Liverpool's bid of £9 million for La Liga target is £10 million short
Liverpool's opening bid of £9 million for Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera has been rejected and the Spanish club have now set Liverpool a price of £19 million for Riera.
Riera, 26, has been linked with a move to Liverpool for several weeks now as it has become clear that Rafa Benitez is keen to add a winger to the Liverpool ranks. Riera has previous Premier League experience with Manchester City where he spent one season on loan.
The Spanish international previously stated his desire to leave Espanyol, much to the annoyance of the club's president Daniel Sanchez Libre : "We are very disappointed with the quotes made by the player last week,". "If a player wants to leave then they should speak with the club, not the press. "If a club wants to sign Riera then the price will be 24million euros (£19million), and that figure will not change."
I personally didn't think much of Riera when he was at City. I simply thought he was mediocre. I feel £19 million is a huge amount for Espanyol to ask Liverpool and I don't envisage Benitez splashing that much on a player that is yet to prove himself at the highest level.