Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)

I would imagine it would tide us over till next summer. Reckon we'll bring in a younger, better player next summer.

I'd be fairly happy having him back for a year.

Liverpool plan shock return for Craig Bellamy and eye Sebastián Coates

• Reds happy to meet Manchester City forward's wages
• Anfield side also interested in Uruguayan defender

Andy Hunter
The Guardian, Tuesday 23 August 2011

Liverpool have moved ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City in pursuit of the towering young Uruguay defender Sebastián Coates and are ready to offer Craig Bellamy a sensational return to Anfield.

The Wales international has been frozen out completely by Roberto Mancini at City but remains at the club on a £95,000- a-week contract. Bellamy's wage has surprisingly not deterred several Premier League clubs and Celtic from trying to prise the 32-year-old from the Etihad Stadium but Liverpool are willing to offer the striker a lucrative contract providing no transfer fee is involved.

Bellamy, a boyhood Liverpool fan, spent one season at Anfield in 2006-07 but struggled to make an impact under Rafael Benítez and was sold to West Ham United for £7.5m after 27 appearances and seven goals. He was an unused substitute in the 2007 Champions League final defeat by Milan and was destined for the Anfield exit from the moment he attacked his then team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club during a supposed team bonding exercise in Portugal.

The striker could be joined at Anfield by Coates, the 20-year-old centre-half who was named best young player at this summer's Copa América where his performances for the tournament winners Uruguay – in the same team as Liverpool's Luis Suárez – increased interest from several Premier League clubs.

As the Guardian revealed last month, scouts from Arsenal, City and Liverpool all monitored the 6ft 6in Coates in Argentina, with Arsenal also believed to have watched the defender playing for his club side Nacional, the champions of Uruguay, a dozen times last season.

Liverpool, however, with the advantage of the Suárez connection, have emerged as Coates's most likely destination in the Premier League and could cost Fenway Sports Group, the club's owners who have already sanctioned a £110m recruitment drive this year, a fee of around £12m.

Coates was linked with a £3.5m transfer to Porto in June following the collapse of a proposed move to the Brazilian side São Paulo but his rise to prominence at the Copa América has since inflated Nacional's asking price. The central defender is one of the most highly rated young players in the game and, despite his lack of experience at international level, his Spanish and British ancestry is likely to assist any application for a work permit.

Liverpool are keen to strengthen their defence, especially after allowing Sotirios Kyrgiakos to join Wolfsburg on a free transfer. The Greece international could be followed out of Anfield by Alberto Aquilani, a target for Milan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/23/liverpool-craig-bellamy-shock-return

Seen these rumours all over twitter tonight.  I know FSG's policy is to buy young but I think the idea of bringing in an experienced, premiership-proven goalscorer who is getting on a bit might not be such a bad idea.  We do have up and coming talent in our youth, so to have a player like Bellamy on the bench, someone who could be an impact sub and wouldn't mind being used as such, and would be retiring when our youngsters are at the point when they could be considered for the first team, then I don't see that as a bad move.  But would Bellamy want to be a "bit player"?  He's retired from international football, so club football is all he has.

If you want a player with a winning mentality and a player that demands 100% commitment from those around him then Bellamy is your man. He's still got the passion and he's still got the pace. Would love to have him back, a real fighter.

Think he can be a good option for us. He likes to drop deep as well so there's a variation in play.

Always thought City made a BIG mistake in sending him out on loan last season but as they say:

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

I have just seen his stats with Cardiff not too impressive, but off the bench we should get a better return.

Scored less than 1/3 last year for Cardiff though, at 32, does he have the pace he needs?  Not sure about him. Only saw him a couple of times last year, look alright in the first game, like he'd set the Championship alight, but must have faded.  Is that due to the quality of supply? or is he just past it...?

Well, if this deal happens, he is obviously being signed as a direct backup for Suarez, with Kuyt being the direct backup for Carroll ... Considering the type of a player Bellamy is, it would make sense, from a footballing point of view ... From a financial point of view, his £95,000 per week seem far too excessive ...

I'm just wondering, who's gonna buy him a golf club as a welcoming gift?

If he does come, the Fulham game could be a laugh

If you want a player with a winning mentality and a player that demands 100% commitment from those around him then Bellamy is your man. He's still got the passion and he's still got the pace. Would love to have him back, a real fighter.

Agree with that HardCore.

If he does come, the Fulham game could be a laugh

If he was played at RW aswell.

I would love to have him back at the club.
Believe as others have mentioned that he has the never say die spirit we need all around the club.
Quality player.

If he does come, the Fulham game could be a laugh

Better hide the golf clubs

I think bringing him back would be a step backwards for the club

Would love to have him back at the club, has pace and a natural goalscoring talent, would be a great squad player imo.

Better hide the golf clubs

I think bringing him back would be a step backwards for the club

How though? He is a huge improvement on Ngog and if there is no other better option available at a sensible price then it would be a good bit of business, especially on a loan deal. Of course he isn't prolific but that isn't what we are after, we need a good 3rd/4th choice striker that can step in from time to time to cover and still be a threat. That is perfect for Bellamy.

How though? He is a huge improvement on Ngog and if there is no other better option available at a sensible price then it would be a good bit of business, especially on a loan deal. Of course he isn't prolific but that isn't what we are after, we need a good 3rd/4th choice striker that can step in from time to time to cover and still be a threat. That is perfect for Bellamy.

I realize I'm alone as pretty much the only person on this forum who likes N'Gog and thinks he has potential but putting that aside, Craig Bellamy is 32 years old, after 6 months of signings players between like 22 and 25, does that really make sense?

I think it'd be a waste of our money and his time and I think N'Gog's more than capable of being our 3rd striker although it does look like he's leaving now

Even so, not for me

Completely forgot to mention Kuyt, you can't honestly tell me you'd ever give mental Bellamy starts over the legend that is, let alone big Andy?

Seen these rumours all over twitter tonight.  I know FSG's policy is to buy young but I think the idea of bringing in an experienced, premiership-proven goalscorer who is getting on a bit might not be such a bad idea.  We do have up and coming talent in our youth, so to have a player like Bellamy on the bench, someone who could be an impact sub and wouldn't mind being used as such, and would be retiring when our youngsters are at the point when they could be considered for the first team, then I don't see that as a bad move.  But would Bellamy want to be a "bit player"?  He's retired from international football, so club football is all he has.

The key is long term contract...a 1/2 year deal at a reasonable wage FSG would say nothing...a 4 year or Cole type deal, no way.

no worries with FSG AZPatriot....I reckon they have clearly showed their distaste of poorly placed funds and a deal for Bellers will reflect this.
all for the youngsters but a quality player to fill the gaps in the mean time is invaluable.

Bellamy on affordable wages can be a terrific addition to the squad.He has played all his life in England(the kind of players we are looking to sign),has got pace to burn and a pretty decent goal-scoring record so a 1 year deal with a provision for an year extension won't be that bad.

utterly agree.

Would welcome him back in a heartbeat.
Top player still got the pace & the desire.
A player who demands the same commitment from his team mates
What's so wrong with that?
Monumental F**k up getting rid of him in the 1st place.
Especially as Riise was gone 5 minutes later!!

Short term contract will be the only one on offer anyway so get him
back.BTW Ngog couldn't lace his boot's.