Yossi Benayoun
Photo: Reuters
Benayoun leaves West Ham for Liverpool
After harrowing negotiations the highest-paid Israeli sportsman abroad has reached an agreement with the Liverpudlian club. The midfielder will be the third Israeli to play in Anfield after Avi Cohen and Ronny Rosenthal
After a two-year stint as a full-fledged Hammer, Israeli soccer player Yossi Benayoun is leaving London's West Ham United for Liverpool and next season will see the 27-year-old midfielder wearing the iconic red uniform.
Sources within the club say its managers are interested in signing Benayoun for a period of 3-4 years.
Benayoun in West Ham colors (Photo: Reuters)
Despite being offered a more lucrative contract in West Ham immediately after the current season ended ($101,000 per week), Benayoun opted for a lower-paying but more professionally-challenging position with the 2007 UEFA runner-up.
Benayoun's manager Ronen Katsav closed the deal on Tuesday afternoon.
Recent talk speculated Benayoun might be traded to Liverpool in exchange for strikers Craig Bellamy or Djibril Cissé but ultimately Benayoun's transfer to Rafael Benítez's team was made separately. Bellamy signed with West Ham on Tuesday in a $14 million deal.
