Koeman Confirms Interest In Sissoko

Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he is in the running to challenge Juventus and take Mohamed Sissoko back to Valencia from Liverpool to bolster his midfield.

The Dutch coach believes that the 22-year-old Mali international is the perfect player to step into the defensive midfield position as he bids to change the fortunes at Mestalla.

Juve looked to be favourites to land Sissoko, but a return to Spain may tempt the player that has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield this season.

”We know the deal is complicated but it is not complete,” said Koeman. “He has all the characteristics of the player we need.”

Valencia are looking for a new player to add strength to the midfield after David Albelda was told that he was no longer wanted at the club.

Sissoko made 45 appearances for Los Ché in a two-year stint at the club after he joined them in 2003 from his first professional side, Auxerre.

In his first season at Mestalla, he helped the club to win the Spanish title, the UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup.

A successful switch to Liverpool then saw him enjoy success in the European Super Cup, again, the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

Liverpool In No Rush Over Stadium Plan

Liverpool have delayed a decision on the designs for their new stadium as American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jnr try to thrash out a refinancing deal for the club.

Following presentations from two firms of architects which ran late into the evening at a board meeting in New York on Tuesday, Liverpool were due to make an announcement on their revised plans for the move to their new home at Stanley Park last night.

But chief executive Rick Parry issued a statement yesterday saying that while good progress had been made, a final decision had been put off.

He insisted, however, that whichever design was chosen, the club would be getting an "excellent result".

Parry said: "It was a very full day. We had two very detailed and very informative presentations which were very thorough and extremely professional. It has been another big step forward to finding the best possible solution and the whole meeting was very constructive."

Hicks and Gillett ordered the review of the stadium plans after Dallas-based architects HKS overshot the budget for the new 70,000-seat arena by £50 million.

The American owners then asked them to scale down their plans at the same time as asking Manchester firm AFL to come up with their own designs. "A clear decision will be taken soon," said Parry. "They were both very good in terms of coming closer to the right solution."

The reality for Hicks and Gillett is that they cannot choose a final stadium design until they have a clearer picture of how they are to finance that, plus £270 million of loans taken out last February to pay for their acquisition of the club.

Talks are ongoing with the Royal Bank of Scotland and American bank Wachovia about a new £350 million refinancing but have stalled after concerns over the amount of debt being placed on the club's books. There have also been question marks over the amount of cash being pumped into the refinancing by Hicks and Gillett.

Since the new year, the Americans have become more confident of clinching a deal before the one-year loan with RBS expires. One option being discussed by the banks is to lend money to the club to fund the start of work on the stadium project at the same time as offering Hicks and Gillett breathing space to raise new investment to help refinance the club acquisition.

Although the future of manager Rafael Benitez is certain to have been on the agenda during the meeting in New York, there was no comment from the club on the Spaniard yesterday.

On Tuesday he repeated his determination to stay at Liverpool, distancing himself from reports last weekend which suggested he expected to be fired in the summer.

Returning Agger Set For Reserves Outing

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez revealed that defender Daniel Agger is “very close” to returning to first-team action.

The stylish left-footed central defender has been crocked since September with a broken metatarsal, but he will be well on the road to regaining his first-team responsibilities after a reserve-team outing on Thursday.

Benitez, the subject of increased press speculation over his job, expressed his relief that Agger will be available for selection soon, and also stated that the Danish international’s return would spark an overall improvement for the club in the second half of the season.

"For us it's like signing a new player. He is very close to starting a game for the first team," he said on the club's official website.

The Spaniard insisted the medical team take their time with Agger’s recuperation after seeing fellow metatarsal-injured-absentee Xabi Alonso suffer continuous setbacks in his attempted return to action.

"The injury he had wasn't a bad one but we had problems also with Xabi Alonso, so we needed to be careful and we have missed him.

"We will be much better in the second part of this season."

Arbeloa: I Look Up To Finnan

Liverpool full-back Alvaro Arbeloa says he considers fellow defender Steve Finnan a friend and role model rather than a right-back rival.

Alvaro Arbeloa moved to Liverpool from Spanish side Deportivo in January last year.

Speaking 12 months into his Anfield career, the defender highlighted just how much he's learned from fellow Reds full-back Steve Finnan.

The Spaniard has become a regular fixture in Liverpool's starting XI, largely because of his versatility.

But while he's happy to fill in at left-back or centre-back for Rafa Benítez' side, he stressed that the right side of defence will always be his preferred option.

Nonetheless, when you're competing against an experienced professional like Steve Finnan you have to take games as and when you can.

"Finnan is unbelievable," the 24-year-old Arbeloa told LFC Magazine. "He never plays badly. He is a good player who always plays really well. He is a great example for someone like me. I am learning a lot about the game from him.

"Not only is he a fantastic player but I also count him as a good mate," Arbeloa continued. "It is a challenge for me to play on the right side of the defence because Finn is such a good player. Just watching and working with him in training every day can only improve my game in the long run.

"Finn still has some good years left in him," added the Spaniard. "At 24-years-old it is a good opportunity for me to be able to learn from someone like him and who knows what will happen in the future? It would be great if I can stay here for another eight years or so, though.

"It would be nice to have my own position one day," commented Arbeloa when asked if he could make the right-back spot his own. "But if you can play in three or four positions it is better for the team, the boss and for me. Sometimes players get injured or the boss has another idea for a certain game. I can play on the right or the left, but the most important thing is that I play well when or whenever I am in the team."

Liverpool Poised For New Cash Injection

A millionaire Liverpool fan looks set to help the club out of its current cash crisis.

Northern Irishman John Miskelly, a lifelong Liverpool fan, is reported to have held talks concerning a fresh cash injection into the Anfield side.

Miskelly has amassed a vast fortune from his dealings in property and even launched a £250m takeover for Liverpool last year, only to be beaten to the prize by American duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

However, neither of the Reds owners have yet succeeded in putting together a £300m refinancing package on the original loan used to buy the club.

The current global credit crunch and the spiralling interest repayments have put plans for a new luxury stadium at Stanley Park very much on hold.

With banks refusing to bail out the American pair, they have turned to alternative sources of investment, which The Mirror claims is Miskelly. It is not yet known exactly what or how much money any deal with the Ulsterman would involve.

Sissoko: Juve Transfer Close To Completion

Juventus are close to completing the signing of Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko, the player himself has admitted.

It has been no secret that the main objective of the Bianconeri’s January transfer campaign has been to find a new centre-midfielder.

This led to links with a host of top names, including Rafael Van der Vaart, Diego and Javier Mascherano.

However it now seems virtually certain that it will be Mascherano’s Liverpool team-mate Momo Sissoko who will be moving to the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.

“The negotiations with Juve are close to conclusion,” Sissoko told RMC.

“I am waiting for news in the coming days and while nothing has been signed yet, I can confirm that there are advanced negotiations between the Bianconeri and my agents.

“Certainly I would be excited to go to Turin. It is a prestigious club, it would be a new challenge and I could demonstrate my quality.”

The cost of the transfer is believed to be around €15m, which will leave Juve €5m remaining of their €20m January transfer budget.

Benítez Begs For More Time As Owners Discuss The Future

Rafael Benítez has made an impassioned plea to Liverpool's American owners to allow him to continue as manager, despite their reservations about the team's progress. George Gillett and Tom Hicks were having talks last night with the chief executive Rick Parry amid growing speculation that Benítez does not figure in their plans beyond the end of the season, but the man who brought the European Cup back to Anfield insists he wants to stay.

"I don't know how many times I have to say this before certain people believe me," said an exasperated Benítez. "But I will say it again because it is really important that everyone understands this - I love the club, I love the fans, I love the city and I am very, very happy here. I do not see my future at Real Madrid or Inter Milan or anywhere else. I see my future at Liverpool and this is where I want to stay."

Benítez could hardly have been more unequivocal as he waited to hear the outcome of Parry's discussions with Gillett and Hicks in the United States. The official line from Anfield was that Benítez's future was not on the agenda, but the Spaniard is entitled to be worried given his precarious relationship with the Americans and reports that Jürgen Klinsmann is to be sounded out about replacing him.

It has not helped Benítez that an off-the-record conversation with a number of Sunday newspaper journalists led to reports at the weekend that he feared he could be sacked. "I was shocked when I was told about the stories in the Sunday papers," he said. "To see my name linked with other clubs in such a manner really disappoints me. And the fact that the newspapers said that the stories had come from 'a source close to me' is what disappoints me most.

"All I can say is, no such quotes came from me and I know my friends well enough to know that they did not come from them. So I can only assume that the conversation I had with the journalists from the Sunday newspapers meant something different to them than me."

Benítez has completed the £6.5m signing of the centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg and turned down an inquiry from Fulham for Sami Hyypia, "The squad is the best it has been since I first came here and we have many young players who are going to get only better," he said, "so I have no wish to be at any other club. I want to be here this summer and many other summers after that."

Aurelio Hit By Injury Blow

Liverpool fullback Fabio Aurelio has been hit with another injury setback just when he was coming into a purple patch of form for the Reds.

Aurelio has shown some of the best form of his short Liverpool career in recent games but, much like last season, injury has struck to break his rhythm.

The Brazilian was ruled out of the weekend's FA Cup draw with Luton and has admitted he will not be available for the next league match away to Middlesbrough.

"It's a pity I've had to stop again because I was feeling good," he told the club's website.

"It's normal after a long injury to pick up little problems when you come back but hopefully I will only miss the one league game and be back for the Aston Villa match next week.

"I've spent a lot of time out and it's very difficult to explain how frustrating it has been. My wife probably knows better than me because she has seen what I've been like.

"I've not been capable of training or doing my job. It's been a difficult time but you just have to keep working. It's a dream for me to play without problems."

Although Aurelio will be missing for the trip to Teeside, he has acknowledged that three points are vital if the Reds are to keep their title chances alive.

"I think we've been frustrated with the last couple of league games because we were better than Man City and we should have beaten Wigan," he added.

"If we want to fight for the title then we have to be winning games."

Rafael Benitez Proves A Hot Topic In New York

Rafael BenÍtez was close to securing a £6.5 million deal to sign Martin Skrtel, the Zenit St Petersburg defender, last night, but his long-term prospects as Liverpool manager appear bleaker than ever before a critical board meeting in New York today.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, Liverpool’s American owners, will meet Rick Parry, the chief executive, in a meeting that was ostensibly called to discuss plans and ways to finance the club’s proposed new stadium in Stanley Park. The future of BenÍtez is not officially on the agenda, but it is certain to be discussed, with sources indicating last night that the relationship between manager and board is more strained than ever and that a parting of the ways is only a matter of time.

Barring a dramatic development at today’s meeting, BenÍtez is expected to stay in charge for the remainder of the season, but he is increasingly aware that his days at Liverpool are numbered. Even if the signing of Skrtel, the Slovakia defender, would appear to represent a vote of confidence in the manager, BenÍtez has little doubt that Hicks and Gillett are plotting to replace him, with rumours in the football community - although not yet from within Anfield – continuing to link Jürgen Klinsmann, the former Germany coach, with Merseyside.

It is not clear whether Liverpool have a serious interest in Klinsmann or if the 43-year-old would be prepared to turn his back on his life in California, where he works as vice-president for Soccer Solutions, a consultancy firm, but there have been indications from Germany that he is eager to return to management in Europe.

Beyond the issue of BenÍtez’s future, Hicks and Gillett, whose working relationship has run far from smoothly, are under serious pressure to refinance the £270 million loan that they used to buy the club last February. The loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland expires next month and a new refinancing deal is imperative if the Americans are to have any hope of delivering the new stadium that they promised at the time of their takeover.

Luton Town are investigating claims that Jamie Carragher, the Liverpool defender, was involved in an angry confrontation with home supporters at the FA Cup third-round tie between the clubs at Kenilworth Road on Sunday. Carragher, the former England defender, is alleged to have responded to taunts from fans as he warmed down after the match by scaling a barrier and shouting obscenities at the occupants of an executive box.

Dimitar Berbatov - So Nearly A Liverpool Player

Should Dimitar Berbatov leave Spurs for an enormous fee during the January transfer window it will leave many at Anfield regretting what might have been.

In the autumn and winter of 2004, Liverpool were scouring Europe for a top class centre forward and Berbatov, then of Bayer Leverkusen, was high on their wanted list.

Leverkusen were willing to do business at the right price and the player himself was believed to have been keen on a move to Anfield.

That was until fate intervened and Liverpool were drawn against Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Any hopes of a deal being done were dashed as the German outfit decided they could not sell one of their main assets to a team they would be facing the following month and Liverpool ended up signing Fernando Morientes.

Talk about the luck of the draw.

Defender Skrtel Passes Anfield Medical

Slovak defender Martin Skrtel looks set to become Liverpool's latest signing after he passed a medical at Anfield.

Liverpool appear set to clinch a deal for Zenit St. Petersburg's Martin Skrtel after he completed a medical today.

The Slovakian international will set the Merseysiders back £6.5m, providing American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet give their seal of approval at a meeting with chief executive Rick Parry today.

Personal terms have already been agreed with the club, and should the deal go through it would make Skrtel the most expensive defender in Liverpool's history.

Liverpool have been chasing a new centre-back for some time, and after their pursuit of Gabriel Heinze was knocked back by Manchester United and Gabriel Palletta was sent packing back to Argentina they've clearly had limited options in that position.

Daniel Agger's long-term injury has forced boss Rafael Benítez to rely almost exclusively on Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia this season, but the 6ft 4in Skrtel - tipped as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe - should add extra cover.

The Slovak has been capped 15 times at international level and recently won the Russian Premier League with Zenit in November this year as the side became only the second non-Moscow club to lift the title in the post-Soviet era.

Liverpool Aim To Have Martin Skrtel Signed For Middlesbrough Clash

Liverpool are on the brink of breaking their transfer record for a defender while insisting that boss Rafael Benitez’s job is not up for discussion when chief executive Rick Parry holds talks with the club’s American owners later this week.

Benitez is about to spend £6.5million on Zenit St Petersburg centre-back Martin Skrtel, the Slovakia international.

The player was due to have a medical today having arrived on Merseyside on Sunday evening, hours after Liverpool had been embarrassingly held 1-1 at Luton in the FA Cup third round.

The replay will now be at Anfield next Tuesday, with the added incentive of a potential home fourth round tie against non-league Havant and Waterlooville or Swansea, who must also replay next week after a 1-1 draw in South Wales at the weekend.

Chief executive Parry was in Russia at the weekend concluding negotiations for Skrtel, and returned to pour cold water on claims that he was flying to the US later in the week for talks with owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over Benitez’s future.

Liverpool’s tie at Kenilworth Road was overshadowed by media speculation that Benitez would be sacked at the end of the season.

Hicks and Gillett have already announced that they would be making a decision this week on the design of the revised new stadium plans.

But Parry pointed out today: “The appointment is a diary engagement to discuss the new stadium plans, it has been in the diary for a long time to discuss the stadium.”

Skrtel, who was last in Liverpool in early December to play for Zenit against Everton in the UEFA Cup, is rated as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe.

The deal will mark the end of Benitez’s search for a new centre-half that began with the unsuccessful pursuit of Gabriel Heinze and which became increasingly urgent in recent weeks following injuries to both Daniel Agger and Sami Hyypia.

Skrtel, 23, has 15 caps and joined Zenit in 2004 and has gone on to make more than 100 appearances in the Russian league.

Benitez’s defensive problems started when Agger damaged a metatarsal in September, and he has still not returned to action.

Hyypia made his comeback at Luton from an ankle injury sustained at Derby on Boxing Day, but he looked rusty and short of pace.

Benitez has had to use Alvaro Arbeloa in central defence, but a calf injury ruled the Spaniard out at Luton, and 19 year-old Jack Hobbs was on the bench as the only other option.

Benitez will be keen to see the deal for 6ft 4in tall Skrtel tied up as quick as possible so he can be added to the Liverpool squad, possibly even in time for the trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Liverpool The Latest Club Poised To Move In For Hutton

Liverpool want to know if Alan Hutton will reject every Premiership bid for his services this month after his shock decision to snub £9million interest from Spurs.

But one Ibrox player who is sweeter on making a switch south is Brahim Hemdani — and former Rangers manager Alex McLeish is ready to grant him his wish of playing in England by taking the midfielder to Birmingham.

Rangers are aware it is the Anfield club, and not Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, lying in wait to offer Hutton top-flight riches down south and Walter Smith the opportunity to recoup his entire spending from last summer.

The interest has been lodged with the 23-year-old's agent, John Lonergan, who saw a transfer to Tottenham collapse on Thursday night, despite Rangers accepting the record offer.

As Sportsmail revealed on December 2, Spurs were prepared to match the Ibrox asking price and did so after failing with a bid of £6m, plus a selection of Spurs fringe players.

But Hutton has told colleagues that a desire to win the title at Rangers this season was the chief reason behind his stunning decision to reject a £30,000-a-week contract from White Hart Lane and that may yet keep Rafa Benitez waiting until the summer.

The Liverpool boss, while making left-back a priority in the next few weeks, wants to improve his lot on the other flank where Steve Finnan is the only genuine performer. Reports on Hutton have been glowing enough to merit making their interest abundantly clear.

That option presenting itself may go some way to explaining why Spurs were blanked by the player. A move to the northwest of England may then appeal more than London for the young full-back in what now seems an inevitable lucrative move across the border.

However, midfield class act Hemdani has no such concerns over a move.

He wanted away in August but was persuaded to stay on by boss Smith's insistence that his experience was vital to helping his Champions League rookies in Europe, although he was considered surplus to requirements by the manager for the majority of domestic duties.

With that thrill gone, Hemdani believes the coast should now be clear to begin the latest chapter of his career and Birmingham will be willing participants.

Hemdani has 18 months of the deal he signed under McLeish at Ibrox remaining and is the second-highest earner at the club behind captain Barry Ferguson, so now would be the logical time to cash in, although his qualities would be a loss.

If his departure looks inevitable, Smith will want a replacement lined up on loan at the very least and that brings Napoli's former Chelsea man Sam Dalla Bonna into the picture.

He was watched by Rangers before the Serie A winter shutdown. The other fear in the midfield department is Kevin Thomson's proximity to a suspension and Hemdani could be a late play in January with that in mind.

Lower League Opposition Awaits If Liverpool Progress In FA Cup

Liverpool’s reward for a successful conclusion to their third round FA Cup tie against Luton Town will be a tie against Swansea City or the only non-league side left in the competition, Havant & Waterlooville.

In the draw today at Soho Square, conducted by Anfield legend John Aldridge, the Reds were paired with the winners of the tie between the League One team and the Blue Square Conference South side, who are based in Hampshire.

The sides drew 1-1 at Swansea's Liberty Stadium on Saturday with the 10-man visitors equalising late on to force a replay on Wednesday week at their West Leigh Park ground.

The Reds have not played non-league opposition in the FA Cup since Altrincham were seen off 4-1 in a 1981 third round tie but have been embarrassed by minnows before, famously losing to Worcester City in 1959.

Liverpool and Swansea City have met on five previous occasions in the FA Cup, the most recent being in 1990 when the Reds ran up an 8-0 scoreline in an Anfield replay following a goalless draw at the Vetch Field.

Liverpool also progressed after ties in 1936, 1971 and 1982 with Swansea's sole triumph coming in a 1964 quarter final.

With Bill Shankly's side striding towards their first championship under his reign, the then Second Division side stunned Anfield by winning 2-1 with left-back Ronnie Moran missing a penalty late on.

After semi-final defeat to Leicester City the previous season, it appeared Liverpool's FA Cup jinx would never end although it would only be another 12 months before the FA Cup finally resided at Anfield following victory over Leeds United at Wembley in 1965.


Full draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup

Arsenal v Stoke City/Newcastle

Coventry v Walsall/Millwall

Oldham v Huddersfield Town

Swindon/Barnet v Fulham/Bristol Rovers

Wigan v Chelsea

Luton/Liverpool v Swansea/Havant & Waterlooville

Southend v Barnsley

Southampton v Norwich/Bury

Man Utd v Tottenham/Reading

Portsmouth v Plymouth

Derby/Sheff Wed v Preston

Watford v Wolves

Peterborough v Charlton/West Brom

Sheff Utd v West Ham/Man City

Mansfield v Middlesbrough

Tranmere/Hereford v Cardiff

Ties to be played on 26 & 27 January



FA Cup third-round replay dates

Tuesday 15 January

West Brom v Charlton

Bury v Norwich

Barnet v Swindon

Reading v Tottenham

Millwall v Walsall

Bristol Rovers v Fulham

Sheffield Wednesday v Derby

Liverpool v Luton

Wednesday 16 January

Man City v West Ham

Havant & Waterlooville v Swansea

Newcastle v Stoke

Hereford v Tranmere

Reds Linked With Opare Move

Ghanaian starlet Daniel Opare has admitted it would be a dream come true to play in the Premier League, amid speculation linking him with a switch to Liverpool.

Opare was rated the best defender at last summer's Under-17 World Cup.

Still only 17, he has already been called up to Ghana's senior team and has been likened in style to Brazilian great Cafu.

He currently plays for Ashanti Gold SC in his homeland and is under contract until 2010, but a host of top European sides are understood to be interested.

Real Madrid and Milan are among Opare's admirers, but he has hinted that he would prefer a move to the Premier League.

"I'm calm about my future, but to play in Europe will be to fulfil my dreams," Opare said in the News of the World.

"The Premier League is sensational."

Opare's enthusiasm for the English game will have been noted by Liverpool, who have reportedly been tracking his progress for some time.

The Reds could now decide to make an offer, although Ashanti have inserted a clause in his contract that will not allow him to move for less than £1.5million.

Reds Close In On Slovakian

Liverpool are said to be closing in on the signing of Zenit St Petersburg defender Martin Skrtel for a reported fee of around £7million.

Reds boss Rafael Benitez has confirmed he is looking to bring in a central defender in this month's transfer window to bolster his squad and it appears 23-year-old Skrtel is his man.

Liverpool have struggled for numbers in central defence this season, with Daniel Agger still sidelined through injury and Alvaro Arbeloa has forced to play as a makeshift centre-half in some games

Slovakia international Skrtel is highly regarded and is believed to have interested the likes of Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and Valencia.

However, Liverpool are thought to have stolen a march on their rivals by tabling a firm offer for Skrtel.

Defensive Benitez Denies Concern Over Sack

Rafael Benitez again leapt to the defence of his selection policy as he denied suggestions he fears the sack as Liverpool boss.

Benitez's future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks and the rumours are unlikely to subside after his team were taken to an FA Cup third round replay by lowly Luton yesterday.

John Arne Riise's 76th-minute own goal gave the cash-strapped Hatters a money-spinning replay on Merseyside after Peter Crouch had opened the scoring against the run of play.

A 1-1 draw was no more than administration-hit Luton deserved against a disjointed Liverpool side that showed eight changes from their last outing, with Fernando Torres and Jose Reina both rested.

Asked about his team selection, Benitez said: 'What is my strongest team? Do you think our goalkeeper was troubled too much today?

'When you play Crouch, who is the centre forward for England, (Yossi) Benayoun, who is an international player, (Dirk) Kuyt, who is an international player and (Andriy) Voronin, you give the other team the message that you have a very strong side. The other players were injured.

'I think the team scored a goal and need to use their experience to control the game.

'But it's the FA Cup. Look at what happened to Everton, Blackburn and Bolton - that's the FA Cup.'

On the speculation over his job, the Spaniard added: 'I love the club and the fans and want to stay.

'I have two years left on my contract and if I could stay for two years more, I would be very happy.'

Asked if the club's American owners wanted him to stay, he replied: 'The people who own the club? I think so. But every day do I need to ask them that question?

'I love the club, fans. I want to stay. We are working together trying to improve the squad now and for the future.

'All I think is that we scored a goal today and should have controlled the game, I don't need to answer questions about anything else.'

For Luton, who have been unable to fully pay their players since being plunged into administration three months ago, the result meant a vital pay day in the replay.

Manager Kevin Blackwell said: 'I wanted to be talking about the football, but in terms of all the things that are going on, yes, it's the perfect result.

'But I'm disappointed because I thought we could have won the game.

'We asked the players to do certain things and we edged them in terms of chances.

'A bit more guile in the final third and we would have won. Our passing, invention and movement was just as good as theirs.

'We showed terrific heart and terrific fitness and when we needed a special save from Brilly (Dean Brill), he pulled it off.

'But in terms of the survival of this football club, it's a fantastic result.'

Inter Overtake Juve And Fiorentina In Sissoko Race

The race for Liverpool's Mohamed Sissoko is heating up, as over the last hours, Inter have surprisingly overtaken both Juventus and Fiorentina in the contest.

The Nerazzurri could be closing in on an important transfer according to 'tuttomercatoweb.com', as Sissoko has become the number one objective of coach Roberto Mancini.

Inter have thus stormed ahead in the negotiations that favoured Juventus ahead of Fiorentina until a few days ago: thus, the latest developments could see the French midfielder joining the Italian champions instead of either of these teams.

With Patrick Vieira almost certainly leaving the club at the end of this season, Mancini has requested Sissoko to president Massimo Moratti, as he believes that he would be the perfect replacement for the veteran midfielder.

Inter's sudden acceleration has surprised both Juventus and Fiorentina, who will now need to hurry things up if they do not want to lose the 22-year-old player.

Rafa Benitez: I Won't Quit

Rafa Benitez claimed he loved Liverpool and had no plans to quit as manager after escaping an embarrassing FA Cup exit at League One Luton last night.

Benitez, who has fallen out with the club's American owners, has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

But after a 1-1 draw with the Hatters, he said: "I'm very clear - I love the club, I love the fans I want to stay."

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has flown out to the US to be at a scheduled board meeting in New York tomorrow, where Benitez's future is bound to be among matters discussed.

Benitez is under pressure with the club fifth in the Premier League and 12 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Defeat to Luton would have added to that pressure and although Liverpool went ahead last night through Peter Crouch, a John Arne Riise own goal earned Luton the replay their spirited performance deserved.

A bullish Benitez showed more fight than his lacklustre team afterwards by insisting he wanted to stay at Anfield beyond his current deal, which runs out in 2010.

"I have two more years of my contract and if I can stay for more than two I'll be really happy," he said. "I want to stay. Finish.

"I will not talk about this all the time. I want to stay, I'm happy here, I love the club and the fans so you can write this."

When asked if he believed owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett still had confidence in him and if he would be at the club next season, he replied: "I think so.

"To help with the situation is just to keep working hard and keep winning."

Benitez Summit As Parry Flies To US For Crunch Talks On Liverpool Boss

Rafa Benitez's Anfield future will be discussed on Tuesday following fresh claims that he fears his Liverpool reign will end with the sack.

Chief executive Rick Parry is flying to America for a summit meeting with co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett about plans for a new stadium at nearby Stanley Park.

But it is understood Benitez's increasingly uncertain position has been added to the agenda and yesterday's 1-1 FA Cup draw at League One strugglers Luton is unlikely to have improved his standing.

Benitez is desperate to remain at Anfield and said: "It is very clear. I love the club, I love the fans and I want to stay. I have two more years left on my contract and if I can stay for longer I will be really happy. I think the people at the club want me to stay.

"We are working together trying to improve the squad, now and also for the future."

Benitez saw his weakened line-up take the lead through Peter Crouch, only for John Arne Riise's own goal to earn Luton a replay tomorrow week.

All this on a day which started with the Liverpool manager's misgivings being aired by an unnamed confidant in a move that seemed to underline how he senses there may be no healing his rift with co-owner Tom Hicks.

For all the recent attempts to patch up their differences following a two-hour meeting over Christmas that was described as cordial and constructive, Benitez was said to be resigned to his fate and bracing himself for the axe.

There are echoes of Jose Mourinho's downfall at Chelsea about the way Benitez has taken on a wealthy club owner in a power struggle and antagonised him by stubbornly refusing to climb down.

Like Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, Hicks, in particular, has taken exception to what he views as his manager overstepping the mark.

Matters came to a head when Hicks felt Javier Mascherano's £17million permanent transfer was being pushed through without due consultation and he responded by ordering Benitez to back off and concentrate on the players already at his disposal.

Benitez evidently believes the unwavering support of Liverpool's vast following will stand him in good stead.

There are even claims that Hicks and fellow co-owner George Gillett, beset by problems over financing a new stadium and with their own relationship strained, may look to sell up before having the chance to dismiss the manager.

Even so, Benitez appears to be playing a dangerous game.

Suggestions that Real Madrid are waiting to offer him a fresh start hardly tally with the views of Bernabeu insiders.

Real are looking unstoppable at the top of the Spanish league, while coach Bernd Schuster has been widely credited with restoring discipline and harmony in the dressing room and revitalising the careers of Robinho and former on-loan Arsenal forward Julio Baptista.