Liverpool To Offer Pair For Barry?

Liverpool could be set to offer two players to Aston Villa in exchange for the Villans' coveted captain, Gareth Barry.

According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool are willing to exchange Peter Crouch and goalkeeper Scott Carson in exchange for Aston Villa's England midfielder Gareth Barry.

Rafa Benitez has been upfront about his desire to take Barry to Anfield, where he would link up with his good friend Steven Gerrard, the Reds' captain.

The player-exchange deal is apparently seen by Benitez as a hopefully more attractive offer than the £10 million bid for Barry which Liverpool had rejected last month.

However, Villa manager Martin O'Neill has been adamant when talking about his wish to keep Barry at Villa Park, and he seems in highly determined mood on the subject.

On the other hand, both ex-Villan Crouch, and Carson - the keeper on loan to Villa from Liverpool - have been linked with moves to the West Midlands club in recent weeks.

But are both together a big enough lure to tempt O'Neill into reluctantly parting with Barry?

Mascherano: Next Season Will Be Different

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano told LFC Magazine that the Reds will not be also-rans again next season.

League and the Champions League this year, but the Argentine had stated that there will be no such failures in 2008-09.

He said, "Next season will be very, very different.”Next season teams will have to believe in our challenge.

"We have the supporters of a champion team, we have a team of potential champions and who all believe in the same things.

"How can we not achieve our dreams when that is true? We will be back in August more hungry for silverware than ever."

As one of the more diminutive midfielders in the league, Mascherano went on to talk about his unique physical attributes.

"I am not as tall as Steven (Gerrard) or even as tall as any of the players that I play against. So I need to be brave and prove for every minute of every game that I have a big heart," he said.

"I would say that in my position, because of my size, I have to try twice as hard as the opposition players I am playing against.

"I am the smallest player in the Liverpool team. I am maybe one of the smallest central midfielders in the country and people will, I am sure, look at me before we play them and think that they will be able to dominate me physically.

"I think that in the course of my time at Liverpool I have proved that they can't. I won't let them."

To this end, the Reds fans have nicknamed him 'Monster Masch'.

"I meet supporters and they tell me this. It makes me happy because it tells me I made the right decision coming to England and coming to Liverpool," he beamed.

"It shows I am doing the things I need to and doing them right."

The 23-year-old concluded by stating that he was proud to be at Anfield and felt that he was settling in nicely.

"It is a matter of great pride for me to represent the famous name of Liverpool," he emphasised.

"I want to play my part in making the club even more successful. I want to ensure this is the last season without a trophy for us for a long time.

"We had a season that had many highlights, but also left us with a feeling that maybe we could have achieved more.

"I would say of course that I could be better. I am not finished as a player and I look at the other boys in this team and try to learn little things from them.

"But I have definitely had a more consistent season this year than I had in the six months after I first arrived."

Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher Refuses To Rethink Decision Of Retiring From International Fold

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has insisted that he wont be reconsidering his decision to retire from the national squad.

It was speculated that new England boss Fabio Capello was hoping to convince the defender to rethink his decision of retiring.

However the 30-year old claimed that he will be standing by his decision no wont be going back to the international fold.

"I said when I stepped away from playing for England that it would help my fitness to keep myself right for Liverpool, and this proves I made the right decision," Carragher told the Sunday Mirror.

"I feel I've benefited from regular rests during international weeks and it has helped with little knocks and niggles clearing up.

"My only disappointment was that Stevie and I didn't have another 90 minutes to add to the total by playing in the Champions League Final as well!"

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard Requests Full Backing For Rafael Benitez In Transfer Market

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard asked the owners of the club to give full support to boss Rafael Benitez in the transfer market this summer, so that quality players can be brought in, to aid the Reds in challenging for the title next season.

The English international claimed that he was disappointed for not having made it to the top spot this season.

However Gerrard insisted that with the bringing in of the right players to the squad during the summer would help them in lifting silverware next season.

"It hurts more and more when we get to November or December every season and have to accept we're out of the title race again," he said.

"Every year seems to be following the same routine. The manager asks for more support in the transfer market in January, while we're all saying to ourselves this should have happened the previous summer.

"The time to act is now, not in January when we're already too far behind. Look at Chelsea. A day after they've lost the league, what do they do? They spend £16 million on a full-back.

"That's the kind of ruthless approach to transfers the Liverpool fans and players want to see, making the signings the manager wants.

"The manager knows where we need to strengthen and the players and fans have faith in Rafa — but he needs the backing to act on his plans.

"There's no point us waiting all summer again and then possibly missing out on the players we need.

"If we do that we'll just end up going through the same experience as previous years.

"The only way to achieve this is to give the manager the kind of backing which gives us a chance. You only get better when you improve the quality in the squad.

"Everyone can see we've got a lot of very good players here. I honestly don't believe we're that far off if we can make two or three top-class additions.

"The spine of the side is definitely there. But we know United and Chelsea are going to go out and spend millions again this summer.

"You can see what Fernando Torres added to our team this season. He made a big difference.

"No one is saying we should be spending that kind of money on every player we sign, but if we're going to mount a serious challenge for the title we have to bring in proven quality.

"I'm not just talking or thinking as a player here, but as a fan. This isn't just about what I feel, but about what the fans, the players and everyone who loves the club wants.

"Our supporters deserve more of a challenge than we've put up — but they also need to feel we've a realistic chance of competing.

"Like all of us, they'll be watching what's happening at the club over the summer very carefully.

"They'll be reading the papers every day to find out what's going on, and desperate to feel positive about the future.

"I've always seen summer as a really important period because that's when all the planning gets done.

"League titles aren't just won on the pitch from one week to the next, they're won by managers planning ahead and assembling squads which can cope with the demands of English and European football.

"We have to be doing everything in our power over the next few weeks to prevent another disappointing season."

He added: "I've won every major honour at Liverpool except one. It hurts more and more not only to have never won the league, but to have never really gone close.

"It would be bad enough if we only narrowly missed out on the title, but we've never got to March or April recently and thought we were in contention.

"That's what we want more than anything at Anfield, but we'll only achieve that when everyone is working together for the same goal.

"I watched United last week and as a Liverpool fan it killed me to see them win the league again.

"They deserved to win it and I have the utmost respect for their achievement, but we've got to do everything we can to get it off them next season."

Four Reds In Spain Squad But No Place For Reds Target

Luis Aragonés has named four Liverpool players in his final 23-man squad for this summer’s European Championships, to be held in Austria and Switzerland.

Pepe Reina, Álvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres are all involved.

Spain will play a friendly against Peru on May 31st, but their Euro 2008 fixtures get underway on June 10th against Russia in Innsbruck. Four days later at the same venue they play Sweden before ending their group games with a match against Greece on June 16th in Salzburg.

The decision to omit some star names, including Real’s Raul, whilst including the uncapped Santiago Cazorla and Sergio García has raised eyebrows, but Aragonés was clear that he would make the decisions he felt were right: “I’m the one, for better or worse, who has to choose and I have chosen.” Álvaro Arbeloa has only played around 15 minutes for Spain too.

Aragonés caused upset at Espanyol by not picking any of their players in his squad, including Liverpool-linked winger Albert Riera. DiarioSport reported earlier this week that Riera was a Liverpool target with Sebastian Leto part of the deal. They suggested Liverpool had made an offer of around £8m with Espanyol holding out for £12m. Fiorentina were also said to be interested, but Liverpool may be helped thanks to Espanyol’s sporting director being former Liverpool head scout and long-time friend of Rafa’s Paco Herrera.

The inclusion of Liverpool’s young Argentinean midfielder Leto in the deal would be on a loan basis. Leto has suffered from passport problems this season and hasn’t played for the first team since October. Spanish government rules on work permits are different to British rules so he should have no problems playing in Spain whilst waiting for a resolution to the issue.

Rafa Eyes Taylor As Three Keepers Set To Leave Liverpool

Premier League survivors Fulham have joined the race to sign Scott Carson, who is set to be one of three goalkeepers to leave Liverpool this summer.

Anfield manager Rafa Benitez will try to sign Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor as back-up for Pepe Reina.

Reina's current deputy, Charles Itandje, has been told he will be allowed to find another club, while young prospect David Martin will go out on loan next season to gain experience.

Liverpool's £10 million asking price for Carson has been rebuffed by Aston Villa, where the England goalkeeper has spent the past year on loan.

But Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed would be interested at a more realistic price, with both his current goalkeepers Kasey Keller and Antti Niemi in their thirties.

Carson does not want to spend next season at Anfield as Reina's deputy. Martin is seen by Benitez as a goalkeeper of the future, but needs regular first-team matches.

Championship side Watford, who missed out on promotion after losing 4-1 in the playoffs at Hull on Wednesday night, lead the chase.

Frenchman Itandje has been told to find a new club in the summer after a season of disaster at Anfield.

He kept only one clean sheet in seven games after signing from Lens.

Pennant Out, Bentley In - Report

Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has been added to the casualty list at Anfield this summer, as Rafa Benitez prepares a summer overhaul of his squad.

The 25-year-old was told yesterday that he is free to leave and can start talking to other clubs, joining the likes of Andriy Voronin, Peter Crouch and Scott Carson on Rafa’s scrapheap.

The former Arsenal man is a long-term target of both Newcastle and West Ham, and they may have to fork out in the region of ₤7 million as Benitez seeks to recoup what he paid Birmingham City for the player in 2006.

Pennant has impressed in spurts during his time on Merseyside, an excellent run of form during the second half of the 2006-07 season culminating in a brilliant showing during the Champions League in Athens, where the Reds lost 2-1 to AC Milan.

But injuries have ravaged Pennant’s season, as he suffered dual stress-fractures in his shins earlier in the term and has struggled to regain his place since due to the all-action efforts of Dirk Kuyt on the right side of attack.

The former Notts County youth did impress recently in Liverpool’s lame-duck league fixtures, putting in a match-winning performance against Fulham and a match-saving turn against his old club at St Andrew’s.

But he was absent from the squad for the final two games of the season against Manchester City and Tottenham, signalling the almost-certain demise of his Anfield career.

Pennant has been offered as a makeweight in Benitez's bid to bring Gareth Barry to Anfield, but his exit could also facilitate a move for fellow Arsenal product David Bentley, who has long been linked with Liverpool.

Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes remains steadfast in his desire to keep hold of his star winger, and Benitez may have to devote a hefty portion of his transfer budget to secure the England international, ₤15 million being touted as the going rate.

Reports: Dossena Set For Reds

With Rafa Benítez having already lined-up one new full-back in Swiss right-back Philipp Degen, the Liverpool boss is now linked with another in Italian left-back Andrea Dossena.

26-year-old Dossena made his one-and-only international appearance for the World Champions in a friendly against South Africa last October, getting the assist for Lucarelli’s only goal of the game. Italy coach Roberto Donadoni still hasn’t named his squad for the Euro 2008 finals and is giving little away as to who might be in it, but the Udinese number 8 will consider himself a possibility.

Tottenham have been linked with the Udinese defender too, but are no longer believed to be interested. The fee quoted in reports linking him with Spurs was £8m. Reports in the Italian press claim a deal with Liverpool is close, saying Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with the player’s agent, Federico Pastorello, and are now talking to Udinese about the fee.

Udinese director general Pietro Leonardi played down the links yesterday: “We have always said that we will not change the team. For Dossena to Liverpool there is nothing concrete, he has a contract with us until 2012 and the rest is speculation.”

Dossena has been with Udinese since 2006, and has had two red cards so far in this Italian season, which ends tomorrow. Udinese visit AC Milan who are hoping for three points and favours elsewhere to get them a Champions League qualifying spot. Udinese will finish in at least seventh place and have already qualified for the UEFA Cup.

With Liverpool set to release John Arne Riise and Fabio Aurelio’s Anfield career so far suffering numerous injury-related interruptions the need for a quality left-back isn’t in doubt. Emiliano Insua is still considered one for the future, but can expect more involvement next season than this.

John Aldridge: Time For Liverpool To Make The Also-rans Pay

Liverpool may not have won any trophies in the season just ended but they can take great consolation in the fact that they made plenty of progress this season.

Everyone picks out statistics to prove their point of view but for me the one that stands out is that Liverpool lost fewer games in the league than Manchester United.

It's a long time since that happened and you have to go back many years to the last time Liverpool only lost four games in an entire season, and that suggests to me that they are not all that far away.

The only thing that prevented a genuine title challenge was that they had too many draws.

When you play teams from lower down the division, the likes of Wigan and Birmingham, you have to make the most of your superiority by making sure you beat them.

If you manage to do that then you give yourselves a platform to build from and it also helps create a momentum which can carry you all the way to the top.

That's what United are so good at. If they play an inferior side at Old Trafford they invariably beat them and that gives them an advantage in the race for the title.

The big problem for Liverpool was that they had a sticky spell just after Christmas where they drew far too many games which they should have won.

If Rafa Benitez and his players think back to this run they will know in their hearts that they should have picked up more than just four points from away games at Manchester City and Middlesbrough and home games against Aston Villa and Wigan.

Had Liverpool turned their dominance of these fixtures into points it would have made a major difference to their season.

That's how small the gap is between success and failure at the top level and if you don't make your superiority pay you can be sure that someone else will make you suffer for it.

But the progress has been there for all to see and the spine of this Liverpool side is among the best around.

Now the challenge for the manager is to build on what he has accomplished so far and do whatever it takes to ensure Liverpool are in the shake up for the title at the absolute least next season.

It is easy to identify the parts of the team that Rafa Benitez must strengthen this summer - the wide areas.

That has been the main weakness of this Liverpool side for some time and if Benitez can address this problem I believe it will make a massive difference.

In the last 12 months HeBenitez has recruited really well with the likes of Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Martin Skrtel coming into the side and making a real difference.

Lucas and Ryan Babel may not have done quite as well, but they are young players who will hopefully fulfil their potential in the years to come and the only really disappointing signing has been Andriy Voronin, who just hasn't got going.

Benitez knows that if he has another good summer in the transfer market it could make all the difference to his team and I've got no doubt he'll pull out all the stops to bring in the players he has identified.

It will be another interesting close season at Anfield and I'm sure there will be a few going as well as coming in, but if Benitez gets the balance right it could set things up nicely for next season.

When it comes to naming Liverpool's player of the season there is one man who stands head and shoulders above all others - Fernando Torres.

And what a tribute that is when you consider Torres features in a team with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Javier Mascherano.

He has been showered with tributes all season long and quite rightly so because you have to be something special to achieve as much as he has in his first season in English football.

And the best thing is I'm convinced Torres will only get better.

What a terrifying thought that is for Premiership defences and what a brilliant thought it is for Liverpool fans.

Holidays On Hold As Rafa Benitez Eyes Liverpool Transfer Targets

Rafael Benitez will put his summer holidays temporarily on hold as he oversees Liverpool’s squad rebuilding plans.

With his team’s season having finished at the weekend, the Anfield manager is hopeful of securing at least two new signings during the next fortnight.

Swiss international right-back Philipp Degen is already set to join Liverpool on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund when his contract expires in the close season.

And the move for Gareth Barry could come closer to fruition in the next day, with Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill and owner Randy Lerner set for discussions with the player.

Barry, who is desperate to play Champions League football, is expected to tell Villa that he cannot pass up the opportunity of a move to Anfield.

Villa would then be left with no option but to consider Liverpool’s offer of a cash-plus-player deal worth £10m, with the Midlanders given a choice of Jermaine Pennant, Scott Carson or John Arne Riise.

When Benitez finally drags himself away from his desk, he admits it will be rather more difficult to part him from his mobile phone.

However, the Spaniard reckons he could be left retrieving it from deep waters if his wife Montse finds him conducting deals while on holiday.

“I don’t tend to have too much time away from football, but I will try to switch off for a bit,” said Benitez. “I will have to try to hide my mobile phone, and if my wife can’t find out about it I’ll try and keep it on me.

“But if she finds it, I’m sure she will throw it in the swimming pool!

“I don’t like the beach too much, but I don’t mind being around a swimming pool or maybe going up in the mountains.”

Even when Benitez manages to find a quiet place to relax, it has previously proven impossible to totally escape the attention of Liverpool fans.

“When you are at such a big club as Liverpool, everybody knows who you are and it’s not easy to get away from people on holiday,” said the Spaniard.

“Last summer, I was by the swimming pool and a kid was playing football wearing a Liverpool cap. He passed the ball and it came to me, so I tried to dribble it past him, and we were playing for five minutes.

“After we’d finished, his father spoke to him and said ‘do you know who that is?’ The kid says ‘is it a Liverpool player?’ and his dad replies ‘no, it’s the manager!’.

“So after that he was with me playing football the whole week! He was the only one who hadn’t recognised me, and he was wearing a Liverpool cap!”

Meanwhile, Fernando Torres has paid tribute to the Liverpool fans at the end of his record-breaking debut season at Anfield.

The Spain international capped a brilliant first campaign at the club with his 24th league goal of the season at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to make him the country’s most successful ever foreign debutant.

And Torres said: “The supporters back the players, regardless of who is out on the pitch. They enjoy watching their key players play, because Liverpool has great players, but Liverpool will always be a team.

“The fans get behind the side even when things are not working out, and they are always there until the death.

“That is the major difference with football back in Spain. If a team is not doing well, then it is because the players do not deserve to be wearing the club’s colours.

“At Liverpool, if a player is wearing their shirt, it is because he deserves it. The fans ask for effort and dedication, and their support is something special, something that stays with you.

“Luckily, everything has worked out well from day one, and my team-mates have helped out, and I owe them all an awful lot.”

Rafa Benitez Insists That New Assistant Lee Has More To Offer Than Just Anfield Connections

Rafael Benitez insisted it was more than just the Scouse connection that secured Sammy Lee the job as his assistant manager.

The Liverpool manager said that Lee, who was unveiled as his number two yesterday, was his first choice regardless of the fact that he became an Anfield legend both as a player and as a coach.

“He is a very experienced and very well respected coach in his own right and his reputation in football made him the outstanding candidate when we knew we were looking for a new member of our coaching staff,” Benitez said.

“We are very pleased because he is someone who knows the club really well.

“He also knows about the passion of the club and about the standards that we set here so that will make it much easier for him to settle into his new role.

“But we have not brought Sammy back simply because he used to play for the club and used to work here as a coach.

“He will add something different to what we already have and it will be good to work with him.

“I already have a good relationship with him and I will be looking to build on that in the weeks and months to come.”

Lee had been out of football since Bolton Wanderers sacked him as their manager in October.

He returned to work as Liverpool held their final training session of the season at Melwood yesterday and said: “When a club the size of Liverpool comes in for you, and when a manager of the magnitude of Rafael Benitez wants you, then you cannot say no.

“When I found out they were interested in me I was really thrilled.

“After the sabbatical I have had I just wish the season was starting tomorrow, but the players have had a long, difficult and demanding season and they need to get away and get their batteries recharged.

“I have been around the Melwood training ground this morning and seen a lot of old faces but a lot of new faces as well.

“I have shaken hands with everyone and introduced myself. There are some great people here and I cannot wait to get working with them. It is so nice to be back.”

Lee also insists he has no regrets about his ill-fated first foray into management after being promoted to take over from Sam Allardyce at Bolton last season.

He added: “I was very honoured and privileged to be given the position as Bolton manager.

“The pride and the honour I felt to be their manager was only outweighed by the sheer disappointment that it did not go well. I have to say the Bolton fans were fantastic towards me. I have not had the chance to say that before but I want to thank them.

“Even when results were not going well they were very supportive towards me and, most importantly, to the players.”

Three Trophies But Ablett Wants More

Despite bringing a hat-trick of trophies to Anfield this season, Gary Ablett has insisted there's room for improvement from his reserve team next year.

The young Reds landed the Reserve League North title at the end of an impressive campaign before securing the National title with victory over Aston Villa at Anfield.

With the Dallas Cup also added to the trophy haul for the season Ablett could be forgiven for praising his players for a perfect year - but he still wants more.

"I would probably give them seven and a half out of ten for the season," he said. "Maybe that's slightly cruel on them given the season they've had but I can see a lot more potential to come from some of them. Hopefully next season they can fulfil that potential and break into the first team.

"There is always room for improvement. We know we have good young players who are on different levels of the learning curve. It's our job next pre-season to make sure we give them the right information and the right coaching to give them the best chance of moving into Rafa's plans.

"It was a good season and we achieved what we wanted to achieve in terms of winning trophies, but I want to see more of them playing more first team games. We've had Insua and Plessis play for the first team towards the end of the season but the challenge is for the others to also make the breakthrough."

Alonso - I Won't Quit Reds

Talk of an Anfield exit for Xabi Alonso is well wide of the mark, the Liverpool midfielder has exclusively revealed to skysports.com.

The Spaniard has had his preparations for the European Championships interrupted by reports emanating from both Spain and Italy suggesting his time on Merseyside could be drawing to a close.

Both Real Madrid and Juventus have been credited with holding a long-standing interest in Alonso, with talk of Gareth Barry's possible arrival at Anfield doing little to silence the rumour mill.

Rafa Benitez has spoken of how Barry's signing would be to complement rather than replace existing members of his squad, with the Reds boss alluding to the fact Aston Villa's captain is capable of occupying various positions and not just the central midfield berth favoured by Alonso.

It was only in June of last year that Alonso signed a contract extension that binds him to Liverpool until 2012 but to his exasperation, Spanish press repeatedly intimate that a return to his homeland is on the cards.

Alonso though remains fully committed to Liverpool and has no intention of swapping the Premier League for La Liga or Serie A any time soon.

"It surprises me because I know the real truth," Alonso told skysports.com, when quizzed on reports of an approach from Real Madrid.

"There has been no movement from Real Madrid, whether official or otherwise.

"At the moment I am with Liverpool, I have a contract with Liverpool and I want to be at Liverpool.

"I have been surprised and very disappointed to read that I want to leave Liverpool.

"The people who write these things have clearly not done very rigorous research."

Martin Agrees New Reds Deal

Liverpool reserve team goalkeeper David Martin has agreed a new deal at Anfield.

The 22-year-old is now tied to the Reds until 2010 as Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez bids to maintain an English core on Merseyside.

Martin, whose father Alvin played for West Ham, joined Liverpool from Milton Keynes Dons in January 2006.

He has yet to make his debut for Liverpool's senior team, but he was named among the substitutes for the League Cup clash with Reading at Anfield in October 2006.

Martin has made one England Under 20 appearance and he was loaned to Accrington Stanley in February 2007, where he made 10 appearances.

Hobbs Keen On Reds Extension

Jack Hobbs has set his sights on a new deal with Liverpool after a three-month loan spell at Scunthorpe.

The 19-year-old centre back spent the final half of the season on loan at Glanford Park and although he acknowledges it will be difficult to force his way into boss Rafael Benitez's plans, he admits he would love to remain at Anfield.

He said: "I'm sure something will happen this summer. They will either extend my contract or sell me. I want to stay, but ultimately it comes down to playing first-team football.

"I'm at the age where I want to get out there and make a name for myself. It would be ideal if that was at Liverpool, but we will have to wait and see."

Pompey Deny Being In Talks Over Crouch

FA Cup finalists Portsmouth have denied reports that officials from the club are in negotiations with Liverpool about signing England striker Peter Crouch.

Although Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is thought to be keen to bring Peter Crouch back to the South Coast, it seems rumours that talks between Pompey and Liverpool are already underway are premature.

Crouch played for Redknapp before during an earlier spell at Portsmouth, and also at Pompey's Hampshire rivals, Southampton.

But Portsmouth's chief executive, Peter Storrie has been quoted today as saying: "It's a lot of nonsense to say we were negotiating to buy him last night.

"We are all concentrating on the FA Cup final."

Espanyol Not Keen On Swap Deal With Liverpool

Espanyol would like Liverpool's Sebastian Leto, but are less keen on the idea of a swap deal involving their midfielder Albert Riera, it appears.

Liverpool are planning a move for Espanyol's Albert Riera, according to reports in Spain, with manager Rafa Benitez, thought to be a keen admirer of the Spain international, considering an ofer of £8million plus winger Sebastian Leto.

Leto, who signed at Anfield in 2007, is a player wanted by the Barcelona-based club. But they would prefer to keep any deal involving 26-year-old Riera separate, and not linked to a Leto bid.

Former Liverpool scout Paco Herrera, who is now at Espanyol, has revealed that his new club are unwilling to accept a part-exchange offer.

"It is certain that we are interested in Leto, but our idea is to prepare a separate deal for Riera," Herrera said.

Meanwhile, Spurs and Fiorentina are also being linked with Riera.

Lee Delighted With Anfield Return

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Sammy Lee has spoken of his delight after returning to Liverpool as the club’s new assistant boss.

Lee has had previous spells as a player and coach at Anfield and now returns to the English giants for a third spell after replacing Alex Miller, who left Liverpool last week to try his hand in management with Japan.

Lee, who has also been involved in the coaching of the England national team in the past, said that it was a great pleasure to return to Anfield.

"I've been away for a while but everyone knows what this club means to me and it's a great pleasure to be back," he said to the club’s official website.

"When a club the size of Liverpool comes in for you and when a manager of the magnitude of Rafael Benitez wants you then you can't say no. When I found out they were interested in me I was really thrilled.

"After the sabbatical I've had I just wish the season was starting tomorrow, but the players have had a long, difficult and demanding season and they need to get away and get their batteries recharged.

"I've been around Melwood this morning and seen a lot of old faces but a lot of new faces as well. I've shook hands with everyone and introduced myself. There are some great people here and I can't wait to get working with them. It's so nice to be back."
Lee had an unsuccessful spell as a Premier League manager while at Bolton, but the experienced coach says that he has no regrets about trying his hand at the management side of the game.

"I was very honoured and privileged to be given the position as Bolton manager. The pride and the honour I felt to be their manager was only outweighed by the sheer disappointment that it didn't go well," he stated.

"I have to say the Bolton fans were fantastic towards me. I haven't had the chance to say that before but I want to thank them. Even when results weren't going well they were very supportive towards me and, most importantly, to the players."

After returning to his boyhood club, Lee is keen to play a major role in helping the Merseyside club win some more significant silverware after a strong period of improvement.

"I think the club has made great progress over the last few years and they were so close to having a great season this time around. Hopefully we can keep improving and get to where we all want to be – winning silverware," concluded Lee.

Xabi Welcomes Competition From Barry

After recently confirming he's staying at Anfield, Liverpool's Xabi Alonso has gone one better, insisting he would welcome the competition from transfer target and his mooted replacement, Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

Alonso, 26, has not enjoyed his best season with the Reds. Injuries have played their part in ruling him out during the season and he has failed to hit top form, with new signing Lucas Leiva beating him to a first team place at one point in the season.

He has been strongly linked with a move away from Anfield this summer - most speculating it would be abroad, back to Spain - but he has insisted he is staying at Anfield.

Speaking to the club's official website, he revealed he feels very at home and could remain at the club for "many years" yet.

Strong speculation linking with the club with Gareth Barry - another central midfielder - does not perturb the Spanish international either; he insists he would welcome even more competition. Though he, like his manager, stressed that Barry can play different positions, which suggests that the 27-year-old, who has gotten so used to being given the freedom of the park at Aston Villa, may well be tied down to a more specific role under Rafael Benitez - whether he sees this as a 'demotion' of sorts remains to be seen.

"I think I will be here next season even if Barry comes," revealed Xabi.

"He would bring good competition and he would be more than welcome. He can play different positions and if he plays in midfield then I could play with him. I have no problem with that.

"At the moment I feel I could stay here for many years. I have been here for four seasons already; why not seven or eight?

"As long as I am performing well and the club wants me to stay then I will."

Alonso also moved to clarify that there are no problems between he and Benitez, with rumours persisting that a rift between the compatriots was partially responsible for Xabi's impending departure.

"There is no problem between me and the manager and I would like to clarify that," added Xabi.

"I have read that we have had an argument but our relationship is the same as it has been since I joined Liverpool.

"I spoke to the manager only the other day. He has never said that he wants me to leave."

Rafa: Reina Better Than You Think

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has once again sung the praises of his goalkeeper Jose Reina, who won the Golden Gloves award again this year.

The Spanish tactician believes that because Reina plays for a top side, he is not called into action as much and therefore unable to show just how capable he is in goal.

The former Barça boy has won the Golden Gloves award for the third time for keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets this season.

"Pepe is a 'keeper in a top side, so he has less to do," explained Benitez. "If he played for a lesser team he would be fantastic because he'd be involved all the time. He is a very good goalkeeper."

Reina has won the award three out of the four years it has been in existence, with Chelsea's Petr Cech picking up a solitary award.

Benitez continued, claiming such a record did not surprise him, and even hailing Pepe as the best in Spain - at least when he signed him - though Real Madrid and Spain's No. 1 Iker Casillas may have something to say about that.

"I am not surprised," said Rafa of Reina's hat-trick of awards. "When you see the performance of Pepe in every game, and also the team in defence, you can understand why he normally doesn't concede too many goals. I am really pleased to be here again.

"When you talk about three seasons in a row, it means he is doing a good job. Always I say the same: for me, when we signed him he was the best 'keeper in Spain. He's really good, a good worker, he wants to learn – everything is positive now and for the future.

"Everyone likes to see strikers scoring goals but your 'keeper is always a key part of the team. When you don't concede many goals you always know you can win because you always create chances."

Rafa also blasted critics for highlighting defensive errors and not commending enough good work done by his team.

"It's something that you know is normal in football," he sighed. "People just talk about one or two mistakes and not the performance of the team during the year."