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Rafa Benítez was keen to tie up a deal for a left-side player after being told that the club would not fund his bid to prise Gareth Barry away from Aston Villa.

Riera is reported to have told his agent and Espanyol that he would prefer to join Liverpool over Everton at the weekend and now he has had his wish granted.

The Spanish international is believed to have been allowed to leave the Blanc i Blau for a fee in the region of €12.5m and is set to fly to Merseyside to undergo a medical and sign a contract.

It became clear in the middle of last season that Riera would leave the Barcelona-based club this summer after he was left out of the side for long spells by Ernesto Valverde.

That scuppered his chances of maintaining his place in the Spain squad for the European Championships and he was not chosen for the squad that went on to lift the trophy in Austria and Switzerland.

Benítez wil be pleased to have found an answer to his left-sided problems and the signing of the 26-year-old has meant that any interest in Stewart Downing is now over.

Riera rose through the ranks at Real Mallorca before making his first team debut in 2000 and after three seasons he then opted to move to France to play for Girondins Bordeauz.

Two successful campaigns in Ligue 1 ended with the Manacor-born wideman wanting to return to Spain and in 2005 he signed for Espanyol only to then go back out on loan to Manchester City.

A change of coach at the Blanc i Blau saw Riera return to the club and enjoy a run in the side, but last term things took a downward turn when he was left out of the team and now he has a chance to bounce back at Anfield.

He was ok with us in a not so good mteam. I am not seeing what Rafa is seeing obviously

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The Senior Member

So he's not actually signed yet? Cuz it says "is set to fly to Merseyside to undergo a medical and sign a contract". Yet the thread title says "Liverpool Sign Riera". Good job Magic Mike didn't start this thread eh? Am ony messin wiv ya.

I am surprised at the fee for Riera, though. I never thought he was that great at city. He wasn't bad by any means. Just not great is all.

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Cut along dotted line
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ok footballer, but not worth 7 million quid of anybody's money

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'Fabio, the round thing there is the ball'

Aguero

That's what I think. Very slow, didnt offer much defensively but had a belter of left foot.

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KYPU

Agreed. He's certainly no Petrov that's for sure. Although Petrov isn't great a tracking back either, but he offers so much more going forward we overlook that.

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Cut along dotted line
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As I remember we turned him down at £3.5m didn't we?

Don't recall being devastated at the time.

Decent player but never set us on fire did he?

If I remember correctly, he was that slow he often just got the ball taken away.

Half decent player at best in the PL for me.

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We're rich, we're rich, we're filthy fucking rich........ fuck off United........ you pauper team.

I liked him tought he was decent in that team. but petrov owns him down the LW..
I did not realise hes only 26..

But martin would burn him..sure martins not the best at tracking back but like a previous poster said, he offers way more going forwards..
Good luck to him though..

I liked Riera but I think we left him isolated quite often when he had the ball. I suppose the difference with Petrov is that he can do something even if he is on his own. Like Jeebs says he offers a lot more going forward so you can forgive him for not being that defensive although he always makes himself available to receive the ball from Ball.

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Kerrrrrchiiing!!!

Good when attacking and comfortable on the ball. However, he was a lazy bastard and didn't like tracking back.

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And put on that wig I bought you. No, no, no, no. The reddish-brown one.

Yeah, however much it was it was a bit steep. Had he been a bit cheaper I was keen to keep him, but I think we're now looking for a better class of player (and Liverpool certainly are) so surely he's only going to be there as back-up?

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I'm the mother-flipping Rhymenoceros

I think we were offered him for around £2 million after his loan ended and we couldnt get rid of him quick enough. Hes not suited to the premier league. Too light weight and not enough pace.