I know Benitez has previously denied interest in David Villa but this player, or someone of his ilk, would be ideal I think, once the money from any sale of Alonso is being splashed around the market.

I see absolutely no problem with Steven Gerrard dropping a hit deeper to allow a top quality striker – especially one with Villa’s understanding of Torres’s game – to add more firepower.

It’s all very well asking Gerrard to play as the back-up forward to Torres, but what happens if the Spaniard’s injury problems resurface?

Who have Liverpool currently got who can have the same impact?

Benitez might be happy with the form being shown by some of his squad strikers in this pre- season, but then David Ngog proved last year that it doesn’t necessarily translate into the real business. Krisztian Nemeth might have looked good in scoring twice the other day but this was a friendly.

It wasn’t ultra competitive and the opposition was sub-standard anyway, so it doesn’t mean he’s ready.

And if Benitez is so pleased to have “one of the best players in the German League” back in his squad, why did he let Andriy Voronin go in the first place? Because he can’t cut it, that’s why.