Babel offer presents a real conundrum for Rafa
Liverpool look set to complete an 18 month deal for Atletico Madrid right winger/attacking midfielder Maxi Rodriguez over the weekend. The reds are expected to pay around £1.5M for the player who will be out of contract in the summer.
The Argentine is keen to cement a place in the national squad ahead of the World Cup and has been re-assured about first team football. He is believed to be taking a significant pay cut to join Liverpool.
Meanwhile, debt-ridden Liverpool are waiting on the funds to be released as Andrea Dossena moves to Napoli. The Italian left back had a medical with the Italian club yesterday and the deal is set to be completed imminently. Liverpool will receive €5M for the player (£4.5M). Dossena failed to hold down a place at Liverpool after arriving for £7M in the summer of 2008.
Andriy Voronin has almost completed a £2M transfer to Dinamo Moscow. The player arrived at Liverpool on a free transfer but spent last season away on loan in the Bundesliga. He hasn’t featured for the reds since an extra-ordinarily poor appearance against Lyon away.
As we know Ryan Babel has been targeted by Birmingham in a £9M move. Liverpool are believed to be giving serious consideration over the deal.
The state of the reds finances is such that Benitez is concerned that all the transfer income will once again disappear in to the club’s financial black hole and he is reluctant to let Babel leave without being allowed to bring in a new striker.
That player could be Marouane Chamakh, the Bordeaux striker who is out of contract in the summer. and is also being chased by Arsenal. The reds hope to land the player on a pre-contract agreement but a move would not occur until July.
With no money available, and the owners yet again likely to take profit from the club, what do you think Rafa should do with Ryan Babel? Cash in now or hope someone buys in the summer?
We will continue to update the latest deals as and when they come through both on Anfield Online and via our twitter page which can be found here.