28 Dec 2017 23:09:04
Ed002 I have seen a few reports flying around tonight (yes notably twitter) about Leon goretzka close to agreeing a pre contract with lfc for next season can you confirm or deny this for me? Or could you give us an update as who looks most likely destination for him?
Many thanks.

{Ed002's Note - It would be illegal. If Liverpool have spoken with the player and are about to sign an agreement it will mean a complaint to FIFA by Schalke. Plus some on here told me he had signed weeks ago?}

1.) 29 Dec 2017
29 Dec 2017 08:25:00
But surely Ed002 this must go on through third parties not affiliated to either clubs. I mean even with other clubs and players not just Liverpool etc. I understand the “legal” process how players are approached but I can’t believe for a second that every deal is done legitimately in its infancy. There’s too much money and greed involved these days for that to be the case. I understand Klopps illegal approach to VVD but surely they just caught with their hands in the cookie jar and this kind of thing happens all the time under the radar.

{Ed002's Note - Of course other clubs have acted illegally over the years - but as you know Liverpool are still bottom of the pile in terms of professionalism and acting illegally as has been explained over and over. They are serving a ban and still have a complaint on file with the premier league. 18 months ago two clubs wrote to Liverpoolo (one copying in their own FA and the other their own FA and FIFA) warning Liverpool about illegal approaches for players. The owners have had to twice trail slime to apolgise to Premier League clubs to avoid charges. Let it go and move on.}

2.) 29 Dec 2017
29 Dec 2017 14:02:19
We're bottom of the pile in professionalism yet other elite clubs have no problem dealing with us. Please can you tell me who else has had these complaints over illegal approaches because it happens a lot of clubs but you don't talk about that as you only want to bash Liverpool.

{Ed002's Note - There are two on going investigations regarding illegal approaches with FIFA at present. In the UK, Liverpool are serving a ban already as you know and have a further complaint sitting on file. They avoided an illegal case regarding a child by throwing money at it to make it go away as well. Manchester City escaped any punishment and were found not be guilt of any wrongdoing in the matter of Garré - although they have also been unprofessional in the past and have been castigated by me. The last case in England in respect of an illegal approach (for Nottingham Forest's Jamaal Lascelles) resulted in a £45K fine as previously the club had behaved well. At the time I castigated them as I would any other club. So it does get discussed on other clubs pages but cretins like you just continue to whine and demonstrate your total lack of knowledge of the game.}

3.) 29 Dec 2017
29 Dec 2017 15:34:25
I can't argue with that. Cheers for the detailed reply. I never knew about Lascelles.

{Ed002's Note - Yes, Everton learned their lesson. Sorry for being so abrupt.}