Chilean winger wins permit battle to join Liverpool

Liverpool have finally won their battle to claim a work permit for Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez.

The club were given the green light at a hearing today to allow the 23-year-old to start his Liverpool career.

His Reds debut has been delayed for over a year after the left-sided winger had an initial application rejected last summer and then an appeal later in the year turned down.

Gonzalez spent the last six months on loan to Real Sociedad, who he helped win a relegation battle in the Primera Liga.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, determined to bring the youngster to Anfield, was forced into such a drastic action to keep Gonzalez fit and in match practice ahead of this summer’s second application to the UK's Department of Employment to allow Gonzalez to play in the UK.

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Benitez expects Gonzalez to prove a popular player at Anfield.

The manager said: “This is very good news for us and I am absolutely delighted to welcome Mark to Liverpool as he is a player the supporters will like to see.

“Mark is an exciting left winger who can cross good balls and beat defenders and he is a very good signing for us.

“He has a very good mentality as when I was talking with him he told me, ‘I want to play for Liverpool’.”

Benitez attempted to sign Gonzalez last summer and a fee of around £4m was agreed.

But the player was injured at the time with a serious knee problem, and the deal Liverpool proposed was only a loan move because of that injury uncertainty.

Because of Chile’s low FIFA ranking and the fact the player could not go straight into the first team, Liverpool’s original work permit application was rejected.

Gonzalez was not able to play again until mid-season, and an appeal to the Home Office was also turned down, which left Benitez with the option only to send the player out on loan to another Spanish club.

Benitez rejected several approaches from Spanish clubs to sign the player permanently, and Gonzalez produced some excellent form and a fine goal against Real Madrid to help Sociedad’s cause and enhance his own standing in the game.