TRANSFER TARGETS FOR DEL-ROY TROTTER

According to Andy Hunter in The Guardian, Roy Hodgson must sign at least five players: a left-back, centre-half, two wingers and a striker. I would add a central midfielder to the wanted list to replace or give back-up to Mascherano and Lucas.

With an initial reported £12-15m kitty and another potential £20m+ to come in potential sales of fringe players, here's a guide to who has been linked so far this summer...

Left-back: With Aurelio gone and Insua on verge of move to Italy.
- Reto Ziegler, 24, £5m, 6ft Swiss fullback who moved to Spurs at 18 but couldn't hold down a place has broken into side at Sampdoria. Scored twice and got 5 assists in 31 games last season, the best of his career. He speaks English and would settle without too much hassle. In the last year of his contract, Samp want to extend his deal after interest from several clubs (Zenit, Fiorentina, Liverpool). ****

- Maynor Figueroa, 27, £5m, could prove even more expensive as former boss Steve Bruce at Sunderland will aim for his signature. Also would jet off to Central America for internationals: meaning he would be tired or have to be rested, ruining any continuity in selection. ***

- Taye Taiwo, 24, £6m, pacey Nigerian has been linked to Liverpool frequently over recent windows and despite his tender age is experienced (230 first team games already!). In final year of deal with Marseille, Taiwo submitted a transfer request following a bid from Atlético Madrid and interest from Premier League clubs. Quick, strong and English-speaking - he'd be ideal for Premiership. Only drawback is absence during African qualifiers and African Nations' Cup. ****

- Royston Drenthe, 23, £4m/loan: Dutch youngster adept at full-back or in midfield, behind Marcelo in pecking order and apparently surplus to requirements for new Real Madrid boss Mourinho who is looking at Peruvian Juan Vargas as his replacement. May go on loan to Portugal or Lazio to replace City-bound Kolarov. Surely worth a punt on given the lack of left-backs? ***

- Wayne Bridge, 30, £6m: Inexplicably rated as the second best English left back. Bridge is out of favour at Man City this season after City's £16m signing of Aleksandr Kolarov. Decent footballer but lack of size and tactical awareness means he is prone to defensive lapses. **

- Marcell Jansen,

Centre-back: strong in air and mobile enough to cope with pace of Premiership.
- Danny Wilson, 18, £2m: Scottish Young Player of the Year, signed from Rangers. Left-footed, athletic with massive potential. Fee could rise to £5m depending on his success. **** SIGNED!

Centre midfielder as back-up/alternative to Gerrard/Aquilani
- Joe Cole, 28, free, technically gifted but out of contract after rejecting a new deal. Has had his share of injuries but there's no question over his talent and creativity. **** SIGNED!!


Or cover/replace Mascherano or Lucas:
- Gilberto Silva, 33, free, experienced holding midfielder, who held together a fragile Brazil midfield well at World Cup. Lack of mobility not a problem for a player of such tactical discipline. Ready-made deputy or replacement for Mascherano. Would adapt well as he speaks English, knows the league (a 2004 Premier League champion with Arsenal). ****

- Mahamadou Diarra, 29, £5m, The Malian midfielder signed in 2006 by Real (ahead of Man Utd) for £26m is likely to be surplus to requirements. Was a stalwart in back-to-back La Liga titles under Capello and Schuster until a serious knee injury ruled him out long-term and his namesake Lassana was signed as his replacement. Returned to form and fitness last year but found himself behind Lass and (inexplicably) Gago. Worth a punt for a player who was one of Europe's best midfielders just three years ago. ****

- Lassana Diarra, 25, £10m: Frenchman signed for £20m by Real but Mourinho let a teenage Diarra leave Chelsea for a nominal fee to Arsenal. Interesting to see if he's retained in The Special One's shake up. Didn't feature in World Cup due to blood condition exacerbated by exercise at altitude. Gerrard would tell you what an athlete he is as he man-marked him to great effect over the years in his spells at Arsenal, Chelsea and Portsmouth. ****

- Christian Poulsen. 30, £5m: No-nonsense Danish midfielder who made his name under Hodgson at FC Copenhagen. He then moved to Germany where he won the UEFA Cup and Super Cup in his four-year spell. His next club was Sevilla where he won the Copa del Rey and was named in La Liga's Team of the Year which earned him a €9.75m move to Juventus. He hasn't been a regular since Claudio Ranieri's departure. At 30, would have little sell-on value but a player Hodgson knows well and nutured to prominence in his early career. ***

Left/right wingers to replace Riera/Benayoun:
- Gervinho, 23, £10m, prolific Ivorian left-footed forward at Lille, 13 in 32 games last season including 8 in 10 Europa League ties. Man of the Match v Portugal in World Cup but largely overlooked by Eriksson as he adopted a pragmatic approach despite the wealth of attackers in his squad. Great potential and possesses qualities required to succeed at top level. ****

- Eljero Elia, 23, £10m, pacey Hamburg winger, can play either flank, similar to Babel but more skilful. Can Roy get best out of Babel instead? Or can he offload him and bid for Elia? ***

- Arda Turan, 23, £10m, Galatasaray captain and Liverpool "fan" linked with Arsenal and Spurs, 25 goals in 44 games in 09/10 including 8 goals in 10 Europa League matches but could he settle in England? ***

- Shaun Wright-Phillips, 28, £6m, out of contract next June, despite an excellent start to season lost his place to Adam Johnson and is available. Although City unlikely to sell to a rival. **

Striker to cover/partner Torres:

- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 27, £15m: Dutch striker who has been compared to van Basten, who himself described "The Hunter" and played a useful cameo in Holland's run to the World Cup final with the winner against Cameroon, his 16th goal in 26 internationals. Many would overlook his record in Holland (even Afonso Alves scored tons there!) but despite not being a regular, scored 8 goals in 20 games for Real Madrid and 7 in 25 at a struggling AC Milan. Speaks English and would settle in nicely alongside Dutch team-mates Kuyt and Babel. ****

- Bryan Ruiz, 24, £12m, Costa Rican 24 goals in 34 games to win Dutch title for Steve McClaren. Unproven at top level so could be very risky investment of £10m+ on a player who has performed well over one season in a minor league. ***

- Peter Crouch, 29, £10m, Cult hero on the Kop but unlikely to turn his back on the Champions League football he secured with a scrappy winner at Man City in May. Linked with a move after Redknapp is apparently keen to sign ANOTHER striker this summer. ****

On the move? (£45m, bold players confirmed sales): Mihalyov £1.5m, San Jose £2.5m, Insua £5m, Skrtel £7m, Krygiakos £2m, Darby/Spearing combined £3m, Riera £4m, Ngog £5m, El Zhar/Plessis combined £2m, Babel £8m...Degen 50p?

(NB. Benayoun's sale for a reported fee of £6.5m essentially pays for Rafa's redundancy)

Even if only half of this amount (£22m) is added to the kitty of £12m, the club can still afford to spend £34m. Delirious fans talking of multiple £15-20m bids for players are totally unrealistic unless Gerrard, Torres or Mascherano leave.

Roy may have to admit defeat if a huge bid from an overseas club comes in for Mascherano and he wants to go. For example, could we refuse a £25m cash bid or part-exchange (£10m + Lass Diarra? £5m + Benzema or Zlatan?). Rumours are rife regarding Torres and Gerrard's reluctance to stay unless big buys are made and Mascherano has made no secret of he and his family's preference for life in Spain ahead of life on Merseyside.

Reports in Italy and Spain suggest the board have put a £30m price tag on Mascherano and bids so far only in the region of £25m. Mascherano's loyalty to Benitez is strong: the dismissal of the Spaniard could provide him a way out of Anfield and stay loyal to the man who rescued him from West Ham's reserves.

It would be foolish for Hodgson to allow Gerrard or Torres to leave but aside from Mascherano's obvious footballing qualities, the Argentine's apparent unhappiness off the pitch makes him the most likely candidate for the exit door this summer as unhappy players cannot be good for team morale. Gerrard's emotional ties to the city and club seem too strong to break despite typically daft rumours of Gerrard selling his house and not enrolling his children in school. Whatever the future of Mascherano or Gerrard, it would be suicidal to sell them to another English club.

Regarding Torres, he recently signed a new long-term deal and the only sides that could afford his fee appear to English: namely Man City and Chelsea. If his motivation for leaving is football (which it should be), then Chelsea is the only viable move and selling Torres to Abramovich would be suicidal PR for the club on and off the pitch.

Despite the fans' obvious opposition to either man going, a big-money sale would generate enough cash to find a quality replacement as well as further funds to improve other areas in desperate need of reinforcement such as a striker to cover/partner Torres, wide midfielders and left-back. However, Hodgson has been keen to reiterate his commitment to retaining both players for fear a triggering an exodus among senior players such as Torres and Kuyt, both linked with summer moves.

Roy's potential shopping list:
Ziegler/Konchesky £4m, Drenthe loan, Wilson £2m, Scharner free, Cole free, Gervinho/Turan £10m, Shelvey £2m, Jovanovic free, Huntelaar or Llorente £12m. Total spend: £34m.

Potential sides:
Most home games and easier away games (*8 "homegrown" players):

4-4-2: Reina; Konchesky*, Agger, Carragher*, Johnson*; Cole*, Meireles, Gerrard*, Kuyt; Torres, Huntelaar.

Subs: Jones* (Gulacsi*), Aurelio (Robinson*), Kelly* (Wilson), Lucas (Poulsen), Maxi (Shelvey*), Jovanovic (Pacheco), N'Gog (Amoo).

Tough home games and many away games:

4-2-3-1: Reina, Konchesky*, Agger, Carragher*, Johnson*; Meireles, Poulsen; Cole*, Gerrard*, Kuyt; Torres.

Subs: Jones* (Gulacsi*), Aurelio (Robinson*), Kelly* (Wilson), Lucas (Shelvey*), Maxi (Amoo*), Jovanovic (Pacheco), Huntelaar (N'Gog).