Where should Rafa spend his January money?

£12 million. That is the figure being bandied around at the moment for the amount of money Rafa Benitez will be allowed to spend in the January transfer window.

The question in recent months has been whether he needs to spend but now with Liverpool's massive drop in form in the last few weeks, with only one win in the last nine games; it has become a question whether he has enough to spend.
 
The biggest problem of the January transfer window which managers and clubs are all aware of is the massive inflation of prices selling clubs put on their players. It has generally put off the top four clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, from ever buying top draw names in the window for the prices would be quite a bit smaller if they waited until the summer. It has generally been left to the clubs fighting relegation, such as Portsmouth a few years ago and Hull last year; to fight it out for over priced players for they would lose a lot more money by being relegated than gambling on expensive player purchases that might keep the club in the big time. Such decisions have cost clubs in the past, and are now evident with Hull's current financial plight.
 
The top four clubs have never needed in the past to spend big for the very reason that they are the "top four," they always qualify for the Champions League and receive the large payments that come with that honour. This season however, with Liverpool lying a lowly seventh and finding themselves eleven points behind leaders Chelsea, the priority is to ensure that they qualify for the Champions League next season, to ensure that the financial issues at the club (with £300m debt) do not spiral out of control by losing a guaranteed £15m for qualifying for the group stages of the premier European competition. The risks are too great for their current form to continue, and Benitez will be given a good sum of money to get Liverpool out of the hole they have dug for themselves. So who are they going to spend their money on? Here are three signings that are the most rumoured and I believe would help the club: 
 
Carlton Cole (West Ham) - £12 million: Rumoured to be the target of many Premier League clubs during the January transfer window. Benitez is very aware of Liverpool's current lack of firepower up front without Fernando Torres and is keen on a tall, strong English centre forward that can hold up the ball. Emile Heskey may be a cheaper option but his goal shy, injury plagued season may lead Benitez to turn to Cole who has pace, strength and can hold up the ball with exceptional skill. His aerial ability would also give the Liverpool manager a different option, an option which has also impressed the likes of England manager Fabio Capello who has been impressed enough to give the West Ham forward some England caps.
 
Rafael Van der Vaart (Real Madrid) - Loan: Van der Vaart will definitely be leaving Madrid in January and might jump at a chance of a loan move to Liverpool. It has been a difficult time for the Dutch midfielder since his move from Hamburg in August 2008 for 12 million. He has performed well when he has played, but with the change of presidency to Florentino Perez in the summer, it has led to a clear out of the Dutch players which were brought in by the previous regime under Calderon. Van der Vaart was not even given a squad number at the start of the season due to the likelihood of a move away from the Bernabeu but Madrid later relented when a sale did not materialise. A Dutch international, Van der Vaart is an attacking midfielder who can use both feet, and is known for his incisive passing and spectacular finishing from outside the box.
 
Klass-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan) - Loan: Another Dutch international, Huntelaar was a prolific goalscorer at Ajax before his move to Real Madrid in January 2009. His stay in Madrid was a less than happy one however as he was left out of the Champions League squad due in favour of Lassana Diarra. He still continued to score goals in La Liga but he was another victim of the clearout of the new regime at Real and was sold for 15 million to AC Milan in the summer. His fortunes at Milan have not improved though and has found himself outside the first team eleven. He would be another tremendous capture on loan by Rafa Benitez and would add the strength in depth needed up front. Question marks will hang over his lack of pace and strength but he is very similar to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and is a ruthless finisher in front of goal.
 
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