Rafa Benitez will let Robbie Keane leave Liverpool today - but only if Spurs are prepared to do a swap deal with Aaron Lennon.
The £20million striker was again left out of the squad for the victory over Chelsea at Anfield last night, the second time he has suffered that ignominy in a week.
When asked if Keane would still be a Liverpool player when the transfer window closes at 5pm this evening, Benitez replied: "I think so."
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is determined to bring in a striker before the deadline and tabled a £15m bid yesterday but Benitez has made it clear he is not interested in a cash only deal, because that would leave him a player short on the title run-in.
However, Mirror Sport understands that he could still be persuaded to trade the Ireland forward if Tottenham today offer Lennon-plus-cash.
That is unlikely because the Spurs boss Redknapp doesn't want to lose Lennon, and when the exchange was first mooted last week he turned it down flat.
That explains Benitez's comments, with the Anfield boss accepting that such a deal now looks a remote prospect.
Yet Redknapp desperately needs a striker after his recent signing Jermain Defoe was injured and he may just decide today to sacrifice Lennon to buy the goals that will keep Tottenham in the Premier League.
Defoe could miss the rest of the season and is currently wearing a surgical boot and waiting to see if he will need surgery.
Advertisement - article continues below »
Forex Platform - Get up to $500 Free Bonus; $10,000 Monthly Championships!
Redknapp has told chairman Daniel Levy they need to make a signing and the club have stepped up their efforts, although Roque Santa Cruz prefers Manchester City and Portsmouth do not want to sell Peter Crouch.
Benitez was in reticent mood yesterday, refusing to elaborate on his reasons for leaving Keane out of the squad.
"I will not talk about if, if, if. He's here, he's our player and that's it. I want to enjoy today.
"I think Keane will still be here after the transfer window closes. I haven't received any offers and I don't know if the club has.
"I spoke to Keane, but we were just talking about the game. He was pleased afterwards because the team won."
It was a dramatic day at Anfield as two late goals from Fernando Torres breathed fresh life in Liverpool's title challenge.
But there were angry scenes afterwards, as fans gathered to protest against the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who were both at the game.
They also chanted for chief executive Rick Parry to go, and Gillett was subjected to some hostile exchanges at his hotel before the match and was forced to escape through a side exit.
Gillett and Hicks later held talks with Benitez and it is thought they will announce today that the manager will get a new four-and-a-half-year deal, with an agreement reached over his control of all football matters.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment