Paletta added to talent pool

THE £2 million (€2.9m) capture of Argentinian youngster Gabriel Paletta brings into sharp focus the astonishing pace of Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez’s youthful restructuring of Anfield.

Not only has he spent over £50m replenishing the senior squad since he arrived at the club in June 2004, but a whole new generation of younger talent drawn from across the globe has also arrived at the club.

The battle between Europe's top clubs for the best young talent has never been more fierce, with the likes of John Obi Mikel and Freddy Adu being chased relentlessly by top clubs.

Arsenal bagged 16-year-old Theo Walcott from Southampton, in a deal which could eventually worth £12m, from under the noses of Liverpool and Chelsea.

But Benitez has not been slow in this market. Paletta, who flew into Liverpool on Monday, is one of more than a dozen U-21 players Benitez has signed since last summer.

In the past eight months alone, Liverpool have signed a succession of youngsters from Denmark, Austria, France, Spain, Ghana, Wales and now Argentina.

And when winger Mark Gonzalez finally arrives in the summer when he qualifies for a Spanish passport he is currently on loan at Real Sociedad because of work permit problems Liverpool will have their first Chilean on the books.

However, before the uproar begins about overlooking English talent, Benitez has also signed three talented homegrown youngsters in David Martin, the England under-20 goalkeeper, 17-year-old winger Paul Anderson from Hull and former Lincoln defender Jack Hobbs as well as England Under-21 stopper Scott Carson.

Wales Under-21 striker Ramon Calliste, rejected by Manchester United, signed last summer.