BELLAMY & CISSE DEALS ARE COMPLETED

Rafael Benitez has confirmed that deals taking Craig Bellamy to West Ham and Djibril Cisse to Marseille have been completed. And the Anfield manager, who had just witnessed a youthful Liverpool side win a pre-season friendly at Wrexham 3-2, insisted that any move to bring Yossi Benayoun to the club would be a separate deal.

It is believed that West Ham have paid £8m for Bellamy, who has agreed a four-year deal on £75,000 a week, but any chance that Benayoun would be part of that deal have been ended by Benitez. Benitez, who has also allowed reserve winger Paul Anderson to join Swansea on a season-long loan, said: “The deals for Bellamy and Cisse are completed.

“And any move for Benayoun to join us from West Ham will not be linked with the Bellamy sale. We have made an offer which has been rejected. He is a player I like and would want to sign, and I believe he wants to join us, but that deal will be separate now. We will have to wait and see what happens now next week.” West Ham had attempted to use Benayoun as a straight swap for Bellamy, but Liverpool consider the Isreal captain is worth around £4m, and that offer has been rejected by the Hammers.

Cisse was also the subject of a late move by West Ham, but the French international wants to stay with Marseille, after a season on loan there. His fee is believed to be around £6m.