Liverpool forced to wait: Mark Gonzalez is almost certain to be loaned out to a Spanish club until the end of the season, when Liverpool will again apply for a work permit for the youngster.
The deal, believed to be around £4 million, for the 21-year-old to join Liverpool from Albacete, is virtually completed with terms agreed with the player and his Spanish Second Division club.
Liverpool have been unable to complete the deal because the contract cannot be put into place without a work permit - but they are in a position to "control" the future of the player.
They were refused a work permit at the beginning of the season and cannot apply for another one until the summer - and that has frustrated their attempts to bring the Chile international to Anfield. But Anfield sources now confirm that the chances of the club being able to speed up the issue of a permit are as unlikely as Gonzalez acquiring a Spanish passport.
Now Benitez is likely to agree to the player - who has just recovered from a lengthy knee injury - being loaned out to a Spanish club for the rest of the season before joining Liverpool in the summer, when he will almost certainly acquire a Spanish passport anyway and be able to move to Anfield without the need of a work permit.
And it is likely that Espanyol will be the club he will join for the rest of the campaign on loan, although that has not been confirmed as yet.
Liverpool will unveil new signing Jan Kromkamp today after the Dutch World Cup prospect successfully completed his medical. Kromkamp has joined Liverpool as part of a swap deal which has taken full back Josemi to Villarreal, the former Malaga man completing his end of the deal on Monday.
It is becoming a busy week for Liverpool now the transfer window has opened, with the first new face into the club being 17-year-old winger Paul Anderson who has completed his move from Hull in exchange for midfielder John Welsh, who has been on loan with the Tigers all season.
Liverpool also have Deportivo Saprissa winger Christian Bolanos on trial at the club, after the 21-year-old excelled in the World Club Championship semi-final in Tokyo last month.
The Anfield club also aim to complete the £5.5million signing of 24-year-old centre back Daniel Agger from Brondby by the weekend.
Maniche a done deal
Chelsea last night completed the loan signing of midfielder Maniche as the Portugal international linked up with Jose Mourinho for the third time in his career.
Maniche has joined from Dynamo Moscow until the end of the season, when Chelsea will consider whether to spend up to £5million on his acquisition.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who also played under Mourinho at Benfica and Porto, will provide cover while Michael Essien is injured or away at the African Nations Cup finals.
Didier Drogba will fly to the African Nations Cup after this weekend's FA Cup third round after Chelsea gave up hope of the Ivory Coast international delaying his trip to meet up with his African Nations Cup team-mates on the scheduled date of January 7th, rather than pushing for special dispensation.
Not all good for Leeds
Leeds will face a heavy bill should they achieve promotion. The Elland Road club will have to pay £5 million to the consortium of creditors known as the bondholders on their return to the English Premiership.
More than £60 million of debts were restructured following negotiations between the Adulant Force consortium and the bondholders. Though much of the debt was written off, some was deferred, leading to more payments that are applicable now and in the future.
Most significant is the £5 million payable to the bondholders on August 30th of a promotion year. If Leeds fail to secure promotion by May 2009, that £5 million sum will then be payable on August 30th of that same year.
The Insolvency Service yesterday released a statement clearing former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale and the erstwhile directors Allan Leighton and Stephen Harrison as well as the former non-executive director Richard North of any purposeful wrong-doing in the events that led to the financial collapse of the club.
Guardian Service
In Brief . . .
Graeme Souness, under mounting pressure at Newcastle United, said last night he would not resign no matter how bad things got on and off the pitch."Let me make something perfectly clear," said a defiant Souness, "there is no chance of me resigning no matter what happens. I'll say that again - no matter what happens." . . . Manchester United target Patrice Evra (24) has been told by Monaco he will not play for the club again until his future is sorted . . . Everton are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Francesco Toldo (34) . . . Birmingham are poised to make Celtic striker Chris Sutton (32) their first signing during the transfer window while Preston have confirmed their interest in Bhoys midfielder Stephen Pearson (23) . . . Newcastle United midfielder Scott Parker will be out of action for a month after having knee surgery . . . Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue has been ruled out of action for eight weeks with a knee injury . . . Sunderland have lost their appeal for wrongful dismissal over Steve Caldwell's sending-off against Fulham.
