Benitez keen to sign West Ham’s Parker for six-million pounds

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is likely to exploit West Ham United’s financial crisis by making a six million pound bid to sign midfielder Scott Parker in the January transfer window.

Benitez is gambling the debt-crippled Londoners may be forced to cash in, especially if they reject David Gold and David Sullivan's takeover bid.

Liverpool's season has been disappointing so far, with the latest being against Arsenal on Sunday when they turned a 1-0 half-time lead into a 2-1 home defeat, a result which left them five points adrift of the top four.

They are out of the Champions League and only seventh in the Premier League, putting hopes of qualifying for next year's big Euro tournament at risk.

Parker is a ready-made replacement for struggling Javier Mascherano, who looks set for a summer move to Barcelona.

The 29-year-old was West Ham's Player of the Year for 2008-09 and is admired for his combative personality combined with impressive passing skills to unlock defences.

With Liverpool's season crumbling having won just three matches in their last 15, their next three games against Portsmouth, Wolves and Wigan are must-win matches, if they are to cut that deficit.