Costly Riera a gamble for frustrated Benítez

At £9m, and with a previous failure in England to his name while at Manchester City, Rafa Benítez’s decision to acquire Albert Riera from Espanyol is a surprising one.

The 26-year-old left-sided midfielder has proved a diligent performer for his Spanish club, including playing an integral role in their run to the 2007 Uefa Cup final, in which he scored a goal against Sevilla and acted as the inspiration behind the underdog’s courageous performance. Yet his value seems to have been subjected to a gross inflation.

Everton have also attempted to sign the winger but despite offering considerably more than their rivals, Riera informed his employers that only Liverpool interest him. Just two years ago, when Manchester City took him on loan, Riera was available for purchase at a mere £3.5m but Stuart Pearce rejected the opportunity after observing the Spaniard for five months. Now, a more mature and consistent player, his value has soared despite an obvious desire to leave a middling Espanyol side.

In May, he stated his yearning to quit the club, “I do not want to be part of a club that does not take care of or protect its players. I do not know if I will go to Liverpool or any other team. “It would be best for everyone concerned because I know that my transfer would clearly be beneficial. I do not want to cause any problems.”

Like with the Dimitar Berbatov saga, a player’s longing to leave means it’s a buyer’s market – and Espanyol may be forced to lower their asking price if nothing has been agreed by the weekend. Keeping an unhappy player at a club can be like shooting yourself in the foot, especially with four months between now and the next opportunity to sell, meaning Espanyol are likely to negotiate with Liverpool though a sum much below £7m appears improbable.

Riera will be the likely face on Liverpool’s left-side this season, but for so long it seemed an Englishman would be filling that position. However, Benítez’s attempts to sign Gareth Barry have never progressed despite four months of waiting, wrangling with the owners and rows with Aston Villa putting a stop to all negotiations. The eventual negotiation was actually made by Benítez – he was forced to quit his pursuit of Barry because of the over-sized price tag and instead he had to compromise for a player who still has much to prove.

Espanyol finished 12th last year and Riera has never been a prolific goalscorer, having netted just eight times in 72 games in La Liga, totaling 12 in 94 matches while overall he has a disappointing record of 28 in 229 matches.

Benítez’s gamble is one he could blame on the thriftiness of Liverpool’s owners but nonetheless if and when Riera signs, he becomes the responsibility of the manager. And to justify the hefty fee, his second spell in England must be far superior to his first back in 2006. Having made a solid start to the new campaign the effectiveness, or not, of a new left-winger might prove crucial in Liverpool’s title drive.