Four players for January?

Today it is reported that former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez wants to sign his earlier pupil Lucas Leiva. The Daily Mail says Inter manager Benitez is hoping to shore up his midfield after being humiliated by Spurs.

However, in this blog we consentrate on players rumoured coming in.

One rumour that keeps coming back is that about Hodgson being ready to break the bank to sign Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.

Manchester United and Manchester City have been linked with Llorente in recent weeks.However, Radio Cadena Ser says Hodgson, armed with cash from new club owners NESV, is willing to meet Llorente's €36 million buyout clause to bring the striker to Merseyside in January, TribalFootball reports.

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My personal opinion is that I don't think Hodgson will be given this kind of cash to sign one player. Llorente may be a quality player, but i do belive Hodgson and NESV will focus on younger and cheaper alternatives.

Yesterdays I reported on the new Director of Football Strategy being brought in - Damien Comolli.

He believes Tottenham will struggle to keep hold of talented Gareth Bale.

Comolli, who brought Bale to Spurs, suggested the club will have to battle to hold on to him.

- Spurs are desperate to hold on to Gareth but I know last summer there were big, big clubs sniffing around. If they are ambitious and want to do well in the future they have to keep hold of him and Champions League football should help them do that, he says according to Triballfootball.

Maybe a January transfer target for Liverpool?

The same Comolli could also be instrumental in bringin Saint-Etienne captain Blaise Matuidi to Liverpool, The Daily Mail suggests.

Comolli rates the tough-tackling France midfielder very highly and

along with Arsenal, Liverpool were already tracking the £7million-rated 23-year-old. But Comolli's arrival from the French club gives them the upper hand in prising one of France's most promising prospects from Ligue 1.

Comolli quit Saint-Etienne on Tuesday before his move to Liverpool was revealed. He fought hard to keep Matuidi at the French club but admitted that the lure of huge club would be hard to resist.

- I'm not being naive, I know it will be difficult to keep him and know he will end up in England or one of the top clubs in Europe. Whoever comes for him, it will cost them a lot of money, he said last month. 

Another new name this week is Preston North Ends defender Sean St Ledger.

Villa scouts have watched the Republic of Ireland international regularly while Liverpool assistant boss Sammy Lee has also run the rule over the 25-year-old, The Daily Mail reports.

St Ledger has recaptured his form and fitness after a difficult past 18 months where he saw a move to Middlesbrough collapse and tentative inquiries from Celtic come to nothing.

However, Preston are struggling to shed their debts and will be willing to listen to offers in January with an asking price of around £4million.