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Daniel Agger transfer latest: Liverpool defender 'breaks down in tears' after requesting to leave amid Arsenal and Barcelona interest

Agger is a transfer target for the Catalans but could also replace Thomas Vermaelen at Arsenal

Jack de Menezes
Thursday 07 August 2014 15:34 BST
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Daniel Agger is a transfer target for Barcelona and Arsenal
Daniel Agger is a transfer target for Barcelona and Arsenal

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is so determined to leave Liverpool that he is reported to have broken down into tears as he pleaded with manager Brendan Rodgers to let him leave the club.

Barcelona remain the favourites for the Reds’ vice-captain, but Arsenal are also said to be looking at the Dane should they allow Thomas Vermaelen to leave the club.

Agger has been linked with an Anfield exit for some time, but the arrival of former Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren appears to have sealed Agger’s fate.

According to The Mirror, Agger held a one-to-one conversation with Rodgers in the changing room during the club’s tour of the United States as part of their International Champions Cup campaign. Agger is believed to have expressed his desire to leave the club to the Northern Irishman, before being consoled by his team-mates after breaking down into tears.

The 29-year-old was restricted to 23 appearances last season through a run of poor form and injuries, and he has since fallen down the pecking order under Rodgers with Martin Skrtel enjoying a strong run in the Reds’ defence.

Agger has made 232 appearances for the Merseyside club in an eight-year spell, having joined from Danish side Brondby for £6m.

He has also gone on to become a key figure in the Denmark national team, having made 64 appearances for his country who he now captains.

With Barcelona set to sign either Agger or Vermaelen as the replacement for Carlos Puyol, the future of both players remains unclear as the transfer market awaits to unravel in terms of the centre-back merry-go-round. Should either United or Barcelona move for the Belgian, it could trigger an immediate move for Agger, who appears to have made it perfectly clear that his future does not lie in Liverpool.

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