Ruud van Nistelrooy will snub Arsenal to sign for Liverpool
Ruud van Nistelrooy is ready reject a move to Arsenal to rescue Liverpool's season.
The Real Madrid striker needs to play regular football to secure his place in Holland's World Cup squad and is expected to be allowed to leave the Bernebau at Christmas.
Rafa Benitez will not be allowed to spend his way out of Liverpool's current crisis, so must raise any funds he wants to splash in the January transfer window - or make loan signings.
Benitez was told his job at the club is completely safe, even after his team crashed out of the Champions League - with a game still left to play - on Tuesday night.
He has also been told that former Manchester United star Van Nistelrooy is ready to turn down interest from the Gunners in a bid to secure a move to Liverpool.
Liverpool's budget planning means they will not make funds available until next summer, when Benitez will have at least £20million to spend on squad strengthening.
The Anfield boss has, however, identified a pressing need to enhance a strike force that has managed just four goals in their five Champions League games so far, a meagre total rendered even less impressive by the fact they have twice played Debrecen, the worst team in the competition.
Van Nistelrooy has already fielded some discreet enquiries from the Emirates Stadium, but he has told his advisors that he would prefer a move back to the north west of England and a switch to Anfield, if - as seems likely - he is allowed to leave Real Madrid at Christmas.
The Dutch striker knows he must play more football if he is to feature in next summer's World Cup finals, and has little chance of doing that at the Bernabeu, where he is behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain and Raul in the Real pecking order.
As back-up to injury stricken Fernando Torres at Liverpool, he would get more opportunities to play, and Benitez is now weighing up his options as he creates a blueprint to sort out his impoverished attacking options.
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(I cut down the quote as it was all about the bin-dippers)
but what a load of pony..... (sorry about that pun)
