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Liverpool offering wing target route out of Russia

It appears as if Aiden McGeady may be set for a return to more familiar surroundings after sources suggested that the winger could be ready to leave Spartak Moscow.

The news comes after the Russian outfit agreed a fee to sign Everton attacker, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, who is being tipped as a replacement for an immediate departure.

The former Celtic attacker has made 45 appearances for the Moscow side scoring five times and making 20 assists.

The Republic of Ireland international may be open to a move back to the UK top be closer to family and an offer of £10m may give him his homecoming.

SOURCE: FootyBunker

Kenny Dalglish has been linked with interest in Aiden McGeady before, last January, and it appears that he is once again a Liverpool target, which is no surprise as currently the Anfield side is struggling for natural width.

McGeady has by no means been a flop in Russia, in fact he has become something of a cult hero at the Spartak Moscow but it seems that the former Celtic man is hoping to secure a move to the Premier League and the fact that Everton’s Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is set to move to the Luzhniki Stadium may well give the 25 the opportunity to make just such a move.

The Irish international is a quality wide-man with bags of pace and the tricks to beat his man, a player who could help provide ammunition for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. The Glasgow born winger can play on either wing and Liverpool could well do with a player of his type to help boost their firepower.

Stewart Downing started well after his move from Aston Villa but has seen his form dip in recent months and on the right both Jordan Henderson and Dirk Kuyt have struggled to make the position there own.

This could well be £10m well invested.

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For the full 90 minutes, Russia battered the Irish team, launching wave after wave of unrelenting pressure, and yet, they failed to come away with all three points. Despite only collecting two points from a possible six, Ireland are in a far better position than they could have imagined. Armenia’s shock thrashing of Slovakia in Zilina has left the Irish in second place with two games remaining, a point clear of both sides, and in pole position to qualify from Group B.

The most important thing to remember from an Irish point of view, is that it is in their own hands. Win their final two games against Andorra and Armenia, and they will have at least a play-off spot. There are various different permutations which could see Ireland top the group and gain automatic qualification, or even end up as low as fourth place. For example, should Slovakia bounce back from the Armenia result and defeat the Russians, Ireland would top the group with two wins. If Russia win, Ireland need only four points to secure a play-off spot.

Quite how Ireland have found themselves in this position is nothing short of a miracle. The Russian players, management and supporters must have left the Luzhniki Stadium last night lost for words. Russia had 26 attempts on goal last night in comparison to two for Ireland, and they somehow failed to find the back of the net. Shay Given, and in particular Richard Dunne were outstanding. Given made two vital saves in the first half, and blocked Konstantin Zyryanov’s point blank header late on, to give Ireland a record seventh successive clean sheet, and most importantly, a point. Dunne’s performance was simply phenomenal. His goalline clearance moments after being beaten by Yuri Zhirkov epitomised his never-say-die attitude. He was unlucky to be booked for a legitimate challenge on Zhirkov, which left him with cuts on his face, and a suspension for the Andorra game. Still, given the way things panned out- better to be banned for Andorra than to miss the Armenia game.

Not that Ireland shouldn’t be delighted with the combination of a point and the result in Zilina, but the team performance was atrocious. To say they were completely outplayed in an understatement- Ireland didn’t play full stop. Giovanni Trapattoni deserves and Oscar for keeping a straight face when he assured the media before the match that his team would be playing to win. Time and again the Russians made inroads down the flanks, particularly down the left hand side where Stephen Ward was supposed to be. Yet, too often he simply wasn’t there. It is hard to assume how much of Ward’s terrible positioning was down to his own lack of awareness, and how much was down to him following Trapattoni’s instructions. However, one couldn’t help but think that if he was playing as Trapattoni wanted him to, surely the Italian would have realised that he was a liability, and either changed the system or the player. If Kevin Kilbane is available for the Andorra game, he should slot straight back in.

Aiden McGeady deserves a huge amount of praise for his energetic performance, and was often the man who found himself in the left-back position. In fact, Ireland’s defensive line was so narrow that at times it was as if they were playing four central defenders, with McGeady and Damien Duff operating as wing-backs. Russia’s right-hand side consisting of Aleksandr Anyukov and Andrei Arshavin gave Ireland all sorts of problems. Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan were overrun in the midfield, and given how deep Ireland’s defensive line was, Russia had a massive amount of possession in opposition territory. This sort of play simply isn’t good enough. It’s becoming a recurring theme but when you look back to how the Irish played that night in Paris, with a team containing no less than seven of the players that played last night, you can see that Ireland don’t need to play football like they did against Russia.

It has to be assumed that the tactics will be different against the weaker Andorra and Armenia teams. Ireland obviously can’t afford to take the Armenians lightly given how well they’ve done in this qualifying campaign, yet a different approach to the one taken in Moscow is necessary. Trapattoni has to trust that his players, and believe that they are the better team. After all, they beat Armenia in Yerevan in the opening qualification match, they lie a full 40 places above the Armenians in the current FIFA world rankings, and while the majority of the Irish team plays in the Premiership, Armenia consists of a group of players that ply their trade in leagues outside of the top six in Europe.

With Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012 in their own hands now, it is simply a matter of hoping that the team can deliver against inferior oppostion. A little help from the Slovaks would also be welcome.

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Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is considering a move to sign Spartak Moscow attacker Aiden McGeady as he looks to bring in another winger to Anfield. The former Celtic star has been a relative success in Russia since his move from Parkhead last August but may well be tempted by a move to the Premier League side.

Having brought in Stewart Downing to fill the left wing slot Dalglish has started to look at potential players to fill the right wing berth that has in the main been filled by Dutch international Dirk Kuyt, very much a makeshift option following his conversion by Rafa Benitez from his more familiar striking role.

Liverpool have spent over £100m on new additions in 2011, with the club’s new owners funding moves to bring Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January and Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Doni and Downing this summer. Dalglish is thought to be keen on bringing in even more natural width to help provide the ammunition for his strike-force.

McGeady spent seven seasons in the Celtic’s first team, notching up over 250 appearances for the Bhoys before he completed a £9.5m move to Moscow. The Glasgow born Irish international has also collected 40 international caps and is a regular in Giovanni Trapattoni’s national team set-up.

Any move to capture McGeady would clearly require a fee well in excess of that paid by Spartak Moscow and it seems that Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group, seem more than content to fund Dalglish’s transfer targets. The 25 year old is able to play on either wing and as a second striker.

To help balance the books it is thought that Liverpool are looking to offload a number of their squad players, Paul Konchesky having already left for Leicester City, and the likes of Milan Jovanovic, Alberto Aquilani, Christian Poulsen, Joe Cole and Raul Meireles strongly linked with moves away from Anfield.

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Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is interested in signing Spartak Moscow winger Aiden McGeady this summer and is closely monitoring the Irish international’s situation in the Russian capital. The former Celtic star has done well since his move to the Luzhniki in August but the 24 year old has begun to be linked with interest from Zenit St Petersburg and Juventus amid reports that he could be sold if a significant offer was forthcoming.

McGeady cost Spartak £9.5m just over six months ago but apparently Juventus are willing to offer as much as £20m and it is clear that any sale sanctioned by the Moscow club will more likely be to a side not competing in their own league, hence a move to Zenit being highly unlikely.

Liverpool appear keen on adding more natural wide options having seen the likes of Maxi, Dirk Kuyt, Milan Jovanovic and Joe Cole all fail to make an impact. Kenny Dalglish is thought to be looking for an out and out winger who can help provide ammunition for his new front pairing of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

Aiden McGeady enjoyed six successful years at Celtic before making the brave move into the relative unknown and has become a player well rated by supporters and pundits alike but the Glasgow born wide man would surely be tempted by a move to the Premier League and to Liverpool in particular given the obvious links between the current boss and the Parkhead side he represented so effectively.

Liverpool’s owners appear more than willing to finance significant moves in the transfer market and a move for McGeady, though expensive could well add another dimension to the club’s attack that could help the club push onwards and upwards next term.

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Aiden McGeady has completed his move from Celtic to Spartak Moscow.

The Republic of Ireland international has signed a four-year deal with the Russian side after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Celtic accepted a bid in the region of £9.8million from Spartak earlier this month and the winger has now tied up his switch to the Russian capital.

McGeady made 185 appearances for Celtic during his nine-year spell at the club after coming through their youth ranks.

The deal to bring McGeady to Russia represents a Scottish transfer record and Celtic boss Neil Lennon will hoping to use some of the funds to strengthen his own squad. (Sky Sports)

Perhaps the most telling portion of this report is the reference to Lennon being able ot use “some of the funds” to reinvest in his Parkhead squad. Celtic are so riddled with debt after years of bad management that one wonders just why a club that brings in 60,000 fans week in, week out still isn’t able to fork out for big names.

Aiden McGeady wanted a fresh challenge and I am sure that the Bhoys support will wish him well but its a tough place to go and make a name for yourself. The 24 year old Glasgow born Irish international is a naturally gifted player who seems to have outgrown the SPL and would surely have preferred a move down south to the Premier League but will be hoping to make it in Moscow.

Meanwhile Neil Lennon will try to squeeze some pennies out of the board and hope he can bring in the players needed to give Rangers a run for their money this term.

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes winger Aiden McGeady will sign for Spartak Moscow in the coming days.
The player returned on Thursday from a visit to the Russian club and Lennon predicts the £9.5m move will proceed.
“He was in yesterday and more or less said his goodbyes, so we’ll see how that develops over the next one or two days,” said Lennon of the 24-year-old.
“I won’t be relieved, because I’ll be losing my best player, but we feel it’s good money for a top player.”
McGeady has been given permission by the Republic of Ireland to miss Wednesday’s friendly against Argentina.
Speaking after Celtic lost their final pre-season game 2-1 at home to Blackburn, Lennon added: “He’s going to go to Moscow in the next few days and get the deal finalised.
“That will be a relief in terms of putting the deal to bed because the sooner it’s done, the better. I’ll get all the money. (BBC Sport)

I take it Neil Lennon means the club gets all the money and not himself in person. Its a pretty big deal for Celtic but one does wonder if Aiden McGeady had been playing in England just how much more he would be considered worthy of. The talented old fashioned winger is a top notch player who appears to believe, rightly or wrongly, that he has outgrown the Glasgow club.

It will be incredibly difficult for the Irish international to make it in Russia. It’s a notoriously tough place to put your stamp on. It is a little surprising that no Premier League side thought the 24 year old was worth making a move for. The likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham were strongly linked with a move for McGeady but clearly no one was willing to put their money where their mouths were.

Whilst not wanting to tempt fate I would predict that in less than a year the quick thinking attacker will be back from his Moscow adventure and maybe then someone in the English top tier will think to put in a decent bid for a player with oodles of natural talent.

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And both Juventus and Bayern Munich want to pay £10m for the privilege of having Aiden McGeady running about looking quite nippy dribbling the ball about without ever seeming to, somehow not quite, not really sort of… anyway. (Guardian)

I like Aiden McGeady. He is the type of old fashioned winger who gets fans on the edge of their seats. For some time now he has been linked with a move away from Celtic and a host of clubs south of the border have been seen as potential suitors with the likes of Tottenham being consistently named as an interested party.

It’s interesting to see big guns from the continent now taking an interest in the Irish international and if that interest mounts and results in an actual bid coming in for the 23 year old then he may well have his head turned by the prospect of moving to a more competitive league.

Incredibly this is the Glasgow lads seventh season of first team football at Parkhead and having won every conceivable honour there is in the domestic game he may well deem the time right for a move and whilst the club’s loyal fanbase will not like it, they would surely not stand in the way of a move to the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus, would they?

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HARRY REDKNAPP has targeted Celtic stars Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown to bolster his Tottenham squad after their impressive Premier League start.

Bhoys’ Republic of Ireland winger McGeady, 23, would also provide cover for Luka Modric in the playmaker role.

Scotland international Brown is viewed as a like-for-like midfield replacement for the unsettled Jermaine Jenas.

Redknapp watched the pair in Glasgow against Arsenal last week. (News of the World)

Given their recent results its hard to believe Harry Redknapp is still looking to spend but then the Tottenham boss does like to splash the cash. Scott Brown is apparently keen to make the move south of the border but even if the Scottish International was brought in to replace Jenas he would find it hard to get a starting spot in the White Hart Lane midfielder.

McGeady could be a good cover option for the left wing especially if Redknapp decides he wants more natural width and pace but Modric has done fantastically well on the flank.

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Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur could lock horns with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the summer for Celtic winger Aiden McGeady, according to reports in Scotland.

Ireland International coach Giovanni Trappatoni is understood to have told 22-year-old McGeady that he would prefer the Irishman to quit the SPL, with Bayern and Spurs reportedly interested in fulfilling the Italians wishes.

The Scottish Daily Mail claims that Bayern want McGeady at the Allianz Arena to replace French star Franck Ribery, with Ribery being the focus of many top European sides including Manchester City and La Liga pacesetters Barcelona. (premiershiplatest.com)

Harry Redknapp has pointed out today that he hasn’t as yet moved for this exciting Irish international but that hasn’t stopped the speculation one bit. McGeady fell out with Celtic boss Gordon Strachan earlier in the season but has since been in fine form for the Bhoys and i can see why Bayern Munich would be considering making a move for the winger. Do Tottenham fans think that a bid from White Hart Lane is in the offing?

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Apparently, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is a fan of the 22-year-old and having sent scouts to watch him play in recent weeks is ready to spend £7 million to take him to White Hart Lane.

It is claimed that the 62-year-old enquired about his availability in the January transfer window but opted to seal the signing of Robbie Keane from Liverpool instead.

However, with Redknapp hoping to turn the north London based outfit’s fortunes around next season it is thought that he will focus his attention on the Glasgow-born Republic of Ireland international in the summer. (goal.com)

It appears that the reported bust up between McGeady and Celtic boss Strachan may well make a potential move to the Premier League for this exciting Scot a very real possibility. Aiden is the type of player that has you on the edge of your seat and nearly five years since his debut for the SPL champions he may be ready to give football south of the border a go and he could be ideal for the north London club but there are sure to be others looking into the situation. It would give Spurs a frightening partnership on the flanks with Lennon on one and McGeady on the other scaring the life out of top tier defences and providing ammunition for the frontmen and at £7m the move would be a bargain! Do Tottenham fans rate the youngster?