Yossi Benayoun (Chelsea)

Chelsea set to offload Yossi Benayoun to Liverpool or Lille

By Jason Burt
29 Aug 2011

Yossi Benayoun may make a surprise return to Liverpool with Chelsea set to sell him to his former club or the French champions, Lille. A decision could be made this afternoon on which club has succeeded in acquiring the Israeli international.

If Benayoun returns to Anfield then it might pave the way for Raul Meireles to leave Liverpool. It’s understood the Portuguese international, currently out injured, wants to quit Merseyside because he believes his first-team opportunities will be limited by Kenny Dalglish’s summer signings.

Chelsea have expressed an interest in acquiring Meireles and it’s understood the two clubs are discussing the possibility of Benayoun being included in a player-plus-cash exchange.

However Liverpool would prefer Meireles, if he is to leave, to move abroad and not remain in the Premier League. With the midfield signings made by Dalglish, Meireles has lost his place in the starting XI for now. He was injured in the Carling Cup last week.

Meireles is thought to be available for around £11m – although Liverpool may demand more from Chelsea – and is admired by Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas who worked with him briefly at Porto.

Benayoun has indicated on his Twitter site for the past couple of weeks that he is likely to leave Chelsea, who he signed for last summer, and recently gave up his number 10 shirt to new arrival Juan Mata.

Yesterday Benayoun tweeted: “negotiating with several team (sic) … news soon.” The two clubs are Liverpool and also the highly-ambitious French champions, Lille. If Benayoun signs for them it might raises questions over their Belgian international midfielder Edin Hazard who has been wanted by Arsenal.

Despite Liverpool’s interest, Lille are also thought to be strongly in contention to sign Benayoun and can offer him Champions League football this season. Benayoun has grown surplus to requirements a Chelsea, where he has struggled to gain regular first-team football and has suffered from serious injury.

It’s understood to be highly unlikely that Benayoun will remain at Chelsea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/8729246/Chelsea-set-to-offload-Yossi-Benayoun-to-Liverpool-or-Lille.html

Lille please, thankyou.

Can't see him returning to us to be honest, I know Rafa made him surplus to requirements but things he's said since he made that move would make a move almost impossible wouldn't it ?

Aside from the things he said, he's a top bloke apprently and a really clever player, yes please.

How about £6m plus Cole for Yossi...? 

I remember what i said the day he left, "Enjoy the bench at the Chav's you c**t"

Dont want him back.

Grass wasn't green enough for him on the other side.

Quote from: s@int on Today at 10:53:23 AM
Just been reading that we are in advanced talks for the return of Benayoun. http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/08/29/liverpool-and-arsenal-in-talks-to-sign-chelsea-midfielder-yossi-benayoun/

Obviously not a great source, but I think he would be a handy aquisition coming off the bench if true.

He is 31, on high wages, and has missed most of last season due to injuries ...

Getting all your rumours from caught-offside now...?

Thanks, but no thanks.  Just don't think he'll offer us what we need at present.

Piss off, rat face.

The chance of him returning was diminished when he opened his gob with a parting shot.

Raul, thanks!

How about £6m plus Cole for Yossi...? 

It's not Chel$sea want Yossi imo they just did what they can to get rid of Joe Cole.

As for Yossi return to LFC just big NO! and I mean really big.

Piss off, rat face.

The chance of him returning was diminished when he opened his gob with a parting shot.

Raul, thanks!

Ah now I'd managed to forget that Crouchie - No ta then

Getting all your rumours from caught-offside now...?

Actually, I've got it from the original Israeli source ...

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4115052,00.html

I have only waited for a more respectable English source to pick it up, before starting this thread ...

Heard this link a few times now.

Would be very surprised if it was to happen. Very surprised.  Sounds more like Chelsea trying to fake a bidding war on Lille.

Really really dont want him. Don't rate him at all. Give my reasons for not rating him in a while on my phone now

Piss off, rat face.

The chance of him returning was diminished when he opened his gob with a parting shot.

Raul, thanks!

Agree.

No thanks.

Was very good for us.  So was Barnes.  Don't want either of them now.

If this has anything to do with Raul moving the other way then even more than before No Thanks.

Wouldn't say he was very good for us was always a squad player

NOooooo!! Don't want him near Anfield!!

Nah, cba with Yossi again. That ship has sailed, and they can F**k off if they think they are getting Raul.

Piss off, rat face.

The chance of him returning was diminished when he opened his gob with a parting shot.

Raul, thanks!

Not really sure what he said wrong apart from Chelsea being a massive club ?

“Everyone asks me why I left Liverpool,” said Benayoun. “There is only one reason; Rafa Benitez! I agreed to join Chelsea before Roy Hodgson was appointed Liverpool’s new manager. It’s a dream for me such a fantastic club have given me this opportunity.”
 
“But I want Liverpool fans to know the truth and for them to know I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez. He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit. When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game. And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn’t understand why they booed.”
 
“There are many examples of him treating me badly. On two occasions early last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. They thought I was playing well but Benitez told me he was surprised the fans booed because I was not good enough. It was as if the fans’ reaction worked against me. The situation got worse afterwards. He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team.”
 
“Then, when we played Birmingham after I hadn’t started a game for a month, he didn’t tell me I was starting until two hours before the game. He tried to destroy my confidence. You can’t treat a player like this and expect him to be happy. I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt.”
 
“I don’t want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso. It was the same for me. Benitez tried to break me like he broke Riera. I was sure he wanted me to attack him in the Press during the season so he could turn the fans against me, so I kept quiet. I felt he was waiting for me to make a mistake so he could use it against me.”
 
“On the day before the final game of last season at Hull, Benitez pulled me to one side after training and said: ‘You will not be in the squad for this game. Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club. That’s when Chelsea made an offer and the deal was done before Benitez left.”
 
“The previous season when we finished second in the Premier League, I was happy with my performance in the final months but I was not sure if the manager thought I was a good player. I told Benitez I would go if he wanted, but he told me I was important and he would give me a new contract, which I signed. But then for the first game of the new season I wasn’t in the team again. The manager ignored me when I wanted to know why.
 
“After he ignored me for a long time, he needed me for Europe when Ryan Babel was suspended. I said: ‘You need me now and I will always do my best.’ I scored against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final. It was a really emotional moment for me. The fans could see what it meant to me. I couldn’t say at the time, but I knew this was my last season at Liverpool and I wanted a special end. I thought: ‘No matter how the manager is treating me, I’m showing the fans the club is in my heart.”
 
“I knew I had to get away from Benitez. A lot of people at Liverpool treated me well and asked me to stay, but I could not turn down such a massive club as Chelsea. I could not risk waiting to see if Benitez kept his job. The club said they understood why I was unhappy and promised they’d let me leave in the summer if an offer came while Benitez was manager.”
 
“It is good for Liverpool Benitez has gone, but it was too late for me. I know everyone working there will be a lot happier and I believe Roy Hodgson is a good choice. It was a privilege for me to play for such a great club in front of great fans. I thought I would be staying for a lot longer.”
 
“I’m not stupid. I know Chelsea have many great players and it will be hard to play in the team every week. But what’s important for me is I know I will be treated with respect. Carlo Ancelotti is a fantastic manager and he knows how to treat players.”

I don't have massive personal issues with him but I really see no place for him in the side. He had some quality moments when wearing the red shirt though. I'll never forget his last minute winner at Fulham or his hat trick in the 8-0 win against Besiktas!