From what I know, Chile have risen into the top 70 of the international world ranking, so this means that he will be eligible for a work permit, as long as a deal is in place with Albacate then he should be able to arrive in January.
I wasn’t aware of this, I don’t work for the home office! But I'm sure the fact that there is a change in the conditions means that there is some sort of appeal available, if not then he will be able to get a Spanish passport in the summer, which means all this work permit nonsense will be irrelevant.
I heard that Liverpool had applyed for a 6 month work permit on the grounds he was an exceptionally gifted footballer, Chiles improvement in the World Rankings and that he would be gaining European Citizenship in the Summer, there for he would only need this permit on a temporary basis.
He said a while ago that he should be in Anfield in 2 weeks!!! That was a month ago. He also said hes light training now and should be able to play in a friendly in 1 month which means he might be able to play for us from Feb/March onwards!!!!
Espanyol want to replace Manchester City new boy Albert Riera with Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez.
The Montjuic club have already confirmed that winger Riera is linking up with City on loan, with a view to a permanent deal at the end of the season.
Gonzalez is viewed as an ideal replacement as his previous displays for Albacete proved he is capable of making a great impact in La Liga.
Rafa Benitez wanted to rely on the Chile international to provide some width to his side but the move to Anfield has been plagued by work permit problems.
A temporary switch to Espanyol may suit all parties if Benitez is unable to unravel the red tape in order to get Gonzalez available on Merseyside.
The 21-year-old wide man has already been the subject of an enquiry from the Catalan club but other teams would be interested in acquiring his services.
Valencia's Mario Reguerio is another option but Gonzalez is understood to be one of the priority names on the list of targets for Espanyol.