Portsmouth Interested In Crouch

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has admitted he would be interested in signing Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

Redknapp is a big fan of Crouch having worked with the England striker during his time in charge of Portsmouth and Southampton.

Crouch's long-term future at Liverpool looks uncertain with reports suggesting Rafa Benitez could be willing to cash in on the forward.

And should Crouch become available, Redknapp has indicated he would be at the front of the queue to sign the 26-year-old.

"You will always be interested in someone like him," Redknapp told The Mirror.

"He is a great player and can be unplayable at times. He is a great lad and great to work with.

"He was fantastic in that year he had at Portsmouth. The club owe him a massive debt for what he did.

"We bought him for £1million and sold him for £5million. He scored 19 goals and without those goals they would probably have gone down.

"He kept the club going and for me he has been one of the main players for the last six or seven years."

Rafa: We Will Come Good

Rafael Benitez believes that Liverpool's young lions will savage their title rivals in the second half of the season.

The Anfield boss is backing the likes of Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva to show exactly why he spent so much money on them by inspiring an historic Premier League triumph.

Liverpool have secured a menacing position just behind the league pacesetters, and Benitez believes his meticulous planning over rest and recuperation through player rotation will give them the strength to become champions.

"Our squad is really good and hopefully the strength of the squad will become more clear as the season goes on - you will see how strong we can become," Benitez explained.

"Some young players, especially the likes of Leiva, Torres, Babel and Sebastian Leto, will play better and get stronger as the season progresses.

"I am not disappointed with them but I think they do have the potential to play better.

"We have more points than this time last season. I cannot be 100 per cent happy because I know we could have won the games against Birmingham, Chelsea and Tottenham. So there is plenty of room for improvement."

Reina Not Attracted By Atletico Madrid

Jose Reina claims he would not be interested in leaving Liverpool after reports linked him with a move to Atletico Madrid next summer.

The Spain international goalkeeper is said to be a target for Los Colchoneros next summer, who apparently thought he may fancy a move there.

Although no official contact has been made, Reina has spoken out to prevent any more stories as rumours continue to circulate.

"I am flattered," he said. "But at this moment it would not be good for me to move as my family is comfortable.

"I am feeling happy and valued. I have no reason to move."

Reina's father, Miguel, played for Atletico in the 1970's and was a member of the side that was beaten by Bayern Munich in Belgium.

Despite being born in Madrid, Reina junior rose through the ranks at Barcelona before moving to Villarreal in 2002.

After three seasons at El Madrigal, Rafa Benitez swooped to sign him for Liverpool and he replaced Jerzy Dudek as the club's number one.

Torres Unfazed By Rest Of ‘The Big Four’

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres declared the Reds have nothing to fear from their Premier League title rivals this season.

Rafael Benitez's side have made an inconsistent start to the season, with glorious 8-0 hammerings in Europe standing alongside disappointing 0-0 draws at home against ‘smaller’ clubs.

This patchy form has placed Liverpool six points behind leaders Arsenal, but Torres feels the fact that the Reds are still within touching distance with their rival’s in-spite of their inconsistency is a positive sign.

The £23m hitman insists Liverpool shall be firmly in the mix with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United at the end of the season in the race for the title.

Speaking to the club's website, the Spaniard said: "We have a confidence and a focus which will make us a very dangerous opponent for everyone who has to face us.

"We have maybe not played as well as we are all capable of all the time this season but look at how close we are to the teams at the top of the table. That is highly encouraging for us.

"From what I have seen so far in England we do not have anything to fear from any of our opponents for the title. They are all great teams with a lot of experience and many very, very good players but so are we.

"I am sure that as the season progresses it will come down to a fight between Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea - and we will be in there too.

"There is a winning mentality at Liverpool," he said.

"I look around in the dressing room before a game and in the face of every player and every coach you see the winning expectation.

"They do not go out on to the pitch either hoping they will or praying they will win. They expect it. They have such a belief in their ability that another outcome is just not something they consider.

"It is very new to me but I enjoy that mentality very much and I am thinking this way too now.

"Hopefully we have had all the injuries that we are going to have and for the next few months we can really start to build a momentum that makes us very hard to stop.

"Any team that concedes as few goals as we concede is going to be tough to play against. If we begin to take the chances that we are creating in our games then I am sure those teams above us will start to fear us."

Reds Pursue Permanent Moves For Mascherano And Garay

January could be a busy month for Rafael Benitez, as the Liverpool manager attempts to secure the long-term services of Javier Mascherano and Racing Santander’s Ezequiel Garay.

Argentine Mascherano is currently entering his eleven month of a loan deal at Liverpool and his consistent performances in midfield have quickly gained him an army of admires on Merseyside.

Benitez is reported to be keen on making the ball-winner a permanent squad member in January rather than wait till the summer.

To this end, it is rumoured that the Spaniard has made a major breakthrough in his negotiations with MSI, the company that own Mascherano’s playing rights.

MSI, who also control Carlos Tevez's involvement with Manchester United, initially wanted a reported £17 million fee for the Argentinean international.

However, it is believed Liverpool have agreed for that £17 million fee to include the player’s wages over a five-year spell – beating off interest from Barcelona.

Clearly the confirmation of the player’s stay would please his team-mates, as goalkeeper Jose Reina stated: “It is quite important because Mascherano has been one of our best players so far.

“It was a loan, a clever loan, and we have to take the next step which is to get him for a few years.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been boosted in their pursuit of 21-year-old centre back Garay after he revealed he would love to play in England.

Benitez has been in the market for a young, capable defender who can operate at fullback as comfortably as in the centre, since losing out on Gabriel Heinze.

Garay was named in La Liga’s team of the season last year, and he currently has a £14.2 million buy-out clause at Racing Santander.

“To play in England is a dream,” he was quoted as saying in The News of the World.

“My head is in Racing but I would like to progress.”

But Liverpool may face stiff competition for the highly-rated stopper as Manchester United are also thought to be monitoring the defender.

Torres Set For LiverpooL Start

Fernando Torres looks set to make a return to the Liverpool starting line-up to face Newcastle at the weekend.

Liverpool's record signing has not started a game since breaking down in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the end of October, after picking up an abductor muscle injury with Spain.

Torres has remained in Liverpool over the international break to work on his fitness while the rest of Rafa Benitez's strikers have been away with their national sides.

Therefore, the Liverpool Echo claims that Torres is in pole position to make the starting line-up at St James' Park.

Harry Kewell is also in the running for a place in the Liverpool side after coming through 90 minutes of Australia's friendly with Nigeria on Saturday.

Benitez told the Echo: "It was good to see Harry get 90 minutes. I was talking with him and he said it wasn't a high tempo game so he was able to get through it.

"Physically he probably still needs to improve his pace and stamina but he is getting there.

"When you talk about Harry then you talk about a player of quality and ability who can make a big difference to our team. He can give different things to us, especially against teams who play deep and compact."

Liverpool’s Benitez Upbeat As Torres & Kewell Make Good Use Of International Break

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is upbeat as the international break has served to be timely for various reasons and has helped the likes of Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger, Yossi Benayoun and Harry Kewell.

Benitez is particularly happy that Kewell completed full 90 minutes with Australia in a friendly against Nigeria in London, which was the injury-troubled Reds winger’s first full match in more than a year.

The break came at the right time for Torres to recover fully from his thigh problem, and the Spain ace should be ready to start against Newcastle United at the weekend; but Daniel Agger and Yossi Benayoun may not be fully fit in time for the trip to St James’ Park.

Benitez said in the Liverpool Daily Post: “It was good to see Harry get 90 minutes. I was talking with him and he said it wasn't a high tempo game so he was able to get through it.

“Physically he probably still needs to improve his pace and stamina but he is getting there.

“When you talk about Harry then you talk about a player of quality and ability who can make a big difference to our team. He can give different things to us, especially against teams who play deep and compact.”

Double Boost For Benitez

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger could make his comeback at Newcastle in the club's first match after the international break.

The 22-year-old centre-back has been out since early September and has missed 13 matches with a broken metatarsal.

Agger was ruled out of the Denmark squad this week and said: "I'm not going off with my country but I would hope to be ready to play for Liverpool after the international break."

Manager Rafael Benitez is confident the defender is ready for a return at St James's Park in the lunch-time kick-off on November 24.

"Agger is improving a lot, and he has started running now," said the Spaniard.

Yossi Benayoun, who has been ruled out of Israel's clash with Russia on Saturday with a groin problem, also has a chance of facing Newcastle.

"Yossi is working with the physios now. We will have to see if he is fit for Newcastle, it's still too early to say," added the manager.

"He and Agger are maybes but perhaps it will be easier for Agger than for Benayoun."

However, Xabi Alonso, also out with a metatarsal problem, has already been ruled out of the visit to Newcastle.

Benitez added: "Xabi should start running in the next week but he is a 'no' for Newcastle, for sure."

Bayern Target Benitez Reaffirms Commitment To Liverpool

Manager Rafa Benitez has reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool amid reports he has been sounded out by Bayern Munich about replacing under-pressure Ottmar Hitzfeld as manager.

The Spaniard has been made the No1 target for the German giants after it became clear that, despite topping the Bundesliga, Hitzfeld was unlikely to be offered a new contract, following growing tension behind the scenes.

But Benitez told CNN International's 'World Sport' he was committed to working with the club's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, and revealed his future plans.

"When we started talking about the future, we were very clear, we needed to have a plan," he said.

"We have this plan and we are progressing. The situation is positive in terms of things we wanted to do and what we are doing.

"When I signed the team wasn't winning much. They said to me try to win trophies in the future.

"To play seven finals and win four trophies I think is not bad in three years. So we need to see what happens this year, but we have confidence we can do it.

"We know that we are a top side, we play against a lot of teams that have power, money, and experience.

"Our vision is to be successful, have a new stadium, and trying to improve a little bit the structure of the club. We are going in the right direction."

Juventus To Bid For Peter Crouch?

Juventus are set to make a £10m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, according to the Daily Mail.

The giant marksman, who scored England’s winner in the 1-0 friendly win against Austria last night, has featured sparingly for Liverpool this season.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is ready to let Crouch go during the January transfer window, providing interested parties meet the 26-year-old’s £10m price tag.

Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri is a huge admirer of Crouch from his time spent managing Premiership club Chelsea.

The Bianconeri already have a good blend of strikers in their first-team squad in the form of David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Raffaele Palladino. However Ranieri believes that Crouch’s huge frame will offer them more of an aerial threat.

In other transfer news, Argentine midfielder Sergio Almiron could make a January move to AEK Athens.

Almiron has been hugely disappointing since signing from Empoli in the summer and currently finds himself behind Cristiano Zanetti, Antonio Nocerino and even Tiago Mendes in the centre-midfield pecking order.

AEK are prepared to spend €8m to bring the 27-year-old to Greece.

Bayern Interested In Benitez?

Bayern Munich have reportedly 'sounded Rafa Benitez out' about becoming their manager at the end of the season.

Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is unlikely to remain in the job beyond the summer, despite some heavy spending on the likes of Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribery, players that have taken Munich to the top of the Bundesliga.

The Daily Mail claims that tensions behind the scenes in Bavaria will mean Hitzfeld - in his second spell in charge of Bayern - will not have his contract renewed beyond the end of this season.

Indeed, Hitzfeld has reportedly told friends he will take over as coach of the Switzerland national side after Euro 2008.

The Mail reports that Bayern have already approached Benitez about taking over in Germany, but that the Liverpool manager is likely to rebuff the approach.

English Appeal For Reds Target

Liverpool target Javi Martinez admitted to skysports.com that he is attracted to the prospect of playing in England.

The 19-year-old Athletic Bilbao ace is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Spain and he is being closely monitored by Rafa Benitez.

Martinez has risen to prominence over the last 18 months following his move from Osasuna's second string last year.

Now he is attracting interest from some of Europe's big hitters and, as skysports.com revealed earlier this week, Liverpool are one of those hot on Martinez's trail.

"I see Premier League matches on the television and the atmosphere is wonderful," he told skysports.com.

"But I don't really know anything [about the interest] as I haven't spoken with anyone.

"My sole mission at the moment is to work hard for Athletic and help the team.

"If an offer does arrive I would look at what is best for two parts, myself and Athletic."

Bilbao have admitted that they are aware of the interest in their prized asset - although they would appear to have few intentions of selling.

"We have not received any formal offers yet," a spokesman told skysports.com.

"We are calm about the situation."

Liverpool Hot On The Trail Of Bilbao Prospect

Rafael Benitez is reported to be tracking the progress of Athletic Bilbao's sensational young midfielder Javi Martinez, with a view to make a January transfer bid.

The Basque playmaker has been outstanding this term at San Mames, carrying on from his successful campaign last season - which was his first in La Liga.

Athletic raised a number of eyebrows in Spain when they splashed out 6 million euros (£4.2million) for him as an untested 18-year-old playing with Osasuna's second string.

But 18 months on, some of Europe's biggest hitters are now tracking the 19-year-old who is also a regular in Spain Under 21 side.

Liverpool are rumoured to heading the queue for the youngster’s services, however they face stiff competition from Fiorentina who have also sent scouts to assess Martinez during recent games.

Although the Basque player operates in midfield, an area that the Reds have an abundance of talent in, he nonetheless offers a distinct different type of quality.

Martinez prefers to roam free in midfield and operates best in the last third as a schemer and creator of goals, a player that perhaps Yossi Benayoun comes closest in comparison.

With whispers abound that the under-performing Momo Sissoko may be leaving Anfield, room may be freed-up soon for the arrival of Martinez.

But Benitez also knows he is not the only man looking to land Martinez - whose current get-out clause stands at 24 million euros (£17.1million) as he has more than four years remaining on his contract.

Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli was hugely impressed by Martinez in pre-season after the two sides met in a friendly and he has been following him closely ever since.

Now a battle could ensue, although Benitez would always be seen as favourite given his continued close links with his homeland.

Liverpool are also known to have been impressed by Martinez's team-mate Fernando Amorebieta and a double bid could yet be a possibility.

Benitez Looking For More From Leto, Leiva And Babel

With a hectic schedule of fixtures around the corner, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has urged the younger players in his squad to hit top form sooner rather than later.

Benitez is well-aware of the packed period of football than comes at Christmas in the English calendar, and understands the demand for rotation in places on squads.

Therefore Benitez wants his fringe players to step their game up as they are more likely to be making appearances in the first team over the coming weeks.

Although the Spaniard is happy with the way the likes of Ryan Babel, Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto have adapted to the English game, he nonetheless is demanding more from them.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Benitez said: “Our squad is really good and hopefully the strength of the squad will become more clear as the season goes on.

“Some young players, especially the likes of Sebastian Leto, Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel, will grow and progress during the season and I am sure they will play better.

“I am not disappointed with them but I think they do have the potential to play better.”

The Reds, who are looking to win their first Premiership title for 18 years, are currently six points behind the leaders Arsenal.

He said: “I feel that we are in a much better position than we were at this time last season.

“We have more points but if you think about the games and analyse the matches against Birmingham City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, they were three games that we could have won, so maybe we could be top of the table .

“You cannot be 100% happy because I know that we could have won these games, so there is plenty of room for improvement.”

Garay Fancies English Move

Ezequiel Garay has admitted that he would like to play in England after Manchester United and Liverpool were reported to be watching his progress at Racing Santander.

The Argentinian defender has attracted attention with some powerful display at the heart of the Cantabrian rearguard and would fancy trying his luck in the Premiership.

Racing admitted recently that they may have to let him leave next summer after Real Madrid were rumoured to be preparing an offer that would be difficult to turn down.

Now Garay has revealed that he would be open to a transfer, but admitted that he has heard nothing concrete about interest from any clubs.

"To play in England is a dream," he told Sky Sports. "But I insist that I do not want to talk about the hypothesis. I do not have any preferences about any clubs.

"My head is in Racing but like all professionals I would like to progress.

"But I have spoken with the directors of Racing only this week and there is no real news about me."

Crouch Can Leave Liverpool For £10m

Liverpool will spark a £10million transfer auction after deciding to sell Peter Crouch to the highest bidder in January.

Crouch's future has been the subject of intense speculation this season but now manager Rafa Benitez has finally lost patience after seeing a change in the striker's attitude.

The Liverpool manager believes Crouch's status as an England player has turned his head, to the detriment of the work ethic that made him such a valuable team player when he arrived from Southampton for £7m in 2005.

Benitez has instructed Anfield chiefs to secure the best possible price for 26-yearold Crouch. There will be no shortage of offers, with early signs of interest from Newcastle, Portsmouth and Aston Villa, one of his former clubs.

A move abroad is believed to appeal to Crouch, with Juventus in the market for a front-runner.

Casting an eye towards the Premier League, Liverpool's initial valuation could prove a stumbling block. Manchester City dropped out after being quoted £15m.

Sportsmail understands that Crouch is prepared to dig his heels in and see out the remaining 18 months of his contract if Liverpool insist on £15m. It seems likely the club will have to lower their sights to around £10m for a New Year deal to go through.
Crouch's expected departure may not be the only one after Momo Sissoko demanded showdown talks over his lack of opportunities this season.

The 22-year-old Mali midfielder has made only four Premier League starts and sees little hope of forcing his way back after slipping behind Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso for a place alongside Steven Gerrard.

He wants to grill Benitez over his standing and is ready to demand a move in January if the manager cannot convince him he will have a more active role in the second half of the season.

Liverpool only just pipped Everton to the former Valencia player's signature and there is certain to be strong interest from the Premier League as well as a host of foreign clubs, headed by Juventus, jostling for the chance to offer him a fresh start.

Daniel Agger has set his sights on a return to action against Newcastle a week tomorrow, following a 13-game absence with a broken metatarsal.

'I have had to miss out on Denmark's game in Northern Ireland, but I hope to be ready to play for Liverpool after the international break,' said the 22-year old centre-back.

Benitez, who will give Sami Hyypia an overdue rest if Agger is passed fit, says Yossi Benayoun has only an outside chance of making the lunchtime kick-off at St James' Park. He has been forced to rule out Alonso, who has suffered another foot injury.

Benitez said: 'Yossi is working with the physios now. We will have to see if he is fit for Newcastle; it's still too early to say.

'He and Agger are “maybes” but perhaps it will be easier for Agger than for Benayoun. Xabi should start running in the next week but he is a “no” for Newcastle, for sure.'

Benitez: I Like Having Selection Problems Because All My Strikers Are Fit

Rafael Benitez hailed Fernando Torres' stunning goal against Fulham and admitted he was looking forward to more selection posers.

Following Liverpool's 8-0 win over Besiktas, manager Benitez named an unchanged side for the first time this season as the Cottagers visited Anfield on Saturday.

But the Londoners proved a stubborn outfit and it was not until the introduction of injury-hit Torres that the Reds finally made the breakthrough after 81 minutes. Steven Gerrard then clinched a 2-0 win with a late penalty after Peter Crouch was tripped.
Benitez said: "It is good he is back fit, now I have the sort of problems I like with several fit strikers to choose from.

"It was important for Torres to be back and important that he can score goals like that.

"At the end I said well done to them all, not just Torres, his job is to score goals."

Reina: Benitez Driven On By Desperation To Win Premier League

Pepe Reina has revealed Rafa Benitez's desperation to end Liverpool's title drought as he admitted the Reds boss will do everything to bring the championship back to Anfield.

Despite an early-season wobble and a raft of injuries, Liverpool are just six points adrift of top spot with a game in hand over Manchester United.

And while the Spain keeper knows how much it would mean to the Kop to hail the best team in England for the first time in nearly two decades, he maintains Benitez wants it even more.

Reina, who has kept 10 clean sheets in 17 starts this season, told the Daily Mirror: "I know Rafa well and he will break his own head to find a solution to get the title for Liverpool.

"He has the experience of three seasons in England now and knows more of what is required.

"We are all aware of how desperate the fans are to win the championship.

After 18 years without doing so, for a club like Liverpool, that's only normal.

"We all wish to give them that chance to celebrate the title after so long. It's our biggest target for the season.

"Rafa has been successful in the last few years and shown at Liverpool how he can pick teams, change formations and win knock-out games.

"Look at how we've done in the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and getting to the Carling Cup Final as well. It's not easy to win a European Cup in your first season at a club and Rafa did that.

"That will serve him well in the future. He is someone who will always keep learning how English football is and learn from his 'mistakes' - if that's what you want to call them.

"But I wouldn't call them mistakes, because he doesn't make many at all. He is a really seasoned manager, who is always looking for the right solutions, and he will find them."

Reina, 25, insisted he is part of a Liverpool squad that has got what it takes to overhaul United, Arsenal and Chelsea and see Merseyside football back in control.

"People talk about prioritising, about maybe giving up the Champions League for the Premier League, and that's always difficult for a club like Liverpool to do," he added at the Paris launch of the new adidas Predator PowerSwerve boot.

"But if you were to say to me today - 'if you give up the Champions League you WILL win the title', then I'd say 'all right, let's do it now!'"

Gerrard: It's Been Difficult

Steven Gerrard admits it has been 'difficult' being an England player since the defeat in Russia, but is staying positive for the national team's Euro 2008 qualification hopes.

Last month's 2-1 loss in Moscow means England are relying on Israel to secure a result against Russia on Saturday to ensure Steve McClaren's men still have a chance to reach next summer's finals.

England face tournament co-hosts Austria in a friendly on Friday, but midfielder Gerrard intimated that the players' minds are on Israel's game with Russia 24 hours later.

"It's going to be a difficult week because we're all waiting for the Israel game," Gerrard told the Daily Mirror. "It's been difficult being an England player since the Russia result.

"We could all be going into one of the most meaningless internationals of our career, or one of the most important.

"But if we join up this week thinking it's all over and we've got no chance, it will make it impossible to prepare right for Wednesday if it suddenly becomes a massive game for us."

Gerrard also insists the players want to represent England and the stand-in skipper remains determined to be successful with the national team.

He added: "It's not aggravation to go out and play for your country. I still believe and have a dream of winning something with England, and that's worth any aggravation.

"If you look around the squad and see the players we've got, they should be capable of winning something. If we have to suffer this summer to have a successful World Cup in 2010, then that really would be worth the aggravation, if you want to call it that.

"Can you imagine this country if we have a successful tournament? And that's what I want to be part of.

"I have the same dream I had when I was a kid. Any young English player who doesn't have that dream shouldn't be playing for England.

"I can assure everyone on the outside that the players are frustrated and disappointed at the position we're in and are desperate to put it right."

Voronin Tips Kuyt To Find Best Form

Andriy Voronin has backed Dirk Kuyt to rediscover his best form "in the next few weeks" and win his place back in the Liverpool side.

Kuyt was left out of the side which faced Fulham at the weekend as Voronin, Peter Crouch and substitute Fernando Torres all featured, but the Ukraine frontman insists Kuyt will bounce back.

He said: "I have a very good relationship with the other strikers and it is up to the manager to decide who plays in any particular game.

"It's not about individuals, it's about the team, but Dirk is a very good striker. Sometimes strikers make mistakes, sometimes defenders do the same.

"But Dirk is a very good player and I am sure we'll see him back to his best in the next few weeks."