Liverpool close in on £6m Pennant

[Scot Munroe]

Birmingham's Jermaine Pennant is having a medical at Liverpool and is expected to complete a £6.2m move on Wednesday.
Blues revealed on Tuesday that they turned down a £3.5m offer for the 23-year-old but a fee for the winger has now been agreed.

The former England Under-21 international is expected to join his new team-mates in Switzerland once the deal is finalised.

Pennant joined Blues last summer after a successful four-month loan spell.

His arrival would solve Benitez's search for a right-sided midfielder, with his first choice, Sevilla's Daniel Alves, proving too pricey at £12m.

The Birmingham player is much cheaper, even after the Championship club negotiated the fee upwards because they knew they had to give Pennant's old club Arsenal a quarter of any cash received for him.

The England Under-21 international, who joined Birmingham for £3m, joins Wales striker Craig Bellamy at Anfield as Benitez looks to invest in young British talent.

But in Pennant, the Liverpool coach would be purchasing one of football's most notorious players.

In 2005 the midfielder become the first footballer to play in the Premiership while wearing an electronic tag. He had served 21 days in jail after being found guilty of drink driving while banned and having no insurance.

Originally Pennant had been banned from driving for 16 months in 2004 after being seen travelling in the wrong lane in Paddington, west London.

Also in 2005 it was reported that Birmingham sent the player home from training after he turned up under the influence of alcohol.

And in a separate incident that year, Pennant was alleged to have become involved in an argument with a man outside a restaurant on the Greek island of Zante, which led to the man punching him.

In 2003, Pennant was sent home from an England Under-21 training camp for breaking a curfew.

[Spud]

£6 million  

He'll be back in Prison by January.

[Bennett]

i think he's quite good, not sure £6million is a fair price....but then if heskey's worth £5.5million....

[townendjim]

some of the transfer fees going around are stupid. pennant is probably worth 5 at the most mainly because he is only 23 and as for heskey he's not worth 2 million, let alone 5.5

[townendjim]

and didn't rob hulse go to sheffield united for some stupid amount too

[Bennett]

£2.2 million for hulse

scowcroft has replaced AJ at palace for £500k....my friends in london are not happy about that

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

£6 million  

He'll be back in Prison by January.

along with Craig Bellamy no doubt! just what is Benitez thinking?  

[Kinky Tom]

Bellamy is a steal at 6 mil though, I expect Liverpool to finish above Man Ure this season, maybe even push Cheski.

[red macca]

Bellamy is a steal at 6 mil though, I expect Liverpool to finish above Man Ure this season, maybe even push Cheski.

agreed i also expect to see fowler chip in with a few this year..the players he is signing are good players .they have a bit of baggage but if you cant sort your head out for liverpool fc you never will

[Spud]

I think Bellamy will score plenty this season as long as Alonso and Gerrard stay fit for most of the season.

[magicroundabout]

Bellamy is a steal at 6 mil though, I expect Liverpool to finish above Man Ure this season, maybe even push Cheski.

 
have to agree there.
Regardless of what he has paid for the two of them i think he has got two very good players there.
If only Pennant can keep his head straight he could prove to be a real asset for Liverpool this season

[Batch]

Bellamy, Crouch, Pennant . Clearly I know nothing about football because I just don't see these players as the very top class players a club like  Liverpool should be after.

time will tell and all that....