Thursday, January 07, 2010

Liverpool's Rafael Benítez Unlikely To Be Flush In January Transfer Window


Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez is unlikely to be handed a significant January transfer budget despite hoping to raise around £15 million from the departures of Andriy Voronin, Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena.

The Anfield club will turn down an £8 million offer for Babel, the Dutch international winger, from Birmingham and are unlikely to settle for anything but a marginal loss on the £11.5 million Benítez paid to bring the 23 year-old from Ajax in 2007.

A number of clubs – including the Dutch trio of PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and Ajax and the Italian team Fiorentina – are believed to be keen to secure Babel's signature.

Dossena, meanwhile, was due to be presented as a Napoli player on Tuesday after the Serie A side agreed a £4.4 million deal with Liverpool, as well as a further £200,000 dependent on success, but could not travel to Italy because of the closure of the city's John Lennon airport.

He is expected to finalise a four-year contract by the end of the week, while Voronin, the Ukrainian striker, is due to speak with CSKA and Dynamo Moscow over a £1.5 million move.

Liverpool plan to offer goalkeeper Pepe Reina and midfielder Javier Mascherano new contracts to secure their long-term futures at Anfield, money that will bite into Benítez's funds.

The Spaniard remains confident of securing Maxi Rodriguez this week on an initial six-month loan with a view to a permanent move, but will have to pay a £1 million fee, as well as agreeing a wage package for a player on £85,000 a week at Atletico Madrid.

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