He’s not yet a Liverpool player – and he may never be on if his recent comments hold any truth – but Philip Degen has already split the fans into two.

Well, the split is actually 70 – 30 with the majority unable to shake off the feeling that Deggen has been targeted not really because he is anything special but rather since he is available for free. Call it the Andriy Voronin syndrome, if you want.

That of the Ukranian striker is indeed a powerful argument and few would dispute that he isn’t good enough to be playing for Liverpool. He is an average striker who adds nothing to the squad except for numbers. That he didn’t think twice to bad-mouth Liverpool as a city certainly hasn’t helped.

Then again, Voronin is arguably fourth in ranking as far as forwards are concerned something that would not be acceptable for anyone who is any better. Liverpool didn’t pay anything for him, would probably get a transfer fee should they opt to sell him and in the meantime have a striker who is reasonably good against the smaller teams in the league.

There you have the alternative position, the one that states that Benitez wants to get Deggen in order to strengthen his options. At 33, it is hard to see Steve Finnan playing on for much longer at the level required by Liverpool and at times during the season Alvaro Arbeloa has showed that he is good enough to be his long term replacement.

Getting Deggen in will ensure that there is competition for places. He is a Swiss international, someone who has experience at playing in a top league and the sort of player who would have easily eaten away into Benitez’s restricted budget had his contract not run up.

The real major flaw in any of these arguments is that few of those making any sort of claim have seen Deggen play and, if they have, it is often a one off game where it is impossible to make any sort of judgement.

It is why a look at what Borussia Dortmund fans have to say can be revealing albeit not too comforting.

“As far as Degen is concerned most experts and supporters are happy with his decision to leave the club,” says Dominic Ponattu, a Dortmund fan and one of the writers on the club’s fanzine Schwatz Gelb. “Though he is a highly talented right wing back - he has a fine technique and is quite fast as well - he did not play out these strengths in Dortmund.”

It gets worse. “In a lot of matches, he was even an uncertainty factor in the defence as he unnecessarily caused penalties and stood too far away from his opponents. He has clear deficits in the defence.”

There is however, some hope. “Degen shows good performances as Swiss national, especially in the offence. But still many say that his performances there are quite inconsistent as well.”

“I think that Liverpool can only benefit from Degen if they are making him work hard on his deficits in the defence and force him to play out his qualities which clearly lie in the offensive game play.”

All of which swings the argument largely in favour of those who are against the transfer. Sort of, because the feeling is that Benitez sees the need for a fast right-back comfortable with moving forward and helping the attack: it is what his long time targets Daniel Alves and Rafinha have in common.

Like it or not, the club’s financial reality dictates that neither of those players is likely to make it to Anfield so instead Benitez has gone looking for someone who has the potential to be as good as them – or at least offer the same tactical advantage – but has failed to fully exploit his potential.

By most accounts, Deggen has that ability. How well he can use it is now Benitez’s call.