Maxi Rodriguez update

Quite a few readers have been in touch asking for an update on the media reports linking Maxi Rodriguez with a move to Anfield, writes Guillem Balague

UPDATE: In the last few hours sources at Atletico Madrid have revealed that Maxi Rodriguez is on the verge of a move to another club and we believe that club to be Boca Juniors. The Argentine midfielder is eager to catch the eye of Diego Maradona, his national coach, ahead of this summer's world cup and a return to his native Argentina now appears likely. The player was left out of the Atletico Madrid squad this evening and sources in Madrid suggest that a move to Anfield has now been ruled out.

A well known agent was trying to convince Rafa Benitez to take Maxi  from Atletico Madrid to Liverpool and meetings did take place. The right winger, 29, is out of contract at the end of the season and has had problems with key members of the Atleti squad. He is no longer a captain at the Vicente Calderon and has asked the La Liga side to let him leave for Boca or another team if an offer is forthcoming.

In order for any transfer to Liverpool to have taken place, there a few hurdles would have to have been overcome: firstly his €2.5m a year salary would make him one of the best paid players at Anfield and, secondly, Liverpool only wanted him on loan and Atletico want to sell him. Liverpool, meanwhile, are expecting to sell a player in January - one from Degen, Voronin or Dossena - in order to make a move for Maxi or anybody else.  

Quite a few readers have been asking for my thoughts on Maxi and whether or not he'd be a good acquisition for Liverpool. Well, he is not the quickest winger around and has been a bit lazy in tracking back recently, but that may be as a consequence of his current state of mind and reflects a few differences of opinion with his manager and team-mates. Maxi certainly can work hard, but he's not been scoring as many goals as we have come to expect from him lately, despite having a decent average for a midfielder over his career. If - and I stress it is a big if - he were to sign for Liverpool, it would offer Benitez a specialist midfielder on the right flank -  as opposed to a converted striker - and is someone who possesses plenty of quality albeit lacking in pace.

Wherever he plays, he guarantees possession, he will get into the box and possesses good tactical acumen. However, I do have a doubt about him, primarily over his mental state after witnessing him going through the doldrums over the past 12 months in Madrid.

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