Sturridge: I'll Help Luis Win Golden Boot

Daniel Sturridge plans to do everything he can to help Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez overhaul Robin van Persie in the race for the Barclays Premier League Golden Boot award.

The Uruguayan converted a sumptuous solo goal during the Reds' handsome 5-0 triumph over Swansea on Sunday, extending his tally for the 2012-13 season to 23 in all competitions.

Suarez now has 18 in the league, just one behind the Dutch forward - a scenario Sturridge hopes will be reversed before the campaign reaches its climax.

"I don't see why not. There are 11 games left for us so I'm sure he can," the 23-year-old said when asked by Liverpoolfc.com whether the No.7 could claim the individual prize.

"I'll try and help him get there and give him opportunities. It's always good to get individual glories as a player because they're the things you can look back on at the end of your career and tell your grandchildren you were top scorer for that season.

"I'm sure he'll be gunning for that and I'll try to help him get there."

Sturridge was on the scoresheet himself against the Swans, increasing his record since joining the club last month to an impressive five goals in seven appearances.

After being frustrated on several occasions by visiting goalkeeper Michel Vorm, however, the striker needed a helping hand from his captain to convert the final strike of a perfect afternoon at Anfield.

Sturridge revealed: "Stevie was very nice to me and let me have the penalty. I guess he knew my pain and thought he would be kind to me.

"Before that, the 'keeper made some good saves and I was hitting the target. When you hit the target and the 'keeper saves it, there's nothing you can really do. The 'keeper did his job, I was doing my job - he got the better of me.

"So I was lucky that I got the penalty from Stevie and I'm happy that I put it away.

"He was asking Carra first, then I asked him. In the end, he let me have it and I thank him very much for giving me the opportunity to score another goal."

The England international explained his wish that Jamie Carragher will find the target before his retirement at the end of the season and delivered glowing words for the veteran defender.

"I'm sure there'll be a few more opportunities for him," Sturridge added.

"He's a living legend at the club - he's a great man in the way he goes about his business. He trains extremely hard every day and he's a leader for us on the field. He'll be missed when he leaves the club."

Sturridge was injured and then ineligible as the Reds suffered consecutive 2-0 defeats by West Brom and Zenit St Petersburg last week.

His return on Sunday coincided with a highly impressive performance from Brendan Rodgers' side - but the former Chelsea and Manchester City man rejected suggestions that he was the difference.

"I just work as hard as I can in training and try my hardest to help the team win games. If the goals continue to come then I'll be very happy with that," said Sturridge.

"It's important that everybody chips in and we get clean sheets. It's not about one player scoring all the goals or individuals trying to get glory - it's about being a team and getting a victory.

"We work hard together - whether I play or not, we try to work as hard as we can. The manager tells us to do that every day in training as well as in games.

"I wouldn't say my return was the reason why we won; we worked very hard out there, deserved the win and played as a team. If we get clean sheets and take our chances, we will always win games.

"We haven't been clinical enough and it's important that we continue that now."

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Sturridge Could Make Debut In Cup

Daniel Sturridge is poised to become the first big mover of the transfer widow when he joins Liverpool for £12million.

The Reds are now finalising the deal, although it will not be done in time for Sturridge to make his debut against Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday night.

However, the former Manchester City hitman is expected to be at the game, and could be available for Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Mansfield.

Brendan Rodgers has captured Sturridge, who he knows him from his days at Chelsea, after pursuing him for most of his six-month Liverpool reign.

The Reds boss failed to land him in the summer but Sturridge rejected a loan move, claiming he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge permanently.

Rodgers has finally landed the 23-year-old after weeks of protracted talks and Liverpool threatened to pull out of the deal over agents’ demands.

The two clubs agreed a fee before Christmas and the player underwent a medical on Merseyside.

Rodgers feels Sturridge, who has scored two goals in 12 Chelsea appearances this season, can help Luis Suarez up front and he has agreed a three-and-a-half year deal.

Chelsea are believed to be giving him a pay-off to top up his wages to £80,000-a-week.

Rodgers hopes Thomas Ince will follow Sturridge into Anfield, and talks with Blackpool over his £6million return are well advanced.

Winger Ince will return to Liverpool 18 months after being sold by Kenny Dalglish and the Reds will pay Blackpool £4m because they had a 35 per cent sell-on clause inserted into his contract.

Source http://www.mirror.co.uk

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LFC Hoping To Seal Triple Deal

Liverpool are set to add Jack Butland to deals for Daniel Sturridge and Thomas Ince, as manager Brendan Rodgers targets a triple swoop of English talents.

Butland, who is also a target for Manchester City, Everton and Southampton, is believed to be in advanced talks with Liverpool over a contract, with just the fee left to be negotiated with his club Birmingham City.

Rodgers hopes to add the arrival of Butland to swoops for Sturridge and Ince, with the trio all believed to be days away from signing on the dotted line.

Long-term target Sturridge is the closest to putting pen-to-paper, with the England man just thrashing out final personal terms, after Liverpool verbally agreed a £12million fee with Chelsea for the young forward.

Blackpool winger Ince, who was sold by Liverpool for a nominal fee in August 2011, is desperate to complete a £4million return to Anfield, and although the transfer is not yet done, the main details have been thrashed out.

The three players are all expected to sign come January 1, when the transfer window opens, with Rodgers keen to move on to other options once they're all signed up.

PSG striker Kevin Gamiero is another option being chased, but Rodgers is yet to give the green light to tie up a transfer.

Source http://metro.co.uk

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Sturridge To LFC

Chelsea will sell their forward Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool at the beginning of the January transfer window as Rafael Benítez looks to reshape and strengthen his squad.

The Chelsea interim manager will discuss transfer targets with the owner, Roman Abramovich, and the technical director, Michael Emenalo, once the side have returned from Wednesday night's Capital One Cup quarter-final against Leeds United.

Sturridge, 23, has started only one Premier League game this season and is expected to cost Liverpool £12m after narrowly missing out on a switch to Anfield last summer.

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, hopes the former Manchester City striker will ease the attacking burden on Luis Suarez.

Source http://www.guardian.co.uk

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Sturridge And Ince Edge Closer To LFC

Liverpool will unveil a new £18million strike force in January after taking significant steps to securing deals for Daniel Sturridge and Thomas Ince.

It has been Brendan Rodgers wish for Liverpool to get their business in the New Year done early and they now are on the brink of landing their two prime targets.

Chelsea forward Sturridge is expected to cost Liverpool in the region of £12million, while they will have to pay Blackpool in the region of £6million to take Ince back to Anfield 18 months after letting him leave for £250,000.

Sturridge, who is currently in Japan with Chelsea at the Club World Cup, almost joined Liverpool in August but did not want to move on an initial loan deal. Rodgers, though, has remained an admirer and his transfer will be completed when the window opens.

Ince, meanwhile, will also be brought in to ease the burden on leading scorer Luis Suarez. He left Anfield in August 2011 and has since made eye-catching progress at Bloomfield Road, winning five England Under 21 caps this season.

Rodgers said last month he was looking for players "who would really help take the club forward" and both 20-year-old Ince and Sturridge, 23, fit the criteria of players who Liverpool look to buy. Rodgers remains keen on Arsenal's Theo Walcott but he would be a signing for next summer.

Source http://www.dailymail.co.uk

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Sturridge In Reds Talks

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge wants to make a January exit from Stamford Bridge - with Liverpool his first-choice destination.

A number of clubs are understood to be interested in the striker but Liverpool and Chelsea have begun talks over a £15m deal and Sturridge has set his sights on a move to Anfield reports the Evening Standard.

The 23-year-old, who joined from Manchester City for £6.5m in 2009, has become increasingly frustrated over his lack of starts up front and hopes a deal with the Reds will be agreed.

There have been reports that Sturridge has demanded £80,000-a-week to join the Reds, as well as guarantees over a starting role, however the striker's representatives have denied this.

"Daniel Sturridge does not conduct his business in public," they said.

"He also does not make demands in any negotiation, with regards to salary or his playing position.

"Any contract between a club and a player has to be based on mutual agreement."

The former City trainee has scored 24 goals in 95 appearances for the Blues -  five more than rival Fernando Torres from 90 games - but has been mostly played out wide on the right flank.

His form has been good enough to earn four England caps and he also played up front for the Great Britain Olympic team in the summer.

Sturridge has started just two games for Chelsea this season due to a persistent hamstring injury but has conceded he will never be given a chance to be first-choice striker. Torres has been consistently picked ahead of him since joining for a British record £50m from Liverpool last year, even though he has failed to impress.

Chelsea are growing impatient over Torres but are expected to try to sign another big-name forward such as Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao or Napoli's Edinson Cavani rather than give Sturridge a run in the side.

The club are prepared to let him go in January as his contract runs out in 2014 and with him not expected to agree a new one, it is the last window where they can command a large fee.

That will help them raise funds to buy a replacement, especially as it appears Romelu Lukaku will not be recalled from his season's loan at West Brom.

Lukaku, who started just four games for Chelsea last season after joining from Anderlecht for £18m, has scored five goals for Steve Clarke's side.

Chelsea have an option to take him back in January but coach Rafael Benitez said: "It's maybe best for him to stay there where he is playing games for now, as it will be better for his future development."

Benitez has been put in charge for the rest of the season and it was thought that would allow Roman Abramovich to make a move for Pep Guardiola in the summer.

However, L'Equipe reported today the former Barcelona boss, who is on a year's sabbatical, has opened talks with Paris St Germain as they are considering replacing boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard trained today, raising the prospect he could return against Nordsjaelland tomorrow for his first match since straining his calf during the defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in October.

Source http://www.independent.co.uk

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Rodgers Hopeful On Sturridge

Liverpool are hopeful the managerial chaos at Chelsea will not impact on their efforts to sign Daniel Sturridge in January.

Sturridge, currently injured and out of the Chelsea side, is Brendan Rodgers' prime target and it is understood the England striker is anxious to move to Anfield.

The appointment of Rafa Benítez could complicate matters if he intends to utilise Sturridge more than his predecessor Roberto Di Matteo, although with talks already having taken place at executive level it may be too late for the new manager to influence the decision.

"You never know when new managers go into clubs, but we will see what happens over the course of the market for us," said Rodgers.

"Hopefully we can get a few in. Obviously Ian Ayre has been dealing with transfer stuff in the background and doing a great job along with the recruitment team."

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk

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