• Premier League

Rodgers refused to pay over the odds for Sigurdsson

Brendan Rodgers plans to move into the transfer market © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Oscar not interested in Tottenham
  
• News: Spurs want £40m from Real for Modric
  
• News: Rodgers tells Liverpool squad: Believe in me or leave
  
• News: Spurs sign up Sigurdsson
  

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has explained that Gylfi Sigurdsson ended up signing for Tottenham because he refused to go a penny above the financial package agreed with the player at Swansea.

Sigurdsson played for Rodgers at Swansea last season, and had been set to join the club until Rodgers left for Liverpool. When the new Reds boss revealed his continued interest in the Icelander, it was expected Sigurdsson would simply switch his attention to Merseyside.

However, Liverpool were joined in the hunt by Spurs, who eventually lured the 22-year-old to White Hart Lane in what seemed a strong snub to the fading Premier League giants.

Rodgers explains that the decision did not come down to Tottenham being more attractive than Liverpool, insisting he expected Sigurdsson to stick to the wages he had accepted at Swansea - something the midfielder would not do.

"He wasn't playing at Hoffenheim, I brought him to Swansea and he did very well for me there, scoring seven goals in 19 games and was very good," Rodgers said.

"He and I both sat and spoke and believed that playing football was going to be the most important aspect for him. But obviously it was important financially so we agreed a deal for him to go to Swansea and that was wrapped up.

"I then became the Liverpool manager and that then wasn't something that was going to happen at Swansea so he then had a choice of where he wanted to go. I knew what the market was and I wasn't prepared to pay anything over what I had known was agreed before.

"Liverpool would have provided Gylfi with a wonderful opportunity to perform with a manager that he knows and at a club which is a real footballing institution.

"But he's decided to go to Tottenham, for whatever reason. I wish him the best, he's a good kid and there's no ill feeling. We've got other targets and we'll move on."

Rodgers admits he has identified several areas where he can improve the playing staff at Liverpool. Fans of the club can expect to see their new boss make a move in the near future.

"I've got a bunch of wonderful players here," Rodgers told the official Liverpool website. "I'm going to take time to have a look at that. I believe there's one or two areas that I'll need to improve on for sure but overall the core of the group is strong.

"But like any manager, you want to add the other pieces that can complete your jigsaw and that's something that we're doing over a period of time.

"This window for the summer, you either had to get your business in early or it was going to run over towards the end of the window, just purely because of all the games and holidays and championships and everything that was going on.

"We're doing a lot of work off the field in terms of potential players to come in, but it will only be a certain type of player that will fit the model here at Liverpool."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.