Adam Johnson turned down approaches from Tottenham and Liverpool

Adam Johnson turned down approaches from Tottenham and Liverpool to join Sunderland as he seeks to boost his England chances.

Adam Johnson is hoping to become an England regular

Johnson, 25, had spoken of his frustration that his lack of opportunities at Manchester City had cost him his place in the England squad for Euro 2012, and he is hopeful that the opportunity to play regularly at the Stadium of Light will turn things around.

"Roy Hodgson said he wants his players to be playing regular first-team football," he said. "That's something I wasn't doing at Manchester City, but I hope it will be different for me here at Sunderland.

Brendan Rodgers has been dealt an blow with the news that midfielder Lucas Leiva will be out of action for up to three months with a thigh injury.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been dealt an blow with the news that midfielder Lucas Leiva will be out of action for up to three months with a thigh injury.

Lucas, 25, was taken off just five minutes into Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, and scans have confirmed a torn thigh muscle.

Rodgers confirmed on Wednesday that the player is now expected to be sidelined for "two to three months", as he again begins a lengthy road to recovery.

The news comes just weeks after Lucas made his return to action from a cruciate knee ligament injury, one which had sidelined him since December 2011.

Taking to Twitter to express his frustration Lucas wrote: "No words to describe my feelings at the moment. It is (sic) been hard to be positive but I am sure better days will come. YNWA."

Joe Allen has vowed to repay Brendan Rodgers' faith in him by helping Liverpool to success.

Joe Allen has vowed to repay Brendan Rodgers' faith in him by helping Liverpool to success.

Allen: feels he owes Rodgers

Allen, 22, has made an impressive start to his Anfield career since following manager Rodgers from Swansea.

Signing for £15 million just before the start of the season, he was a stand-out player on his home debut as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Manchester City on Sunday.

He has hailed Rodgers' influence on his career, and wants to return the favour by ensuring the manager drags Liverpool back towards the top four after last season's eighth-place finish under Kenny Dalglish.

Spanish full-back Jose Enrique is certain that the Barcelona approach will bring success

Spanish full-back Jose Enrique is certain that the Barcelona approach will bring success to Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers.

Liverpool defender Jose Enrique

Enrique, 26, who played in the Primera Liga for Celta Vigo and Villarreal before moving to England, feels that the new manager has got Liverpool playing the right way.

Rodgers wants his team to play out from the back and develop a fast passing, high pressing game in the manner of Barcelona.

His players have had one or two teething troubles with the new philosophy, as defender Martin Skrtel gave away an equaliser during Sunday's 2-2 draw against Manchester City with a careless pass that went straight to scorer Carlos Tevez.

Liverpool FC look to fulfil Mancini's erratic prophecy

The room remained silent, but the expression of Roberto Mancini was unyielding. "I think Liverpool will fight for the title this year because they bought good players," the Manchester City manager told his captive audience at Friday's press conference. "They have a good manager; they change their style of play." The Italian is gaining a reputation for wild predictions and wacky prophecies. No matter the points difference between his City side and Manchester United last season, the Italian maintained his side were the underdogs in the title race. If you approached him moments after Sergio Aguero's divine intervention in the final minute of the final day, he probably still would have tied red ribbons around the Premier League trophy.

First the Game for Liverpool VS Manchester City

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has thanked Premier League rivals Manchester City for giving him back his self-belief.

Brendan Rodgers is seen as a rival by Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini

As Rodgers prepared to face City at Anfield this weekend, he reflected on how easily he could have ended up working for Roberto Mancini. City manager Mancini offered Rodgers the chance to join his coaching staff in January 2010, and the two men met in Italy to discuss a role.

The opportunity came up when Rodgers' fledgling managerial career had taken a dip, with Reading having sacked him in December 2009 after only six months. He rejected the chance to join Mancini, instead taking charge of Swansea the following July and guiding them to the Premier League in his first season.
First the Game for   Liverpool VS Manchester City

Liverpool Match of the day: Liverpool 2-2 Man City..26 August 2012

In the : Anfield
Date: 2012-08-26
A stunning free-kick from Luis Suarez helped earn Liverpool a point against champions Manchester City as the Reds drew 2-2 in their first home game of the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League campaign.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

Brendan Rodgers has played down Roberto Mancini's claim that Liverpool are Premier League

Brendan Rodgers has played down Roberto Mancini's claim that Liverpool are Premier League title challengers.

Brendan Rodgers is seen as a rival by Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini

Mancini made the claim as he prepares to take his Manchester City side to Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool manager Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish during the summer, has made it clear that there is plenty of work to do after the club finished eighth last season.

His ambition is to turn Liverpool into title contenders once again, but with his spending limited, the manager thinks it will take a while.

Asked if he thought Mancini was right to describe Liverpool as title contenders this season, Rodgers said: "Let's hope so! Listen, we've got a bit of work to do. There's absolutely no doubt about that.

Liverpool are challengers for the Premier League title, according to Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.

Liverpool are challengers for the Premier League title, according to Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.

Brendan Rodgers: Faces City on Sunday

Mancini takes his City side to Anfield on Sunday to face a team who finished 37 points behind his Premier League champions last season and who lost at West Bromwich Albion last Saturday.

But the Italian believes that a change of manager on Merseyside, with Brendan Rodgers replacing Kenny Dalglish, and the quality in the squad means they could end Liverpool's 22-year wait for a 19th title.

Manchester United and Liverpool are interested in signing Mexico's Olympic gold medal winner Hector Herrera, according to his club.

Manchester United and Liverpool are interested in signing Mexico's Olympic gold medal winner Hector Herrera, according to his club.

The 22-year-old Pachuca midfielder is rated at £10 million after helping Mexico defeat Brazil to win the Olympic football tournament.

Pachuca sporting director Andres Fassi said United had approached him about Herrera, who is not yet a full international, but added that he hoped to keep the playmaker.

"There is an official interest," he explained. "We have the document, but there's nothing else to add at this time. We want him to continue in Pachuca. We know he's going to emigrate to England, though. Manchester United and Liverpool have talked to us.

Brendan Rodgers is set to make another move to bring Daniel Sturridge to Anfield

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is set to make another move to bring Daniel Sturridge to Anfield - with a deal for Chelsea forward believed to be within touching distance at last.

Sources close to the Reds have told ESPN that Rodgers has been pursuing Sturridge all summer, with the glut of attacking midfield signings at Chelsea this summer pushing the Team GB Olympic star down the pecking order of Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo.

Inter Milan have also been linked with a move for Sturridge, but the promise of regular first-team football in a Liverpool side playing to his strengths would appeal to the 22-year-old.

Jose Enrique will miss Liverpool's Europa League play-off first leg trip to Hearts as manager Brendan Rodgers prepares to field a much-changed side.

Jose Enrique will miss Liverpool's Europa League play-off first leg trip to Hearts as manager Brendan Rodgers prepares to field a much-changed side.


Enrique was unavailable for last Saturday's 3-0 Premier League defeat at West Brom due to a knee injury, which he picked up in training.

The left-back will continue to receive treatment as the club's Melwood training base in the hope that he will be fit to face Manchester City on Sunday.

Captain Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel are also set to sit out the game as Rodgers rests a number of key players.

Tottenham and Liverpool have both approached Manchester City about signing winger Adam Johnson.

Tottenham and Liverpool have both approached Manchester City about signing winger Adam Johnson.

City boss Roberto Mancini confirmed last weekend that Johnson, 25, is surplus to requirements at Eastlands and can move on in search of regular first-team football.

Sunderland have already lodged a £10 million bid for the England international, but he is thought to favour a move to one of the Premier League's bigger sides rather than a return to his native North East.

Spurs and Liverpool fit that profile and a Manchester City source confirmed to ESPN that both "have made enquires for Adam Johnson".

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has signed a new long-term contract at Anfield after a summer

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has signed a new long-term contract at Anfield after a summer of speculation about his future.

Martin Skrtel has committed his future to Liverpool

Last month, Skrtel, 27, admitted receiving offers to move to other clubs and said: "Anything can happen."

The Slovakia international - who won the Player of the Year award as Liverpool finished in a disappointing eighth position last season - was reported to have been frustrated by the club's failure to challenge for the Premier League title.

Speculation suggested that champions Manchester City were interested in signing Skrtel although his agent, Karol Csonto, had previously insisted his client was staying at Anfield.

Roberto Mancini is ready to admit defeat in his attempts to take Javi Martinez

Roberto Mancini is ready to admit defeat in his attempts to take Javi Martinez, Daniele De Rossi and Daniel Agger to Manchester City.

GettyImagesRoberto Mancini: Transfer market frustration

The Italian has already missed out on two other major summer transfer targets - Eden Hazard, who joined Chelsea, and Robin van Persie, who left Arsenal for Manchester United.

Now Athletic Bilbao's Spain international Martinez is on the brink of moving to Bayern Munich, and De Rossi and Agger, who appear likely to remain at Roma and Liverpool respectively.

Brendan Rodgers has moved to calm speculation over Daniel Agger's future after the Denmark...

Brendan Rodgers has moved to calm speculation over Daniel Agger's future after the Denmark centre-back was absent from Liverpool's Europa League victory over Gomel on Thursday.

PA PhotosDaniel Agger is reported to be attracting interest from Manchester City and Barcelona

Speculation linking Manchester City and Barcelona with a move for Agger grew when the 27-year-old failed to make the squad for the trip to Belarus, with the player's agent, Per Steffensen, tellingPolitiken: "He is not injured in any way. Only the club and the manager can answer why he is not in the squad."

However, Steffensen also said Agger was "very happy" at Anfield and described as "utter nonsense" claims that he had put in a transfer request, while Rodgers stressed that his omission had been motivated by the player's previous injury problems.

"The plan was always for Daniel to stay behind," Rodgers said. "Everyone knows his history of injuries. He came back to pre-season training after everyone else and is still not up to speed.

"He is fit, but I have to make sure he is up to speed before he plays, because everyone knows his history with injuries."

Agger, under contract with Liverpool until 2014, had indicated last month that he was prepared to discuss a new deal with the Reds.