This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
Liverpool are offering Ryan Babel to West Ham in a last-ditch bid to sign Carlton Cole before the transfer window shuts.
Boss Roy Hodgson is prepared to sacrifice the Dutch star for hitman Cole and has proposed a straight-exchange deal to the Hammers.
Babel is aware the Anfield club will let him go, having snubbed a move to Steve McClaren's German club Wolfsburg as he waits for a transfer that suits him.
He wants to stay in the Premier League and is thinking over the Irons move.
Liverpool put Babel into the deal because they were reluctant to match West Ham's valuation of Cole.
The Hammers want £12million but may take less as the transfer deadline approaches.
The Anfield club have offered £6m plus extras for Cole but that was rejected.Babel was then brought into the deal. Hodgson
admitted last week: "If the right player comes along it would be good if we could bring in another striker."
The Liverpool interest in Cole is a setback for Stoke and Sunderland, who are both interested, because he would prefer a move to Merseyside.
Babel is now the key to the deal - and many others off the back of it in what could be a frantic couple of days.
Hodgson is also on the verge of clinching the signing of Fulham left-back Paul Konchesky.
Konchesky will end Liverpool's summer long search for a left-back when he completes his £4m switch from Craven Cottage.
This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
Tagged: Carlton Cole , Cole