January may be over, but that doesn’t stop the rumour mill spinning as wildly as ever. Rafa Benitez is apparently looking to rid his squad of deadwood at least that is what the papers say (The Sun)
Among those destined to leave are 15m rated Xabi Alonso, who looks set to return to La Liga with Atletico Madrid and Valencia being prime candidates for the 26 year old’s signature. The midfielder’s season has been greatly curtailed through injury but he is still a quality player who is according to rumours longing for a return to his homeland.
Other players looking likely to be heading for the Anfield exit include. Norwegian wide man John Arne Riise has had a distinctly average season so far and has attracted the interest of the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham, and it does seem likely his days are numbered which is a shame because over the years he has been a good servant to the club over the last six and half years.
Peter Crouch, who I think proved his worth with a battling performance against Sunderland on the weekend, is also linked with a move away, as he has been for many months. Portsmouth, Man City and Newcastle were reportedly sniffing around the giant striker, but hopefully Rafa will see sense and off load dodgy Dirk instead!
One player that frankly should have been offloaded long ago is Harry Kewell who has been given the whole hearted support of the loyal Reds faithful for too long now, surely he has proven himself to be at best a luxury and at worst a complete waste of space. To be honest I haven’t heard of any club really willing to give him a contract, and it wouldn’t surprise me if someone from the MLS came calling!
The last player reported by this source to be set for a move from Rafa’s ranks is Andrei Voronin, which considering the efforts it took to bring in the Ukrainian in the first place seems a touch speedy given he has only been on Merseyside for a little over six months . He started with a bang and ok he has been a little muted in recent weeks but he is still a good asset and as long as he is happy to battle for his first team place just like everyone else, then I would keep him.