Atletico star one step closer to move

Atletico Madrid midfielder Maxi Rodriguez is one step closer to joining Liverpool after admitting he is willing to take a pay cut to join the Premier League side.

Liverpool were reported to be interested in signing the Argentine international at the end of last week.

Rumours have been further fuelled as Rodriguez was left out of Atletico Madrid's team in their 2-1 win over Sevilla on Saturday.

The 29-year-old is desperate to move to Anfield in the January transfer window and play regular first-team football to ensure he makes Argentina's World Cup squad for South Africa later this year.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is looking to offload several of his own players in January, such as Andrea Dossena or Andriy Voronin, to help raise cash to fund a move for the Atletico Madrid midfielder.

However, the Red's may face competition from Boca Juniors and Juventus for the player's signature, which may result in an increase in his transfer value.

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