Rafa has launched a 15 million pound bid for Spanish starlet David Silva, but he thinks he’s going to get him that cheap he’s surely deluding himself. Valencia may be desperate to sell but they’re not that desperate.

Where it anywhere near being accepted Real, Barca, Athletico and a host of other English clubs would immediately join in the bidding to push the price level to a more suitable number for a youngest of Silva’s quality. Assuming this attempt at daylight robbery actually works, which it won’t, Silva would seem the perfect player for Liverpool on that left-hand side.

For one thing he has a left foot, which is always useful at a club, but more so he would bring the sort of pace, trickery and inventiveness that Liverpool have lacked in any real quality for a long time on their wings.

Not since the mid-90s have they really found a proper replacement for John Barnes and Steve McManaman, two of the clubs great dribblers. And with the prospect of Xabi Alonso possibly heading back to Spain still floating around in the air, Liverpool will need to find new ways to break teams down if they are to kill of the smaller and more defensive sides that wrecked what should have been a title winning season for the Reds.