GERRARD TALKS AT AN END?

From The Guardian:

‘While Liverpool claim that they still want to retain their captain, the lack of progress in discussions with the chief executive Rick Parry has now prompted the midfielder - albeit reluctantly - to instruct his agent to break off talks for good. That leaves Liverpool with little option but to listen to offers for their prize asset.

Gerrard has two years remaining on his £80,000-a-week contract and was looking for improved terms equating to between £90,000 and £100,000 a week, to put him alongside the likes of Arsenal's Sol Campbell. He would still have been appreciably behind his England team-mates Michael Owen and Frank Lampard in terms of salary.

Yet Liverpool, who will today introduce the Holland winger Boudewijn Zenden as a free-transfer signing from Middlesbrough, have displayed no great urgency to resolve the issue since his agent Struan Marshall first met Parry last Wednesday.

Though Liverpool would rather retain the player, they remain aware that the manager Rafael Benítez's attempts to reshape his squad would benefit if they raise around £30m from Gerrard's sale. That would allow the Spaniard to recruit his principal targets, though the midfielder's departure will leave a void in the team.’