Real Madrid ready to do Morientes business with Liverpool

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is stepping up his bid to land Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes.

Morientes remains high on Benitez's January shopping list and talks have been ongoing between the two clubs for some weeks.

The only stumbling block is Morientes' transfer fee, with Liverpool having a restricted budget for the winter market.

Real have privately if reluctantly sanctioned Morientes' sale, for all that the president Florentino Pérez had hoped to persuade the 28-year-old to remain at the Bernabéu.

Pérez would ideally aim to secure almost £10m for the Spain striker, who has 18 months of his current contract to run, having signed an extension last summer. That fee would prove prohibitive to Liverpool and Morientes's other long-term suitors Monaco, for whom he scored nine goals in 12 Champions League appearances on loan last season.