Liverpool agree Bowyer fee
Friday, July 12, 2002
Article summary
Leeds United AFC have accepted a €14.1m bid for Lee Bowyer from Liverpool FC.
Article body
Liverpool FC are set to strengthen their squad ahead of their second UEFA Champions League campaign after agreeing a €14.1m fee with FA Premiership rivals Leeds United AFC for midfield player Lee Bowyer.
Personal terms
Bowyer, who scored six goals in Leeds' 2000/01 Champions League campaign, has been transfer-listed for some time by his club, and the 25-year-old will now discuss personal terms with Liverpool having decided not to stay at Elland Road despite the arrival as coach of Terry Venables, formerly in charge of England.
'His decision'
Club spokesman Ian Cotton told Liverpool's official website: "We have agreed a fee with Leeds for Lee Bowyer. They have given us permission to talk with the player." Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale confirmed: "He only had a year to go on his contract and something had to be done. Obviously we do not want to lose Lee, but he has made his decision not to sign a new contract."
Record fee
London-born Bowyer signed for Leeds in 1996 from Charlton Athletic FC for €4.4m, then a British record for a teenager. He was capped 13 times by the England Under-21 side, but is yet to appear for the senior national team after being temporarily excluded from selection by the Football Association during a recent criminal trial, when he was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
European form
However, despite his off-field troubles he has emerged as one of his country's finest midfield talents, his commitment, tough tackling, clever passing and goalscoring ability particularly shown in Leeds' run to the Champions League semi-finals on their only appearance in the competition - Bowyer's goal tally of six adding to the five he registered in the 1999/00 UEFA Cup, when his club also made the last four. He also claimed a double in Leeds' 4-2 victory against ES Troyes Aube Champagne in last season's UEFA Cup, a competition in which the Elland Road side again compete in 2002/03.
England reunion
His new club begin their Champions League campaign in the first group stage after finishing second in last season's Premiership, when Bowyer could team up with former England U-21 colleagues Steven Gerrard, Daniel Murphy, Emile Heskey and Jamie Carragher.
