Peter Crouch price is right, but will the owners scupper team rebuilding?
RAFA BENITEZ seems to have raised a few eyebrows with his valuation of Peter Crouch this week at £15m.
But not mine. I understand Crouch's frustration at not playing as often as he wants but personally I hope he doesn't leave, and signs the new contract on offer.
Whatever happens, to say he isn't worth that sort of money in terms of ability is plain wrong.
For me, it has been a mistake to let his contract run down to the point where he has got just a year left and where in a few months time, he can sign a pre-contract agreement elsewhere.
That's probably why some people have questioned Rafa's valuation.
But as a footballer and putting those circumstances aside, he is most certainly worth that amount.
He is a proven international footballer with a great touch and a good goals return. He has come on so
much at a great club like Liverpool as well as with England, that he must be worth that sort of figure.
Particularly if Spurs saw fit to pay Charlton £18m for Darren Bent.
If he does leave though, it seems he won't be the only one - Voronin, Riise and Pennant could be among those following him as Rafa tries to rebuild key parts of his squad for a new assault next season.
I hope that as well as Gareth Barry, we might be able to land David Bentley. It's crucial any new players we sign are those who would also be attractive to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. And I believe both Barry and Bentley would be.
It remains a worry, though, as to how the ownership crisis may affect the funds Rafa has available.
Okay, he can bring money in from sales to spend, but with Tom Hicks and George Gillett still feuding there is real uncertainty as to what new money, if any, the club will get to spend.
Obviously, the sooner Hicks and Gillett leave and sell the club the better. Particularly if their continued presence means the Reds can't compete fully in a critical tranfer market.
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The transfer spotlight is on Barry at the moment and there is no doubt that he's an excellent player - versatile, experienced, capable of a killer pass and a proven goalscorer.
However, I think David Bentley would be an excellent signing. He often gets compared to Beckham in many ways, in particular his style of play. Quite right. Bentley's a consistent, class act whose delivery is as good as anyone's in the Premier League.
Imagine it...Bentley on the right, Babel on the left (both good at cutting inside), Torres streaking through the middle with Gerrard and possibly Barry hot on his heels, snapping up the lose ball, with Mascherano providing cover in front of the back four.
I think Alonso will go in the summer clearout and I think he should go. Something's gone wrong with his game. Was it one assist all season? I don't recall too many goals either. That's what babies do to you!!!
One signing Rafa could make...Aldo as a shooting coach? Two mornings a week at Melwood might give us another dozen of more league goals. That could tip things our way in the league if we can keep our defence relatively tight. Hey, Mascherano might even get a few on target and Kuyt may rediscover his pre-Liverpool form.
Mind you, I don't think Aldo would go along with Rafa keeping Fernando on the bench to watch too many 0-0s...or hauling him off when we need a goal in the dying minutes of a Champions League semi-final.
Perhaps Rafa feared Fernando was playing with too much passion against Chelsea, like Gerrard in the Goodison derby? Tweak, my ar*e.