January football sales (Liverpool FC)

LIVERPOOL


Budget: Probably sell to buy. Owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are struggling to find the money to build a new stadium and they may feel they have pushed the boat out far enough.

January previous: Manager Rafael Benitez prefers to do his business in the summer but he has spent in January before. He splashed out £6.3m on Real Madrid's Fernando Morientes in 2005 and brought in Javier Mascherano on loan two years later.

What they need: Two quality full-backs would be beneficial. Alvaro Arbeloa is unconvincing, while Andrea Dossena and Phillip Degan have failed to get to grips with the Premier League. A striker in the target-man mould would appear to be a priority. Liverpool might also like to add quality on the right side.


Who they might buy: Wigan's Emile Heskey has been strongly linked to the club but he was hardly Anfield's most popular figure in his first spell at the club and this may be regarded as a retrograde step. Portsmouth's Glen Johnson might be an outside bet for the right-back slot. BBC Radio Merseyside's Mike Hughes says: "Spurs' Aaron Lennon could prove to be an astute buy, given his pace. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp could be willing to do business, with Jermaine Pennant and Yossi Benayoun as potential swap candidates, plus a cash adjustment. Maybe even more exciting for the Reds would be Standard Liege's Axel Witsel. He's quick, powerful, can score goals and can play in a variety of roles."


Who they might sell: Liverpool would love to cash in on Jermaine Pennant - a poor purchase by Benitez and who has never fulfilled his potential. Yossi Benayoun might also be in the market if Benitez can strike the right deal, either cash or exchange. There are a variety of peripheral figures in the squad but there is hardly a queue of potential purchasers.

What the fans say: "I'd like to see Michael Owen and Ashley Young join the Reds. Owen's a goal poacher, which we badly need, and Young is a player with pace who actually knows how to use it, and can score goals."