FIGO

kind of weird this innit? So we now(more or less) got the "real deal" and his understudy Nunes(unless he's off as rumours suggest). My question- is there enough hair oil in Merseyside for Figo,Garcia,Baros,Morientes,Kewell,Josemi.......?? ah well, YES, now that the Alice Band has lost one of it's members in Champions League winner Vladi Smicer...... phew!! fank f*** for that. Welcome Luis Figo, some one point him in the direction of Cargills. Liverpool move closer to freeing Figo

Dominic Fifield Saturday July 9, 2005 The Guardian

"Liverpool hope to complete the signing of Luis Figo from Real Madrid over the weekend, with the Portugal international nearing an agreement with the Spanish club to leave the BernabZu on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old midfielder was under the impression that he could leave the club he joined for £37m five years ago for nothing after being told by the president Florentino PZrez that he was surplus to requirements. However, his hopes of moving to Anfield were frustrated when Real reneged on that agreement and instead insisted that Liverpool, as potential rivals in the Champions League this season, would have to pay a £2m fee for him.

Figo returned to training with Real yesterday while his representatives thrashed out a compromise with the club's hierarchy. Liverpool are confident a conclusion can still be reached by which they will sign him on a free transfer and they have already agreed a wage package for him which will see his weekly salary reduced by almost £30,000 to about £60,000.

Alongside Figo's imminent arrival, Liverpool ended a traumatic week on a high after agreeing new four-year contracts with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher last night.

Gerrard's signature on a deal worth £100,000 a week was greeted with huge relief at the club after his U-turn over a move to Chelsea. Carragher, who has the same agent as his club-mate in Struan Marshall, has seen his wage increase from £40,000 to nearer £65,000 a week.

"Now we're going to make winning the Premiership title our top priority," said Carragher. "We know how much it means to everyone here to get the trophy. I don't know how soon we'll be able to do it and it's going to be tough to close the gap but there's no point being defeatist about it. We proved in Europe what we can do on the big occasion and we've got to produce the same on a consistent basis in the league."

-- "Luis Garcia laughed off suggestions that a Spanish referee would help the Reds in the CL final."