FERNANDO TORRES TO BE FORCED OUT BY THE CREDIT CRUNCH?

Mat Jam

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has placed Jermaine Pennant at evens to be the first Liverpool player out the door in the upcoming transfer window as the credit crunch continues to take massive wet bites out of Liverpool FC's working capital.

What Keith Said

Football Finance expert Keith Harris has publically declared that a great deal of top English clubs, Liverpool included, are coming under increased pressure from banks thanks to their heavily leveraged financial predicaments. With Liverpool heading further and further into the financial netherworld, speculation is rife that a few big name reds could be on their way out the door.

To Torres or not to Torres

The big name, and surely the biggest potential payday, that competing clubs are looking to poach is high-flying striker Fernando Torres. With Chelsea and Manchester City both still flush with cash and looking to add striking options to their sides, Liverpool fans are starting to confront the unfathomable. Paddy Power considers Torres a 22/1 shot to be sold off to raise funds to pay down debts used to buy the club.

Xabi Alonso (11/2), Daniel Agger (15/2) and Ryan Babel (11/1) are all strong candidates for the axe. Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are both the unlikely candidates listed at 25/1 to one.

Either way you slice it, Pennant is surplus to requirements at Liverpool and could probably tempt the likes of an Everton or a Portsmouth looking to add some reinforcements out wide.

First Player To Be Sold By Liverpool

Evs Pennant

11/2 Alonso

15/2 Agger

11/1 Babel

12/1 Kuyt

12/1 Mascherano

16/1 Keane

16/1 Skrtel

22/1 Torres

25/1 Gerrard

25/1 Carragher