Rafa ready to accept much needed cash for pair of failures.

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Andrea Dossena's agent claims a deal to take the Liverpool defender to Napoli is all but done.

Has Rafa brought another jack of all trades to Anfield or could this be another big mistake?

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Some might argue that one of the biggest problems to have hamstrung Liverpool's progress is that no one really knows where they fit in to the team.

Big money offer comes in for one of Rafa's prized assets as another is offered a new contract.

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Manchester City prepare £100m summer move for Liverpool striker Torres

The People have sensationally claimed this morning that Manchester City are preparing a sensational summer move for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres .

Fernando Torres will become the world's most expensive footballer if he leaves Liverpool in the summer.
Manchester City and Chelsea have made Torres their number one target but would have to splash out more than £140m in transfer fees and wages to land the Spanish superstar.
Not only has Torres' value eclipsed the £80m Real Madrid paid for Cristiano Ronaldo, he can anticipate a salary offer of around £15m a year given the current inflated levels for the most wanted players.

The articles about Rafa being offered money to quit are now gathering pace; and so far the club and Benitez have kept quiet on the situation, however there is an image that should be blown up outside the house of a certain Mr Purslow. Rafa is expected to leave Anfield sooner rather than later; but contrary [.

After his recent Twitter rant about being left out of Liverpool's squad for last weekend's draw with Stoke, Ryan Babel has taken it upon himself to apologize to Rafa Benitez in order to get back in the manager's good graces. The following is a transcript of that apology.

Babel: Boss?

As another manager, this time Tony Mowbray, bites the dust you can be forgiven for thinking that Rafa Benitez might actually be a cat. After all the man seems to have had as many lives. On countless occassions he has been written off and seemingly on his way out of Anfield yet much to the disdain of many he still remains.

How much money has Liverpool FC spent on transfers during the Premier League era? For the first time ever, either online or offline, here are the club's gross/net transfer figures from 1990 until 2010.
NOTES
* The figures include all transfers up to and including Roy Hodgson's activity in the transfer market.

Rafa Benitez is a very good manager. He's won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, La Liga, FA Cup, and probably a number of other less significant titles. If my memory serves me right the Spaniard also had the upper hand in his battles with the Dark Lord of Anti-Football when the Portuguese was at Chelsea.

Worrying quotes from Anfield boss.

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Rafa Benitez has conceded for the first time Liverpool will consider bids for star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

Rafa beginning to feel the heat.

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Jose Mourinho is once again lining up a sensational bid for Liverpool's £40m-rated talisman Steven Gerrard.

Birmingham City continued their fine season with an excellent victory at Goodison Park. Goals from Cristian Benitez and Barry Ferguson gave Alex McLeish's side a two goal lead that they held onto until Leon Osman grabbed one back for Everton but the St Andrews' side held on to make it to round five of the FA Cup.

By Ollie Irish

What craftsmanship!

Juventus want Rafa Benitez to replace current gaffer Ciro Ferrara (Ferrara was a great foot soldier in his playing career but he has been found wanting as a head coach). Rafa's agent, Manuel Quilon, refused to rule out a move to Italy for his client:

"Benitez to Juventus?

If money and timing were no object then these five would all be plying their trade at Anfield!

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Some of these fall into the "if money was no object category" and others are more realistic and do not require us to spend money we don't have, ala Portsmouth, and hell some wouldn't cost a penny (if we ask nicely)!

In the 4th article of a 7 part series, I take a look at how Rafa Benitez's transfer spending between 2004 and 2009 compares to Chelsea's spending over the same period.
SERIES GOAL
* To accurately report the gross/net spend of the UK's top clubs since 2004.
* To dispel the myth, exaggeration and misinformation surrounding the transfer spending of the UK's top clubs.

Anfield duo targeted by former boss.

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Inter Milan hope a bid of £33million will be enough to prise Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt from Liverpool.

Yossi Benayoun has had another go at former manager Rafa Benitez
Benayoun says the training at Chelsea is different to at Liverpool – in that they use a ball.
Benayoun has started training with his new club following his £6million summer move from Anfield.Chelsea coach Ray (BUTCH?) Wilkins said: "Yossi is doing well.

So it's come to this, a once-great European side reduced to selling their best players and bringing in a crocked creative midfielder? This isn't going to be Inter Milan's best year. Wait, that was last year, it's Liverpool this time.

When it comes to Liverpool you're guaranteed two things; Drama and impassioned fans.

For 42 minutes it was all looking so good for the first Englishman to lead a team into the Champions League since Sir Bobby Robson eight years ago. Indeed it was all looking ‘triffic'.

Then Assou-Ekotto sliced a ball wildly and needlessly out for a throw on before deciding that, actually, he didn't fancy getting too close to the Bremen striker who had got between King and Cudacinni and duly put the ball into the back of the net.

Quite a week for Gareth Bale, now universally regarded as being up there alongside Pele, sliced bread, the wheel and opposable thumbs on the list of The Best Things Anyone Has Ever Seen Anywhere, Ever. Unfortunately, and I suppose inevitably, one publication has gone completely overboard in their praise of the chap, the Daily Telegraph going to the ludicrous extent of describing Bale as "photogenic".

In October 1995, Roy Hodgson took over as manager of Inter Milan. Almost 15 years later, Rafa Benitez - Hodgson's predecessor at Liverpool - left Anfield to manager Inter. Benitez that has been in charge at Inter for 22 games now: how do his first 22 games stack up against Hodgson's first 22 games in the 1995-96 season?

There's no doubt about it, Steven Gerrard is a class player for club and country. His form is consistently excellent and he has grabbed Liverpool by the scruff of the neck to win matches which seemed lost on countless occasions. But perhaps, this is a season too far for the midfield maestro amid concerns his recent fitness and form for Liverpool.

Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Marouane Chamakh, Kenwyne Jones & Emile Heskey during this transfer window; but who do you think Rafa Benitez should try and sign? We'd all like to see David Villa lining up alongside Torres; but realistically it's never going to happen. Who do you think should be our number 1 [.

Rafa Benitez is a Dead Man Walking. The only thing that's saving him from the sack is the fact that Liverpool do not have enough money to pay out his contract and hire a decent replacement. Otherwise, he would have been axed the second after Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by Reading.

Editor's Note: Ed from Liverpool Offside and I exchange emails about Rafa Benitez in an attempt to come to some sort of conclusion about his time at Liverpool. The posts will appear both here and at Liverpool Offside. Today we're running Ed's intro and our opening statements. Part I will probably be up tomorrow, as there's no Liverpool game until Tuesday.

The Chicago Fire reconstruction project has already brought the Fire new additions Julio Martinez and Krzysztof Krol (as well as head coach Carlos De Los Cobos), but now Chicago could be moving closer to adding a new striker.

Former Fulham striker Collins John is set to join the Chicago Fire on a trial during the club's training camp in Phoenix, sources told SBI on Friday.

Jose Reina has denied Liverpool are a 'sinking ship' and insists he will not regret extending his contract.
The highly-rated goalkeeper agreed a new four-year extension at Anfield earlier in the month, meaning the 27-year-old Spanish international has committed his best years to the Merseyside outfit.

Rafa Benitez has hinted that Liverpool could swap formations against Benfica on Thursday in the absence of an established left-back.
With Emiliano Insua suspended and Fabio Aurelio injured, Benitez could shift to three at the back in the Europa League quarter-final decider.
Alternatively, the likes of Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher have all operated on the left side of a back four in the past.

Anfield readies itself for Italian swoop.

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Liverpool are preparing themselves for a big summer bid from Serie A strugglers Juventus for Dutch international Dirk Kuyt. Reports are circulating in Italy that the Old Lady of Italian football are ready to make a bid for the striker that Rafa Benitez has moulded into a right sided attacker.

Rumours have been circulating over the last few days that Carlos Tevez is far from happy at Man City and that he is on the verge of demanding a transfer with Liverpool seen as a likely destination.
At first the story was seen as pure gossip but now both the Spanish and Italian media are also running with the story and in fact the Italians are fairly confident that Tevez will be at Anfield next season partnering up with his old mate Javier Mascherano and forming a world class partnership with Fernando Torres.

Vincono le grandi. Titolo ancora in ballo, in inghilterra, ma i londinesi hanno esorcizzato l'ultimo grande pericolo e viaggiano con grande entusiasmo verso la vittoria della Premier League.
Infatti, il Chelsea espugna Anfield Road, tana del Liverpool (che paga le fatiche dell'Europa League e ha un Benitez ormai in partenza, destinazione Juventus) grazie ai "soliti noti", Drogba e Lampard, e rende vana la vittoria, di misura, del Manchester United che doma i "black cats" con la rete di Nani e torna da Sunderland con ancora qualche flebile speranza in tasca (almeno per la matematica).

Spaniard making the most of his La Liga return.

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Xabi Alonso decision to follow his heart and leave Liverpool for Real Madrid is arguably the biggest reason the Anfield side have had such an awful season and its a move that has in many ways seen the rebirth of a midfielder who had fallen into his comfort zone at a club who's boss appeared to not value his services, to the extent that Rafa Benitez openly attempted to sign Gareth Barry to replace him a few years back.

Anfield boss shows interest in up and coming German international.

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Liverpool are hoping to make a successful move for German international starlet Mesut Ozil this summer. Rafa Benitez is a big fan of the Werder Bremen attacker and hopes that he can convince the Bundesliga club to accept an offer in the region of £8m for the 21 year old.

Rafa Benitez believes Ryan Babel can maintain a prominent place in Liverpool's squad next season if he maintains his new-found focus.
Having looked at one point during the winter transfer window as if he was on the verge of joining Birmingham City in a £9m deal, the Dutch international knuckled down to feature in all bar two of the Reds' final 23 games.

By Ollie Irish

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Good morning you beautiful people. First up, a few pics of angry Liverpool fans at Anfield, burning the US flag in protest over the co-ownership of Tom 'Boss Hogg' Hicks and George 'Deputy Enos Strate' Gillett.

Anfield once again considering move for talented Dutchman.

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Reports in Holland suggest that former Liverpool target Royston Drenthe is set to leave the Bernabeu and this has led to speculation that Roy Hodgson may look to capture the talented the former Dutch Under 21 international.

Manchester City have already spent £60m on strengthening their squad ahead of a run at Premier League and European success next season, but the money men in Manchester are nowhere near ready to close out their summer spree just yet.

Another midfield purchase could be on the way to Eastlands soon in the form of Aston Villa's James Milner, but Roberto Mancini and Co.

The most anticipated English Premier League match of the weekend kicks off this morning with Liverpool taking on Arsenal in Sunday's best match of the day.

Liverpool begins life without Rafa Benitez and will take on a Gunners squad that still boasts Cesc Fabregas in its ranks.

Liverpool-Arsenal headlines a light slate of matches today, with the Sao Paulo-Cruizeiro tilt another quality match on the schedule.

Through his first 15 matches with Liverpool, Roy Hodgson has come across as a considerate, media friendly and very much the elder statesman that the board at Liverpool would have hoped. His amicable English nature is a sharp contrast to the more arrogant and abrasive Benitez. After saying and expressing all the right words prior to the start of the 2010/11 Premier League season, his tactical plan, match decisions and overall management ability are being questioned.

Inter striker, Samuel Eto'o, channels Zidane

Exciting stuff happening in Italy this weekend as Serie A's forwards continue to show us some interesting technique and skill. Last weekend, Milan's Ibrahimovic demonstrated that he could compete with De Jong in a karate contest.