Liverpool close to Benayoun deal
Midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set to seal a summer switch to Liverpool, BBC Sport understands.
The West Ham playmaker and Israel international has long been linked with a move to Anfield and a £4m transfer will be finalised on Wednesday.(BBC Sport Online) 

Bellamy explains Reds exit
Craig Bellamy has revealed his desire to play regular first-team football was the main reason behind joining West Ham.
The former Newcastle and Blackburn ace left Liverpool on Tuesday in a deal costing The Hammers £7.5million.
"I'll be turning 28 this season so I want to start playing football now," he told Sky Sports News.
"I think I played 10 or 11 full games last year. I want to try and improve on that and play every week.
"Obviously with one or two more signings at Liverpool it was going to be a lot more difficult to get into the team.
"You don't walk away from Liverpool too easily, but I wanted to play football.
"It's important I play week-in, week-out to be able to lead my country out as well."
(Sky Sports)

Purse questions Fowler pursuit
Darren Purse has warned Cardiff off signing former Liverpool ace Robbie Fowler after questioning whether the club can afford his wages.
Fowler has been released by Liverpool and the Bluebirds have made it known publicly they are interested in extending his career at Ninian Park next season.
However, Purse has urged caution in the pursuit of the 31-year-old and, while he admits the striker would be a great acquisition, he says the club now need to be prudent when taking care of their finances.
"He'd be a great signing for us, but it would cost a few quid," Purse told the South Wales Echo. "You cannot put the club in jeopardy to sign one player, you have to look at the bigger picture.
"The finances are all settled now - is it worth putting the club into jeopardy for one player?"
(Clubcall Sports)

Vignal gets Saints trial
Southampton are giving a trial to former Liverpool defender Gregory Vignal.
The 26-year-old, who played 20 games for the Reds between 2000 and 2005, is available on a free transfer from Lens.
He is now due to spend pre-season at St Mary's.
Saints boss George Burley said: "He'll be here for a couple of weeks so we can take a look at him.
"He was rated one of the top young French players when he first came to England, he's keen to come back and he's here to prove himself."
(LFC Official Website)
 
Liverpool close in on Babel and Benayoun
Liverpool hope to tie up their double swoop for Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun within the next 24 hours.
Negotiations for the pair have entered a key stage, with the Reds increasingly confident of reaching agreement with Ajax and West Ham.
(Liverpool Echo) 
 
Rafa: Respect Carra
Rafa Benitez says Jamie Carragher’s decision on his international future should be respected by the whole country.
Carragher will speak to Steve McClaren again before the next international with Germany on August 22.
“In any situation like this we need to think about what’s best for the player, the club and the country,” said Benitez, who today completed the £7.5 million sale of Craig Bellamy to West Ham.
“If the player is physically and mentally fit to play in every game, it’s naturally better for his career and the country or club he’s playing for.
“That’s what Carra is thinking about because I know he is someone who never gives less than 100 per cent.
“Everyone knows he is a fantastic professional who wants to perform at the very best level possible in every game he plays.
“We must all respect any decision he makes, because it is certain he is thinking about what’s good for everyone.”
(Liverpool Echo)      Recommended: Carragher is right to ditch England
 
Houllier back to thank hospital that saved him
Former Liverpool FC manager Gerard Houllier was today returning to the hospital that saved his life, to open a new operating theatre.
He was opening the state-of-the-art operating room at the Cardiothoracic Centre in Broadgreen.
Mr Houllier had 11 hours of emergency surgery at the hospital after being struck down by a dissected aorta during a Liverpool home game
six years ago.
The new operating theatre, known as a hybrid theatre, is used for the treatment of aneurysms of the aorta, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition where part of the body’s main artery wall becomes swollen. If the swelling was allowed to rupture it could prove fatal.
Mr Houllier was flying in from France to meet heart surgeon Abbas Rashid who led the team which carried out his own repair.
(Liverpool Echo) 
  
Hammers nail Bellamy deal
West Ham have completed the signing of Craig Bellamy from Liverpool.
The Welsh international has penned a five-year deal at Upton Park after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
West Ham have paid a club record £7.5million fee to land the former Newcastle and Blackburn hit-man.
Liverpool decided to offload Bellamy as he is surplus to requirements following the signing of Fernando Torres.
Bellamy is West Ham's fourth signing of the summer following the captures of Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Richard Wright.
(TEAMtalk)

Benitez close to signing Ryan Babel
Liverpool are on the brink of making Ryan Babel their second major summer signing after tabling an improved offer for the Dutch starlet.
The Anfield outfit made an initial bid of around £10million for the 20-year-old attacker only for his club Ajax to knock back their opening gambit.
But Liverpool returned yesterday with an increased offer that is believed to be nearer to the Dutch club’s £13.5m (20m euro) valuation of the player.
Now Ajax are increasingly resigned to losing Babel, who is understood to have set his heart on a move to Anfield.
Ajax technical director Martin van Geel said: “Liverpool are serious and have made another offer of a lot more.
“Because they want him so much, it looks as if Babel will be off and Ajax will be losing him.”
The versatile Babel, who can play in attack or on either wing, has been courted by Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United in
recent months.
(Liverpool Daily Post)

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