"Yes, I have spoken with him," was Daniel Agger's reply when asked by the Danish press if he had discussed the rumours linking him to Manchester City with manager Brendan Rodgers. "Anything else would have been strange. We have talked about transfers, about the upcoming season, and his ideas for the team and for me."
When further asked if he believes the manager wants to sell him, Agger said, "No, absolutely not. But I do not think it is his call to make. I guess the owners are the ones to make that call, just like it is in any other company."
This would appear to be at odds with much of what Rodgers said following his appointment as Liverpool manager, when he talked often about his need to have the final say on all football-related matters and further insisted he would not have taken the job without being promised just that.
"The owners probably spoke to one or two people about certain roles," were Rodgers words at the time, "but I wanted clarity on it and I didn't agree until after three discussions with them. I wanted to make sure it was going to be the case that I would be in charge of football matters. If it was anything other than that then I couldn't have said yes.
"I am better when I have control. I am not a power freak. But my point is that I need to feel that I can manage the team and have a direct clear line through to the owners. Once that becomes hazy, for me there is a problem."
With Rodgers speaking of his desire to hold on to the player while Steven Gerrard and Agger himself have spoken of his desire to remain at Liverpool—though with both saying the final decision on the matter would be up to the owners and not the manager—what happens over the next few weeks may tell us whether, in Rodgers' own words, there is a problem.