Who in their right mind would pay such money for a liability like Diouf. He may be a class player (when he wants to be), but after incidents like the one at Arsenal the other proves no team needs a player like that.Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has insisted that controversial Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf will not leave the club for less than £4 million.
Diouf is currently on a season-long loan at Liverpool's Premiership rivals Bolton.
Although his form for The Trotters has been good, the twice winner of the African Footballer of the Year award has cut a controversial figure for his behaviour on the pitch.
He was handed a three-game ban after being caught spitting at Portsmouth's Arjan de Zeeuw in November, and attracted more bad publicity after being sent off for elbowing Arsenal's Jens Lehmann last weekend.
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce warned that his latest misdemeanour could scupper any permanent move to The Reebok, but news of Benitez's demands could do similar anyway.
Allardyce is renowned for bringing in players on cut-price deals, and Liverpool's attempts to recoup £4 million of the £10 million they shelled out on Diouf look likely to put him beyond The Trotters' reach.
"If Diouf continues playing well we will wait for an offer of £4-5 million," stated Benitez.
"If we do not get such an offer then we will use Diouf for next season here."
The Reds boss, who seemed certain to offload Diouf in the summer, insists he will happily re-introduce the forward into his squad if an appropriate offer does not come in for him.
"If we decide to bring Diouf back here because we do not have a good enough offer, he will come back and be with us and be on the bench, maybe playing some games," he continued. "We do not know for sure yet.
"It is always good to have good substitutes. I do not have problems with him over discipline.
"We know that Diouf has a contract with us for some time into the future. He is playing very well, that is true.
"We know for this club it is very important to have good players, maybe players for the squad."
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
Diouf has 7 goals and 2 assists in the league and is playing fantastic this season. OK, he was crap under Houllier but if you weren't crap under Houllier you were the exception. He's controversial, so is Bellamy and he's being sold for £6m. They'll get £4m no probs, if not from Bolton and foreign club will take him.
He can be excused for the incident against Arsenal as far as i'm concerned, it was about time someone gave Lehmann a belt across the head. Pity he didn't deck him at full force.
Diouf is just one of those players that has a bad temperment. We've seen them before, for example Bellamy, Cantona etc. The stuff that Cantona did when he was at Man U is far worse than anything that Diouf has done, yet Cantona can get away with it? Our own Roy Keane was pretty bad at one stage as well. Diouf's temperment can only change over time, he's just a ratty player, live with it. The media (surprise, surprise) has him blown out of all proportion in more ways than one.
I for one won't be too disappointed if he has to go back to Liverpool next season, he'd be a lot better than some of the duds that are there at the moment. I expect a French side to cough up and sign him though.
He's playing in midfield this season. Thats a lot of goals for a midfielder. He's playing very well too.Originally Posted by millwallfc
Thats true but is he worth the hassle ?
I reckon he will go abroad as he is now a marked man by most refs now in the Prem i think.
involved in 3 or 4 'spitting' incidents now? thats more than just brattish behaviour. I wouldn't want him on a team I supported.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
the reason they got away with it is because they are classy players
diouf is fecking useless....barely first division quality
Lads, have you seen him play for anyone other than Liverpool? Forgot his time at Liverpool, there is no way you'd call him crap if you were going by his time in France, with Bolton and with Senegal. Its probably the same people that called Forlan crap for his time at United (and believe me I didn't).
I'd rather get a smack in the face than a lump of phlegm in the face. Disgusting. He should be banned.
Football is life. The rest is mere detail...
Agreed, I hate the little rat but Pool will get £4m for him.
Diouf is an average player and i think Liverpool hav no chance of gettin that much for him. No manager in their right mind wud sign a player like that.
Africa must have no players if an average player can get African player of the year twice and at the age of 23.
Diouf and Diao came to Liverpool on the back of good performances in France (where Houllier has all kinds of contacts) and also good performances in the World Cup.
They just haven't been able to adapt to the Premiership, it happens, look at Kezman, only starting to come good now, it took Pires a season, Forlan never really got a chance.
Diouf will probably go back to the continent, where his footballing reputation is still relatively secure, whatever about his conduct.
Diouf useless? Just because Houllier couldn't get the best out of him hardly means he's useless! Superb player for Senegal, and was instrumental in leading his club to a French title. Is playing great stuff for Bolton at the moment. I think he'd be very effective in a Benitez team because unlike Houllier, his team try to play football.
Salif Diao - now there's a first division standard player. He looks like he's stoned all the time when he's playing if you ask me.
Did ye see he got caught spitting at a homeless person and at a big issues seller on wednesday comming out of a nightclub?. as well as this he had his car towed away while in the nightclub. He must be a little loosely internally wired if you ask me
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