Gerrard...

Steven Gerrard has told Liverpool he wants to leave Anfield after turning down a new £100,000-a-week contract.
The 25-year-old captain made his move after Liverpool rejected a £32m bid from Premiership champions Chelsea.

"Steven has told us he will not accept our offer of an improved and extended contract because he wants to leave," a Liverpool club statement read.

Gerrard also issued a statement which said: "This has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make."

He added: "I fully intended to sign a new contract after the Champions League final, but the events of the past five to six weeks have changed all that.

"I have too much respect for the club and people at it to get involved in a slagging match."

Reports from Anfield suggest the club will not allow Gerrard to leave until he has submitted a formal transfer request.

Gerrard delivered the news to Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry via his agent, Struan Marshall.

And Parry said: "We desperately want to keep Stevie and we've told him we don't want him to leave. However, in rejecting our offer of a new contract he has indicated he wants to go."

Gerrard has two years left on his current contract which is worth a reported £60,000 per week.

He was in talks with the club to extend that deal by a further two years until Monday when his agent announced that negotiations were ending and were "unlikely to be re-opened".

That apparently came because Gerrard felt his boyhood club had not placed enough of a priority on the talks.

Later on Monday Gerrard had a meeting with chief executive Parry and chairman David Moores, who made a last-ditch offer of £100,000-per-week to keep their captain at Anfield.

They were told he would go away and sleep on the deal - but he told Parry on Tuesday he wanted to leave.

By then Chelsea had already made their offer - which is now set to become only the start of a bidding war between the London club and Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Madrid confirmed their interest on Tuesday but said he would have to put in an official transfer request before they got involved.

Gerrard's confirmation that he did indeed want out would be sure to bring the Bernabeu club to the negotiating table.

The previous British record buy was set at £29.1m when Manchester United bought Rio Ferdinand from Leeds in 2002.

bollocks!

you would go for the money everytime... no one is loyal when it comes to those sums of money.

why do people expect footballers to be as loyal as fans??? its never gonna happen while there are vast sums of money in the game and players have ambitions. fans can stick to one club, but for players its an occupation and changing scenery is part and parcel. i would be gutted if downing left boro but i wouldnt criticise him for wanting to better himself... its only fair and ANYONE would move... its inevitable.

"SHOW ME THE MONEY"

benitz knew this would happen this is why he brought alonso in thats my guess gerard has gone to big 4 his boots hes a great player but no player is bigger than there team!!!!

Am a red and i dont think he is going to do any better than he has done at liverpool even if he moves to chelsea coz he will b in an out of the team were ever he goes

goodluck to him anyway!

Apparently Benitez thinks Alonso is a better footballer than Gerrard and is planning to build the team around him!!

the game has changed, there's no loyalty in it anymore. This whole saga leaves a bitter taste in the mouth...yet again

Why are footballers suddenly so obssessed with money?? 10 years ago people stayed with clubs for their whole career - even though they knew they could get more elsewhere.

Gary Mabbutt turned down the chance to go to Man U and Liverpool whilst at Spurs and could've earned more. Legend

I saw this coming last week when Gerrard said he felt his new contract wasn't high enough on Pool's priority list. Bollocks - he just knew he couldn't escape with his previous excuse of wanting to win things. He's gone down in my estimation big style (i'm sure he's gutted )

They're different players. But Alonso is one of the BEST passers of a football i have ever seen Can only think of Hoddle who had a better passing range.

Alonso is mint!! Real wanted him but he went to pool! He'll be mint this season

gerard - tottaly droped in my opinions said he would stay if the club showed ambition to win things

they win the biggest club football prize and he gets opffered £100.000 a week still wants to leave smith, rooney and now gerard judases.

thru and thru scouser like shit any one who loved there club that much wouldnt have to think twice

i heard on the grape vine that gerrard will be a chelsea player by the weekend

He's been fucked about tho by Liverpool so isnt gonna be happy ?!?!

Why the fuck didnt the offer him the new contract the day after the champions league and instead waited till recent days to do so ?!?!

He's gonna be fucking annoyed which is what he said, OK he can get better money elsewhere but everyone seen him when he won the champions league and its all gone tits up cos LFC didnt get there fingers out..

Madrid / Chelsea is his next stop i think now, im really suprised Man Utd havent sniffed with Keane knocking on like he is, he's an ideal replacement for arguable one of the best midfielders ever of my generation in Roy Keane

Because he said on live tv "how could i leave after this" which kinda took pressure off the board to rush things.

Chelsea's opening £32m bid was rejected by Liverpool, but talks are understood to have resumed between the clubs after Gerrard, 25, demanded to quit Anfield.

The Blues are likely to land Gerrard with an offer of £35m, which could rise to almost £40m with additions.

Liverpool may ask for Chelsea's Damien Duff in exchange, according to reports.

Real Madrid have also declared an interest, but it is understood Gerrard has no desire to play in Spain and is only interested in a move to Chelsea.

The Bernabeu giants are also unable to match Roman Abramovich's financial muscle.

A deal is likely to be struck quickly, with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez keen to start bringing in re-inforcements now as Gerrard has finally ended the saga of his future.

Chelsea are in no mood to let Gerrard escape now after missing out when he had a last-minute change of heart in summer 2004.

Liverpool boss Benitez is understood to have drawn up a list of transfer targets in the event of Gerrard's departure some time ago, when speculation still raged that he might leave Anfield.

Southampton striker Peter Crouch is expected to be an early arrival, with the striker setting his heart on a move to Liverpool, who have had a £6m bid turned down.

Liverpool are already tracking Real Zaragoza central defender Gabriel Milito, and would now have no trouble landing the Argentine after initially hesitating over a £7m deal.

And Benitez is certain to ponder moves for two of his former Valencia players, midfield duo Pablo Aimar and Riubens Baraja.

Liverpool want to add attacking re-inforcements as well, and talks have been held over a deal for Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt.

and now Rick Parry says Gerrard wants to stay....

GERRARD IS STAYING

clever way to get more money the greedy bastard

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has made an amazing U-turn by deciding to stay at the club.

Gerrard had looked to be on his way out of Anfield after telling the club he wanted to leave on Tuesday.

Gerrard rejected Liverpool's offer of a new deal late on Monday night paving the way for a move out of Anfield.

Chelsea had saw a bid for the England international turned down on Tuesday and they looked to be favourites to land his signature.

However, Gerrard after mulling over his future has decided to stay at Liverpool and the news is a massive boost for Rafa Benitez and everyone at the club with The Reds beginning the defence of their European Cup next week.

Reds chief executive Rick Parry revealed the amazing twist on Wednesday morning claiming Gerrard was now set to sign a new deal.


From Sky

What a Tosser he is if I was Liverpool id offer him less money or still get rid the club is being held to ransom by a player if he stays bet this is repeated year after year

Has he been offered more money??

he was offered an extra 40,000 a week after the chelsea bid

Aye its a clever way to get more ££ like thats for sure, i wonder how the fans will react to the way that he's gone on cos apparently strips wi his name on n that were set on fire outside the gates of the club last night / yesterday ?!?!

Its good news for Liverpool cos he's one of the best midfielders in the world never mind the UK

Does that mean he was offered 140,000 a week?!
If that's the case then it's very sad for football but bery shrewd on his part. Ultimately it'll be hard to look past the money issue but obviously certain parties felt more was afoot here.

Burning shirts in that manner was a disgrace. How quickly fans forget his leadership, inspiration and important goals in the run up to European glory last season even his role in the treble season four years ago.

As a Liverpool fan I was absolutely gutted (opened a bottle of Jim Beam and threw away the top!) but wished him well. I'm delighted he's staying but as has been said before he could do this every fucking year, or rather, his agent could.