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Liverpool "Hijacking" Marseille's Move For Essien

Wed, 11 Jun 2003 Source:  

MARSEILLE have accused Liverpool of trying to hijack their moves for several top stars in Le Championnat.

The French outfit have been tracking Mickael Essien, Benoit Pedretti, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sonny Anderson, Didier Drogba and, most notably, Djibril Cisse.

This sextet have all emerged as targets for Liverpool with Marseille claiming Gerard Houllier's interest in the players has only arisen from his l'OM counterpart, Alain Perrin's, desire to secure these signings.

L'OM president Christophe Bouchet insists the Premiership club's fascination with the French-based players is hiking up the transfer fees from their respective clubs.

Bouchet is uncertain how willing Liverpool are to snatch any targets from under l'OM's nose but feels the Merseyside outfit are creating an imbalance in the transfer market.

"One will see at the end of the saga how many of the quoted players will finally go to Liverpool," stated Bouchet.

"The prices suggested by Liverpool - I do not think concrete offers exist - halt the evolution of the transactions.

"They limit our margin for manoeuvre and distort the market.

"In a market where, regularly, the claimed prices are not proportionate with the means disposable to the clubs, it creates a real problem."

MARSEILLE have accused Liverpool of trying to hijack their moves for several top stars in Le Championnat.

The French outfit have been tracking Mickael Essien, Benoit Pedretti, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sonny Anderson, Didier Drogba and, most notably, Djibril Cisse.

This sextet have all emerged as targets for Liverpool with Marseille claiming Gerard Houllier's interest in the players has only arisen from his l'OM counterpart, Alain Perrin's, desire to secure these signings.

L'OM president Christophe Bouchet insists the Premiership club's fascination with the French-based players is hiking up the transfer fees from their respective clubs.

Bouchet is uncertain how willing Liverpool are to snatch any targets from under l'OM's nose but feels the Merseyside outfit are creating an imbalance in the transfer market.

"One will see at the end of the saga how many of the quoted players will finally go to Liverpool," stated Bouchet.

"The prices suggested by Liverpool - I do not think concrete offers exist - halt the evolution of the transactions.

"They limit our margin for manoeuvre and distort the market.

"In a market where, regularly, the claimed prices are not proportionate with the means disposable to the clubs, it creates a real problem."

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