DAVID NGOG’S proposed switch to Sunderland is being held up by the striker’s wage demands.

Liverpool are happy to sell the Frenchman for a fee of around £4million but the Black Cats have so far been unable to agree personal terms with him.

The Wearside outfit insist they can’t match the wages Ngog would earn if he remained at Anfield next season.

And they are hoping the Reds will agree to drop the asking price for the 22-year-old to enable them to meet his demands.

Ngog was initially expected to complete his move to Sunderland as part of the deal which saw Liverpool snap up midfielder Jordan Henderson earlier this month.

However, with Ngog on holiday and keen to weigh up his options, the clubs agreed to conduct the transfers separately with Henderson signing for £16million.

Ngog, who cost Liverpool £1.4million from Paris St Germain three years ago, has scored 19 goals in 94 appearances.

But he is now surplus to requirements at Anfield with boss Kenny Dalglish keen to bring in Ipswich striker Connor Wickham to provide competition for first choice duo Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

Sunderland’s talks with Ngog are ongoing and despite the delay they remain hopeful a compromise will be reached to enable them to secure his services.

Meanwhile, Sylvain Marveaux has hit back at rumours he failed a medical at Liverpool before signing for Newcastle United.

The 25-year-old French winger, who was a free agent after leaving Rennes, was on the verge of signing for the Reds last week before the deal fell through.

Newcastle pounced to snap him up on a five-year contract and Dalglish is now focusing on other targets like Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing.

Marveaux said: “I was in advanced talks with Liverpool but then they started to change the details of the contract. They were causing problems and I wasn’t happy with what was happening.

“I was close to signing for them, but Newcastle came in and that was it, I signed for them instead. I did not fail my medical at Liverpool.

“I do not have a problem with Liverpool. There is no vendetta. I’m looking forward to playing them, but I’m looking forward to playing every team in the Premier League.

“When I realised I would leave Rennes at the end of the contract, I wanted to come to England and I feel this will be a very good move for me. The thing that impressed me most about Newcastle United was how hard they tried to get me. They made me feel wanted.”

Liverpool Reserves will travel to Ireland for a friendly against Bray Wanderers on Monday, July 18 (7.45pm).

Source : liverpoolecho.co.uk

Liverpool will reportedly allow Raul Meireles to join Juventus - for £13.5million

Meireles only joined the Merseysiders twelve months ago in an £11m deal from Porto.

But according to the Daily Mirror, Kenny Dalglish is ready to offload the Portugal international providing they receive a cash bid of £13.5m.

Juve were reportedly hoping to push through a cash-plus-player deal which would involve Felipe Melo - who has previously been linked with a move to Arsenal.

But the Reds are not interested in signing Melo and are reportedly happy to sell Meireles after just one season at Anfield as they have a number of options in midfield.

Jordan Henderson joined Liverpool in a £20m deal from Sunderland earlier this month, while Blackpool captain Charlie Adam is still a target for Dalglish.

Christian Poulsen, Alberto Aquilani and Joe Cole could also be shown the exit door at Anfield in the coming weeks.

Aquilani spent last season on loan at Juventus but the Turin side have been unwilling to meet Liverpool's £14m valuation to make the loan deal a permanent one.

Cole is likely to be offloaded for around £5m should the club be successful in luring one or more wingers to the club this summer, with Aston Villa's Stewart Downing still high on their list of transfer targets.

Poulsen and Aquliani would likely move abroad, while Cole has been linked with Tottenham, Newcastle and QPR in recent weeks.
source: crunchsports.com