 & 2005. Subsequently he does have Champions League experience from that period.
Whether the Swiss full-backs signing will excite Liverpool fans remains to be seen as this season he has remained nothing more than a bit part player for a low mid-table German side. This transfer also seems to have ended the Reds link with Sevilla’s Brazilian full-back Daniel Alves which paves the way for United or Barcelona to move a step closer to signing him. Degen may be Rafa’s first new signing of the summer but another fullback could also be on his way…the Italian Andrea Dossena.
Liverpool may have to spend up to £8million if they want to capture the highly-rated Udinese left-back if press reports are to be believed. The 26-year-old’s signing would allow Benitez to sell John Arne Riise as well as to add some much-needed quality to his left-flank. The Italians price tag is relatively high due to the fact his current contract runs until 2012 but after starting 35 of Udinese’s 38 League games this season, Rafa should be signing a player he can rely on.
Dossena won his only Italian cap back in October 2007 but that is to be expected as he’s spent his career playing for relatively small clubs - Verona, Treviso and Udinese. Therefore, a lucrative move to one of the European superpowers could catapult Dossena into the national squad on a regular basis as he’ll be competing in the Champions League year on year. So if the two clubs can agree a fee, expect Dossena to be joining Degen at Anfield this summer.
So what do Liverpool fans think about these signings? Would you have preferred Rafa to have signed a player of Daniel Alves standing than a Swiss free transfer who made just 10 League appearances last season? Let’s hear your views.
Tags: Andrea Dossena, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Phillip Degen, Premier League, reds, Udinese
May 20th, 2008 at 14:54
Rafa signing Degen shows we are not trying to compete with United, Chelsea etc for top class players this summer. Would any of those clubs want a Swiss free transfer who barely played last season. I am worried for out future!
May 20th, 2008 at 14:58
Yet another “squad” player from Benitez. Liverpool should be signing the likes of Miguel from Valencia, a proven right back who will improve the starting XI. My guess is Finann or Arbeloa will still be first choices. Not good enough!
May 20th, 2008 at 15:00
Ha ha ha ha looks like the Reds have run out of cash to compete with the big boys and have resorted to free transfers when Moyes now has money to burn…time for a change in the so-called ‘big 4′ methinks!!!!
May 20th, 2008 at 15:07
Again we are signing a defender on the FREE. There is a reason Liverpool have signed him on a FREE. Its because we have NO money. Hicks is being a dick and doesnt want to sell up to DIC. This shows us that why Liverpool can only get fourth spot in the league and only the semis in the Euro Cup. They need more and deserve more….
May 20th, 2008 at 15:07
I’m not quite sure about this signing but with the ownership of liverpool still not sorted Rafa doesn’t really have that much funds to spend. So i’m guesing hes trying to get the best he can with what hes got, which if Deegan is a success then good siginging specially for free. If hes a flop then well he didn’t play anything for him so not a compelete loss
May 20th, 2008 at 15:09
Arbeloa is well good enough, Degen is just a replacement for Finnan stop bleating and move on.
The transfer window isn’t even open yet FFS.
May 20th, 2008 at 15:13
Wow! I am excited. This is the signing of the century! It is in the class of Josemi, Kewell and Pellegrino or whoever … wow, it is a dream come true. Why are we doing this again and again? Fringe players … we should be buying Migul, Arshavin, Querisma, Alves, Villa, Silva, etc. Instead we buy degen, gogen, mugen ….
May 20th, 2008 at 15:15
I think the question is wrongly framed. It is not just the fans, Rafa would have also prefered to sign Alves rather than Degen, if he had the resources. Unfortunately, he is forced to buy cheap stuff and then some stupid supporters blame him for not competing with Chelsea who have in comparison spent over 16m last week for their new right back!!!! We deserve to be 4th and no more and with these type of signings, we will remain in this position. Where we spent money (Torres, Mascherano and Babble), we could all see the difference.
May 20th, 2008 at 15:18
Of course Bluenose Steve….Everton are really gonna rock the prem with huge signings…good luck in the WEFA Cup next year….
May 20th, 2008 at 15:22
Moyes might have ‘money to burn’ and to be honest he might aswell burn it because no one wants to sign for you. haha
May 20th, 2008 at 15:36
I have a feeling you have signed another Nunez my friends. The gap is well and truly closing!
May 20th, 2008 at 15:46
This is another great joke of the summer..right..is this prove that we’re going to a right direction to compete top 3 club in Premier Leage..Wake up and see who other top team will bring to the Club next season..Dicky and Hicky should sold the club if they do not have a $$$..
May 20th, 2008 at 16:10
what a joke,, steve g if i was u i would leave!! on this one signing alone.. total rubbish.. we will be fighting for the uafa cup at this rate, hick’s leave, and take the other idiot with u..
May 20th, 2008 at 16:26
Addtional defensive cover for free, think thats a good bargin. League title? dream on at best just hope we are 4th next year. Yanks have done a Iraq number on us. Agree with Simon, the big player should really consider moving out and soon we will set into oblivion.
May 20th, 2008 at 16:39
It is disappointing to see that once again we are not competing with the likes of man u and chelski. We sign a frrebie will chelski splash £16m on a quality right back!!! This club ownership is a nightmare!!!!!!! That said, as we do not know a lot about the guy, we need to give him a chance and keep an open mind. It could prove to be a good deal?? Oh well bring on fourth spot again if we are lucky.
May 21st, 2008 at 08:19
How many people had heard of Skrtel or Agger or Big Sami when we signed them? Come to that, who knew about Vidic or Evra or even Nani before Man U signed them? It’s not about blowing millions on a big name (Shevchenko/Veron anyone?). It’s about finding the quality players that are available. Give the guy a chance.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:16
steve…carry on with uefa that’s what moyes valued for…
we’re up here…here…here… but with less cash.
May 25th, 2008 at 04:21
Degen…….who is he
Dossena …should be a good left-back …..15million$ not bad at all.
I feel Rafa will go out and bring two proven attack minded players like david villa/silva and barry/david bentley …apart from mancini(6-7milion$)
Rafa still has a minmum of 70 million$ to spend this summer(inc sales)