Daniel Agger will remain loyal to Reds insists Rodgers         

LFC boss: "Agger has a commitment to Liverpool that is so refreshing, his loyalty is impressive"

 

Daniel Agger leads out Liverpool FC against Preston

Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions Daniel Agger could leave Liverpool FC this summer – and says he is looking to add to his squad before the end of the current transfer window.

Agger has been repeatedly linked with a switch to Barcelona over the past 12 months, with fresh reports surfacing in Spain in the last week.

But Rodgers is adamant the Danish defender, who signed a long-term contract last summer, will remain loyal to the Reds, even if the La Liga giants come calling.

He said: “I wouldn’t be surprised (if Barcelona wanted him) because he is a world class defender. But Daniel is very committed to Liverpool. He is one of the players that has really impressed me.

“If we are talking about loyalty, he was one of the first players I talked to when I became manager.

“And at the time, there were a lot of big clubs looking to sign Daniel. But he gave me his word in that conversation that for as long as I wanted him to be at Liverpool, he would be here, and he has never swayed from that.

“He has a commitment to Liverpool that is so refreshing, his loyalty is impressive. He will always be wanted because he is world class.”

Liverpool have already made four signings this summer, but Rodgers and his recruitment team are currently working overtime as they look to strengthen their squad further ahead of their Premier League opener with Stoke City  a week on Saturday.

“We still have some business to do to bring in a few more players,” said the Reds boss. “And by the end of August I would hope we would have a squad that can compete.

“We need one or two players to cover positions where we are a little short, and we will maybe look to bring in one or two in the attacking areas. The window is still open until the end of this month.

“We did very well in the early part of the window. If we can add a few more, that will be really good for us.”

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa remains a target, despite the Spanish club’s reluctance to sell the Brazilian.

Liverpool tabled a £21.8m bid for the 24-year-old last week, and believe Costa would be receptive to the idea of a move. But Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Caminero insists Costa remains an integral part of their plans.  ahead of the new season.