Liverpool Transfer News: LFC Liability Loaned to Lille

Liverpool’s Joe Cole has finalized a loan deal that will see him suit up for French champions Lille.  Joe Cole has passed a medical and will wear the No. 26 shirt.

The former Chelsea and West Ham man has found life at the Merseyside club a tad difficult, seeing himself glued to the bench under Kenny Dalglish and previously Roy Hodgson. Enduring a torrid 14 months, Joe Cole is welcoming a move that he hopes will revitalize his once promising career.

A player billed for success early on, former manager Hodgson must have thought he pulled off a transfer coup when he signed the free agent last July. Steven Gerrard went as far as comparing his compatriot to a certain young Argentine playing for Barcelona…

Unfortunately, the player failed to adapt and soon found out his services were not living up to his hype. Players like Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriquez were preferred on Liverpool’s wings, and with the summer signing of Stuart Downing, his future at Anfield looked glum.

Many fans of LFC will not lose much sleep knowing the England international is no longer at King Kenny’s selection. With his inconsistent and lackluster performances for the club, this loan deal was inevitable.

The owners of Liverpool will also be ecstatic for this deal, as it gets a hefty wage bill off their hands for a year. I suppose one can only hope for the best for the lad, who has suffered and succumbed to his early expectations.

While he isn’t getting any younger (he's 29) and I doubt this loan spell will do him any inspiration, the best part about this deal is also the most exciting for fans—Liverpool get first crack at a bid for Lille’s young phenom Eden Hazard! While Kenny Dalglish is most like going to shy away from the mammoth asking price for the Belgian, who knows what can happen in January.