There’s has been only one transfer preying on Liverpool fans’ minds over the past days and that is the one surrounding the club’s potential sale from Tom Hicks and George Gillett to Dubai International Capital.

What started out as an argument between a demanding owner and a touchy manager has dramatically snowballed into a full-blown crisis that has seen the fans organize two protests and planning a number more in a bid to try and force the owners’ hands.

Whether that will happen remains to be seen, although it would seem unlikely that either one will sell regardless of what the fans do especially now that the refinancing deal has been completed. Ignoring the protests isn’t that difficult when you live in another continent with both Hicks and Gillett being experienced enough of sports fans to know that what happens on the pitch will quickly turn their attention away. Liverpool fans claim to be different – and the nineteen year log boycott of a particular unmentionable tabloid would prove that – but this will certainly be a tough challenge.

One thing that Hicks in particular has been doing is that of answering any fans’ e-mails that do land in his inbox and, in those replies, he says that he will back the manager by signing any players that he feels are needed.

If that is true, it is unlikely that it will happen during this transfer window. Javier Mascherano seems to be one of the more likely candidates and it is an expensive way – but, hey, who cares, they can always take out another loan – for the two owners to show that they are backing Benitez. Losing a player of Mascherano’s ability would criminal but in reality it is a transfer that Liverpool should have wrapped up last summer before every club on the continent started to take notice of his abilities.

There were some rumours that Benitez was looking at Fernando Amorebieta of Atletico Bilbao and Javi Martinez but, while both are targets, Liverpool won’t be making any immediate bids.

One bid that they did make was for young Croat midfielder Domagoj Vida who, however, has opted to remain with Osijek: a wise choice, given how the Liverpool career of fellow Croat Igor Biscan panned out.

Talking of players who don’t fulfill their potential, Nabil El Zhar and Sebastian Leto were rumoured to be on their way to Racing Santander for the rest of the season on loan. The deal looked close to being settled but that was before the club realized that what they really needed was experienced players, something that neither one of those two is. Leto could still be playing his football elsewhere, however, with River Plate interested in taking him on loan.

A couple of Liverpool’s academy products seem to be on their way out. After spending a month on loan at Notts County (four games, one goal) Craig Lindfield will play for Chester City for the rest of the season. It will be a good way for him to play regular football but a move to a Third Division side is hardly indicative of a long term future at Anfield.

Equally on his way out is Lee Peltier who is spending some time at Norwich on trial in the hope that he can secure a permanent move there.

Jack Hobbs is another sent out on loan although his stint at Scunthorpe has been set up purely to ensure that he gets some experience. Despite not playing him when there wasn’t another central defender standing, Benitez remains convinced of Hobbs ability but knows that some things have to be learnt through experience. Better that he get that, and make costly mistakes, elsewhere.

There remains uncertainty around Momo Sissoko with Valencia now also expressing an interest. This is good news for Liverpool as it served to hike up his price with Juventus quickly coming back in for him with an offer of £9 million.

John Arne Riise is wanted by King Kevin Keegan who is willing to pay £6.5 million. Ask most fans and they would rip Keegan’s hand off but put that question to Benitez

Finally, there’s Peter Crouch who is in fine form – well, he is when compared to Dirk Kuyt and Andrei Voronin – but still can’t get a regular spot in the side. The papers are linking him with a move to Portsmouth and, although Harry Redknapp has denied this, we feel that the papers know what they’re saying on this one.