While Benitez was already seeking a forward after allowing Andriy Voronin to join Dynamo Moscow, his search has intensified following the knee injury suffered by Torres against Reading last week.

The Spaniard underwent successful surgery in Barcelona over the weekend to trim the meniscus in his knee and is expected to be sidelined for the next six weeks.

A bid for Jones could be funded by the sale of Babel, who may have played his last game for Liverpool with Galatasaray ready to offer the Dutchman an escape route from Anfield.

The winger has been fined the maximum two weeks’ wages after revealing on the social networking website ‘Twitter’ that he had been dropped from the squad to

face Stoke City on Saturday.

Benitez took a dim view and called Babel into his office during training on Sunday to demand an explanation for such unprofessional behaviour.

The 23-year-old claimed the Liverpool manager was ignoring calls from his agent, Winnie Haatrecht, over a transfer, only to be told the matter was being dealt with by chief scout Eduardo Macia and that he should instead concentrate on regaining his first-team place.

Babel, however, took that as a sign he was not wanted at Anfield and stormed out of Melwood, and although he accepted it was a misunderstanding and returned half-an-hour later following a phone call from a club official, the damage may already be done.

The latest fall-out has prompted a fresh approach from Galatasaray, who are among a clutch of clubs to have been alerted in recent times by Babel’s problems at Liverpool.