Gerrard eyes Chelsea deal as Benitez takes helm
By Alan Nixon and Tim Rich
17 June 2004
It was the hardest beginning that any manager could have wanted. On the day Rafael Benitez took over at Anfield, Steven Gerrard gave his clearest indication he wished to take his leave of Liverpool.
It emerged yesterday that the Liverpool captain, for whom Chelsea are prepared to bid more than £30m, has a "gentleman's agreement" with the club's chief executive, Rick Parry, that would allow him to leave if the club did not show "significant improvement" last season. Liverpool's progress from fifth to fourth was not sufficient to keep Gérard Houllier his job as manager and it is apparently not enough for Gerrard.
Parry offered the agreement to the England midfielder as an inducement to sign a new contract last season which guaranteed he would not leave Anfield as a free agent next year. Gerrard now wants permission to speak with Chelsea's chief executive, Peter Kenyon, who could triple his Liverpool salary.
June 17, 2004
Doubts over Gerrard's future cloud start of Benítez era at Anfield
By Neil Johnston
RAFAEL BENÍTEZ, the new Liverpool manager, was last night facing his first serious crisis within hours of taking office at the club as fears increased that Steven Gerrard is on his way out of Anfield. The ink had hardly dried on the Spaniards five-year contract when Rick Parry, the chief executive, suggested for the first time that Gerrard may have made his last appearance for his home-town club.
Gerrard is at the top of Chelseas wish list, although Liverpool were hoping that a change of manager would convince him to stay. That does not appear to be the case, with Parry revealing that the club captain was down and unhappy when they spoke before the player flew to Portugal with England for Euro 2004.
The suggestions that Liverpool may not be able to hold on to him overshadowed the arrival of Benítez, the former Valencia coach. The next priority is for me and Rafa to try and persuade Stevie that his future is at this club, Parry said. I spoke to him three weeks ago and it was clear that he was not happy. He was down and wants success. We will do everything we can to persuade him that his future lies here, but we are not complacent.
GERRARD TO GO: Kop Talk
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has admitted that skipper Steven Gerrard is not happy at the club.
Chelsea want to sign the inspirational midfielder this summer and are reportedly preparing to open the bidding at around £30million in hard cash. Anfield officials know that they have a fight on their hands to retain Gerrard and Parry is doing his best to assure fans that he will do all he can to keep him at the club.
"I spoke to him three weeks ago and it was clear that he was not happy. He was down and he wants success. His feelings were fairly deep-seated and they were not expressed idly," said Parry.
"We will do everything we can to persuade him that his future lies here, but we are not complacent. Hopefully the appointment of Rafa Benitez as our new manager will swing things our way with Stevie.
"Realistically, players have to be happy and we can't force anybody to stay at the club against their wishes, but there is no way that we want to sell him and we sincerely hope that he stays.
"It isn't about money with Stevie. Medals are important to him and he told me that he doesn't want to be here at 35 having not won anything. Finishing fourth in the Premiership is not an achievement in his eyes, but we are with him on that.
"You can't knock his ambition, but hopefully medals won with Liverpool will mean more to him that medals won anywhere else."
Although it is obviously a worry that Gerrard could leave, what is even more worrying is that Chelsea are unlikely to start offering silly money if they feel they won't have to put up much of a fight to land him.
The alarm bells are now sounding.
