Liverpool are to increase their bid for Fernando Morientes to £5 million, though the striker will seek a private meeting with the newly-appointed Real Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo before committing himself to leaving the Bernabeu.
Morientes has been reduced to a bit-part role at Madrid this season, falling behind Ronaldo, Raul and Michael Owen in the pecking order to the extent that he has yet to score a goal in the Spanish League. That had convinced him that his future lay on Merseyside.
Now, his agent Gines Carvajal will seek clarification from Luxemburgo, appointed yesterday, over his client's position at Real, though Liverpool remain confident the player will still want to move. Luxemburgo is unlikely to offer Morientes the immediate guarantee of first-team football and may try to bring the Santos forward Robinho to Spain, pushing Morientes further out of the picture.
Madrid's president Florentino Perez had rejected an opening £3.5 million bid and hoped to raise nearer £7 million for Morientes - the alternative was to be granted first refusal on Steven Gerrard and a radically reduced fee for Morientes, which Liverpool have resisted.
Perez is now likely to accept a £5 million offer for a player who has publicly stated his desire to move to Merseyside and who has 18 months to run on his contract.
Furthermore, Real are aware they will need to soften their stance to receive even that fee given Liverpool have already threatened to turn elsewhere.
Newcastle, who had made contact with Real to check on Morientes' availability, have since dropped their interest.
Morientes is cup-tied in Europe and Rafael Benitez was intent on not paying over the odds for a player who can play only domestically for the rest of this season. If he moves in the next few days, the Spaniard would theoretically be available to make his debut in the FA Cup tie with Burnley at Turf Moor on January 8th.
Meanwhile, Morientes himself has reiterated his desire to move to Anfield telling Liverpool's website: "Yes, I am going to England - I have decided. I will go to Liverpool and for many reasons.
"The main reason is the coach Rafa Benitez. He is Spanish and knows me perfectly, which is worth a lot for a professional.
"We have asked Real Madrid to make a fast solution and I don't want to expand any further, except to say I am already looking through the English dictionary."