It seems that Rafa is being held to ransom for this La Liga star, but I am sure that Benitez will not go any higher for the Spanish international.
Liverpool are back in the hunt for want-away Espanyol winger Albert Riera – but will not allow themselves to get caught up in a bidding war.
Manager Rafael Benitez is lining up a £9m offer for the former Manchester City winger but will resist the Spanish club’s attempts to inflate his value.
Espanyol initially insisted that Riera would only be allowed to leave if a club triggered his release clause of £16m, way beyond what Liverpool are prepared to pay.
They are ready to come down to accepting £12m but Benitez will be loathe to pay over the odds for the 26-year-old. (Daily Post)
The Barcelona-based club are being more than a touch unrealistic in their valuation of the left sided player. Riera has already made it clear he wants to move on, but he isn’t the kind of player Benitez will spend a fortune on, and nor should he. Do Liverpool fans agree that anything more than £9m would be too much for this guy?