wee_boi888 wrote:This is a post on RAWK with an article by David Maddock from the Daily Mirror - none of this post other than this first sentence is by me :P
I know that the Mark Gonzalez work-permit saga has been discussed elsewhere, but bear with me. Because I think David Maddock has outlined a reasonable thesis in today's DAILY MIRROR:
RAFA Benitez was handed the key to his summer spending war chest last night when Mark Gonzalez was finally granted a work permit to play in England.
The Chile winger will now officially join the Liverpool squad, and that will allow the Anfield boss to sell off a number of players, with Harry Kewell likely to be the highest profile casualty.
Gonzalez was overjoyed last night to hear that the Department of Work and Pensions had granted his application, a year after he was turned down.
Benitez's entire summer transfer plans were based on the assumption that the Chile international would get his work permit.
The Liverpool boss needs funds to bring in his top two targets, striker Dirk Kuyt of Feyenoord and Seville rightsided midfielder Daniel Alves, who between them will cost £20million.
Liverpool have the money to buy one but Benitez must sell to raise the cash for the other, and it seems that the arrival of Gonzalez will offer him the leeway to sell players.
The winger who has been on loan at Real Sociedad for a year will be an automatic first choice on the left of midfield, which means that Kewell will be forced to play a bit-part role or leave Anfield. The latter is likely and Benitez will hope to raise funds from the sale of the Australian. Already, Bayern Munich and Tottenham have shown an interest.
Benitez will also hope to sell defenders Djimi Traore and Jan Kromkamp, while Dietmar Hamann has gone to Manchester City.
Already, the Liverpool boss has offloaded Fernando Morientes to Valencia for around £2million, along with youngsters like Zak Whitbread, David Raven, Robbie Foy and Darren Potter.
The Anfield chief will also finally get rid of long-term loan players like Bruno Cheyrou, Salif Diao, Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle this summer, freeing up funds to make his move for his top two targets.
Benitez was clearly delighted with the arrival of Gonzalez yesterday.
His performances in Spain's La Liga attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid, and Benitez has revealed that he has already turned down bids for the winger that offered to double his initial outlay.
He said: "Mark is a player the supporters will like to see. He is an exciting left winger who can cross good balls and beat defenders."
Gonzalez said: "I have always said I wanted to play for Liverpool, and even when I had to wait a year I still wanted that more than anything.
"The manager showed faith in me by signing me and waiting for me, and I want to repay that."
The hiatus on some fronts (notably Alves and Kuyt) has certainly been frustrating. But even though everybody was pretty confident of Gonzalez getting his work permit this time around it makes sense that we did not act precipitatively. Now that we have Gonzalez active, with a fit-again Zenden as capable back-up, perhaps it will make sense to cash in on Harry "never-doubted-his-ability-but-what-about-the-commitment" Kewell?
The MIRROR's Maddock is generally regarded as having good contacts within the club. And this piece does at least seem to have some logic to it, rather than the usual slung together bits of rubbish you see in the tabs.
When did Potter and Foy leave, and what how does getting rid of Kewell and replacing him with Gonzalez have any baring on potenitally getting rid of Krompkamp, that article is a load of rubbish.
Potter hasnt left he's back at Liverpool cause Southampton didnt want him.
) and Kewell 
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