Mark
Apr 19 2002, 10:53 PM
Nicolas Anelka can fire Liverpool back to the top of the Premiership - but may soon be heading for the Anfield exit door.
The wage demands of the temperamental France striker, believed to be in excess of Ģ60,000- a-week, have stunned manager Gerard Houllier and threaten to bring a premature end to the player's revitalised career on Merseyside.
The news will come as a shock to Liverpool fans on a crunch weekend that could see all three teams at the top of the Premiership taking their turn to head the table.
Victory over Derby would put Houllier's men clear and condemn County to relegation.
After helping to relaunch the career of Anelka, 23, Houllier is dismayed by the salary demands from the brothers who act on the player's behalf, and has brought negotiations to an abrupt halt.
Liverpool have also identified alternatives, tracking Leeds striker Robbie Keane and Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert, although the Dutchman is likely to want wages similar to those demanded by the Anelka camp.
The unseemly wrangle over the future of Anelka, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and likely to cost Ģ17million in any permanent deal this summer, is an unwelcome distraction for Liverpool and their boss.
Manchester United will replace leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premiership if they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A Liverpool victory would then push Arsenal into third place - albeit with two games in hand - and needing a victory at Highbury on Sunday against Ipswich to regain their place at the top.
It has become clear that there is no way back for Anelka at PSG, and he is struggling to earn a place in the World Cup Finals this summer.
French television channel Canal Plus, PSG's owners, are in the grip of a mounting financial crisis and the club will intensify efforts to offload Anelka if, as seems certain, he refuses to accept a 50 per cent wage reduction.
Houllier has waited in vain for any indication that Anelka and his advisers might lower their sights and is now on the point of abandoning his plans to turn the temporary move into a permanent transfer.
As for Republic of Ireland striker Keane, Liverpool have watched him twice in recent weeks, playing for Leeds against Sunderland and his country against the United States.
Elland Road boss David O'Leary has made it clear that financial considerations will force him to trim his squad at the end of the season.
At Highbury, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has distractions of his own, having resumed his war with the French football authorities.
More bad news about Sylvain Wiltord's hamstring injury provoked an angry response from the Double-chasing manager.
Wenger revealed that striker Wiltord is almost certain to miss the rest of the season, a result of the injury incurred during sprint training with the French national team on Tuesday.
Having already voiced his displeasure over the timing of Wednesday's friendly between France and Russia, Wenger is upset over coach Roger Lemerre's intense training sessions and his refusal to rotate players the way Sven Goran Eriksson does with England.
'The injury to Sylvain is much worse than the French federation told us,' said Wenger. 'He has done his hamstring so that means 21 days. The season is 23 days, so maybe he will be back to play Manchester United (May 8), but I don't know.
'It is a frustration because he is an important player in the team. In April you shouldn't play international friendlies because the big clubs are fighting for big trophies.
'I was surprised to see Vieira, Henry, Zidane, Thuram and others play 90 minutes in midweek.
'Lemerre hasn't been rotating players and I would have liked him to do that.'
Wenger's immediate focus is on the game against relegation-haunted Ipswich and he refuses to concern himself with what United and Liverpool are doing.
The wage demands of the temperamental France striker, believed to be in excess of Ģ60,000- a-week, have stunned manager Gerard Houllier and threaten to bring a premature end to the player's revitalised career on Merseyside.
The news will come as a shock to Liverpool fans on a crunch weekend that could see all three teams at the top of the Premiership taking their turn to head the table.
Victory over Derby would put Houllier's men clear and condemn County to relegation.
After helping to relaunch the career of Anelka, 23, Houllier is dismayed by the salary demands from the brothers who act on the player's behalf, and has brought negotiations to an abrupt halt.
Liverpool have also identified alternatives, tracking Leeds striker Robbie Keane and Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert, although the Dutchman is likely to want wages similar to those demanded by the Anelka camp.
The unseemly wrangle over the future of Anelka, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and likely to cost Ģ17million in any permanent deal this summer, is an unwelcome distraction for Liverpool and their boss.
Manchester United will replace leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premiership if they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A Liverpool victory would then push Arsenal into third place - albeit with two games in hand - and needing a victory at Highbury on Sunday against Ipswich to regain their place at the top.
It has become clear that there is no way back for Anelka at PSG, and he is struggling to earn a place in the World Cup Finals this summer.
French television channel Canal Plus, PSG's owners, are in the grip of a mounting financial crisis and the club will intensify efforts to offload Anelka if, as seems certain, he refuses to accept a 50 per cent wage reduction.
Houllier has waited in vain for any indication that Anelka and his advisers might lower their sights and is now on the point of abandoning his plans to turn the temporary move into a permanent transfer.
As for Republic of Ireland striker Keane, Liverpool have watched him twice in recent weeks, playing for Leeds against Sunderland and his country against the United States.
Elland Road boss David O'Leary has made it clear that financial considerations will force him to trim his squad at the end of the season.
At Highbury, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has distractions of his own, having resumed his war with the French football authorities.
More bad news about Sylvain Wiltord's hamstring injury provoked an angry response from the Double-chasing manager.
Wenger revealed that striker Wiltord is almost certain to miss the rest of the season, a result of the injury incurred during sprint training with the French national team on Tuesday.
Having already voiced his displeasure over the timing of Wednesday's friendly between France and Russia, Wenger is upset over coach Roger Lemerre's intense training sessions and his refusal to rotate players the way Sven Goran Eriksson does with England.
'The injury to Sylvain is much worse than the French federation told us,' said Wenger. 'He has done his hamstring so that means 21 days. The season is 23 days, so maybe he will be back to play Manchester United (May 8), but I don't know.
'It is a frustration because he is an important player in the team. In April you shouldn't play international friendlies because the big clubs are fighting for big trophies.
'I was surprised to see Vieira, Henry, Zidane, Thuram and others play 90 minutes in midweek.
'Lemerre hasn't been rotating players and I would have liked him to do that.'
Wenger's immediate focus is on the game against relegation-haunted Ipswich and he refuses to concern himself with what United and Liverpool are doing.