Rafa top of the swaps

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants to snap up Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones in a swap deal involving outof-favour Ryan Babel. But he can only afford the £11million-rated Trinidad & Tobago target man if Babel goes to Steve Bruce's club.

The Kop manager has limited funds and cannot match Birmingham and Stoke if it comes to a straight cash auction for 25-year-old Jones.

However, Benitez has let leading agents work on his behalf to set up a potential swap involving Dutchman Babel, who is also rated at £11m by the Anfield outfit.

Liverpool believe Jones would fancy joining them and playing alongside Fernando Torres - or taking the Spaniard's place if he has to rest his injury.

Jones is not excited by the idea of joining Birmingham or Stoke, who have a lower profile. Liverpool may drop their valuation on Babel - Sunderland rate him at £8m - to make the move happen. Bruce's interest has heightened because his bid for German striker Kevin Kuranyi, 27, at Schalke, looks doomed over the player's £130,000-a-week pay demands.

Babel, 23, has also been a target for ambitious Birmingham in the past few days but they came up short of the valuation and the Liverpool squad man is reluctant to go to the Blues.

Benitez has other strikers in mind, including Aston Villa's Anfield old boy Emile Heskey.

But Jones - a 6ft 2in powerhouse frontman when he is in the mood - is his first choice.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.