Rafael Benítez is facing another financial balancing act in the January transfer window as he attempts to revive Liverpool's floundering season with a budget unlikely to stretch beyond loan signings and player exchanges.
The Liverpool manager is desperate for additions to improve the depth and morale of a squad languishing in eighth place in the Premier League and relegated from the Champions League to the Europa League. He is particularly keen to increase Liverpool's striking options in a campaign where injury to Fernando Torres has brought an over-reliance on David Ngog, but his spending will again be restricted to what he can raise through sales. Offloading unwanted players in January, when managers are often reluctant to spend, increases the complications for the Spaniard.
Benítez spent only what he brought into Anfield from transfers in the summer, albeit with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and Yossi Benayoun signing new long-term contracts, as Liverpool began to reduce the £310m debt loaded on to the club by the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
With their search for new investment yet to come to fruition, the manager will be in an identical predicament in the next transfer window unless the owners – who have either sold or are in the process of selling sporting franchises in the United States – respond to the threat of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League by reinvesting in the squad.
The Liverpool manager has received no indication that is the case and therefore plans to raise funds for a forward by finding a buyer or an exchange for Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degen. All four are deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield, despite Dossena starting Saturday's abysmal defeat at Portsmouth in place of Benayoun, and will be sold should the opportunity arise. Benítez could be restricted to loan deals if the four remain in situ.
Voronin was reluctantly retained by the Liverpool manager in the summer only when it became apparent he did not have the resources to invest in a new striker. The Ukraine international enjoyed a successful loan spell at Hertha Berlin last season and several Bundesliga clubs remain interested in his services, although the 30-year-old's agent has ruled out a return to Hertha despite Voronin being ostracised by Benítez since the Champions League draw at Lyon. Napoli are among the clubs keen to take Dossena, a £7m flop, back to Italy, although they balked at Liverpool's asking price in the summer. Babel represents the most saleable asset of the four.
Javier Mascherano will spend his suspension recovering from the knee ligament injury sustained while collecting his red card against Portsmouth's Tal Ben Haim. has been banned for four matches for his second suspension of the season – and will miss league games against Wolves, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur plus the FA Cup third-round tie at Reading as a result – but faces three weeks out with injury. "The player had a scan which confirmed the medical team's initial diagnosis that he suffered a medial ligament sprain in his left knee," a Liverpool spokesperson confirmed. "He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks."
Another injury victim, Alberto Aquilani, is reported to have visited the doctor in Belgrade who came to prominence for treating Arsenal's Robin van Persie with fluid from a placenta. The midfielder has been hampered by injuries since a summer move from Roma, the latest problem being with a calf.
The Liverpool manager is desperate for additions to improve the depth and morale of a squad languishing in eighth place in the Premier League and relegated from the Champions League to the Europa League. He is particularly keen to increase Liverpool's striking options in a campaign where injury to Fernando Torres has brought an over-reliance on David Ngog, but his spending will again be restricted to what he can raise through sales. Offloading unwanted players in January, when managers are often reluctant to spend, increases the complications for the Spaniard.
Benítez spent only what he brought into Anfield from transfers in the summer, albeit with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and Yossi Benayoun signing new long-term contracts, as Liverpool began to reduce the £310m debt loaded on to the club by the owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
With their search for new investment yet to come to fruition, the manager will be in an identical predicament in the next transfer window unless the owners – who have either sold or are in the process of selling sporting franchises in the United States – respond to the threat of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League by reinvesting in the squad.
The Liverpool manager has received no indication that is the case and therefore plans to raise funds for a forward by finding a buyer or an exchange for Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degen. All four are deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield, despite Dossena starting Saturday's abysmal defeat at Portsmouth in place of Benayoun, and will be sold should the opportunity arise. Benítez could be restricted to loan deals if the four remain in situ.
Voronin was reluctantly retained by the Liverpool manager in the summer only when it became apparent he did not have the resources to invest in a new striker. The Ukraine international enjoyed a successful loan spell at Hertha Berlin last season and several Bundesliga clubs remain interested in his services, although the 30-year-old's agent has ruled out a return to Hertha despite Voronin being ostracised by Benítez since the Champions League draw at Lyon. Napoli are among the clubs keen to take Dossena, a £7m flop, back to Italy, although they balked at Liverpool's asking price in the summer. Babel represents the most saleable asset of the four.
Javier Mascherano will spend his suspension recovering from the knee ligament injury sustained while collecting his red card against Portsmouth's Tal Ben Haim. has been banned for four matches for his second suspension of the season – and will miss league games against Wolves, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur plus the FA Cup third-round tie at Reading as a result – but faces three weeks out with injury. "The player had a scan which confirmed the medical team's initial diagnosis that he suffered a medial ligament sprain in his left knee," a Liverpool spokesperson confirmed. "He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks."
Another injury victim, Alberto Aquilani, is reported to have visited the doctor in Belgrade who came to prominence for treating Arsenal's Robin van Persie with fluid from a placenta. The midfielder has been hampered by injuries since a summer move from Roma, the latest problem being with a calf.
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