Liverpool reject Bowyer deal over player's 'lack of hunger'

LIVERPOOL boss Gerard Houllier yesterday accused Lee Bowyer of lacking the desire to play for his club as he pulled out of a £9million swoop.

The Frenchman has decided not to take the 25-year-old to Anfield after days of talks.

A brief statement on the club’s official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv, confirmed the news.

‘‘Liverpool Football Club have decided not to go ahead with the proposed transfer of Lee Bowyer for a variety of reasons,’’ it read.

“Gerard Houllier was not convinced the player had either the hunger or desire to play for the club, qualities which are essential for any Liverpool player.’’

The development is the latest twist in an increasingly convoluted saga surrounding a player whose talent on the field is in danger of being overshadowed by matters off it.

It came just hours before Rio Ferdinand’s £30million move to Manchester United was finally rubber-stamped after weeks of speculation.

Ridsdale and Terry Venables had hoped to keep the defender on board and recoup the £15million savings they need to make this summer by offloading other players.

Bowyer’s sale would have gone a long way towards achieving that, but the collapse of that deal and the apparent lack of progress in Olivier Dacourt’s prospective move to Juventus left the Yorkshire club facing an unpalatable alternative.

Bowyer angered fans when he turned down a new five-year deal at Elland Road in the wake of the court case which threw he and team-mate Jonathan Woodgate into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

He was cleared but was transfer-listed after refusing to pay a club fine, a decision he later reconsidered.

However, the seeds of discontent sown at that time sprouted to make his departure seemingly inevitable.

Indeed, only yesterday, Ridsdale was convinced the deal was all but done.

‘‘I’m hoping it’s going to be completed over the weekend, with a view to signing on Monday,’’ he said.

‘‘As far as we’re concerned, the deal is done between the two clubs. We’ve given him a passport out of Leeds.”

Liverpool were adding nothing further to their official statement yesterday, and nor were Leeds or Bowyer’s representatives.

However, Blackburn boss Graeme Souness’ admission he has had contact with Liverpool over the availability of Damien Duff suggests they have had more than one iron in the fire.

‘‘We have had a telephone call from Liverpool asking if Damien was available,’’ he said. ‘‘The answer was ‘no’. But if the price was right, we would not be in a position to turn a ridiculous offer down.’’

Ferdinand’s departure will boost the club’s coffers, but unless Venables feels he has an appropriate depth of cover within the club in the shape of Woodgate, Dominic Matteo, Lucas Radebe and Michael Duberry, he will have to spend heavily on a suitable replacement.

In agreeing fees with Liverpool and Sunderland for Bowyer and Robbie Keane respectively, Leeds have shown they are ready to sell, but just what Ferdinand’s departure means for those players and other available members of the squad remains to be seen.

The Leeds squad, minus Ferdinand and Bowyer, flew out to the Far East and Australia yesterday, and while the defender is likely to be at Old Trafford next season, what lies ahead for Bowyer is open to debate.