Javier Mascherano To Be Told: You’re Staying At Liverpool FC

Rafa Benitez will tell Javier Mascherano he will not be allowed to leave Liverpool when the Argentinian midfielder returns to pre-season training later this week.

The future of Mascherano – who became a father for the second time at the weekend – has been in question throughout the summer after the 25-year-old told the Reds boss that his wife was suffering from homesickness.

But with the likelihood of Xabi Alonso quitting Anfield increasing with every passing day, Benitez would be loathe to lose Mascherano as well and see his entire first choice central midfield wiped out in the space of a few weeks.

Mascherano has been attracting interest from Barcelona with Nou Camp boss Pep Guardiola keen to employ him behind Andres Iniesta and Xavi in the European champions’ engine room.

Benitez is desperate to hang on to the Argentina captain though and has already made it clear he is not looking to cash in on a player he regards as one of the finest defensive midfielders in world football.

With Mascherano due to join up with his team mates at pre-season training in Switzerland in the coming days Benitez will take the opportunity to tell the former West Ham man that he won’t be going anywhere because he is needed for Liverpool’s assault on the Premier League title in the coming season.

Contrary to reports, there are as yet no plans to offer the player a new contract as a sweetener with Mascherano just 18 months into a four year deal signed in February 2008.

Benitez is hoping that the lure of possible glory with Liverpool rather than an increased pay packet will be enough to convince Mascherano that his future remains at Anfield.

Only if Mascherano commits himself to the Liverpool cause once again will a new contract become a possibility.

Johnson Fee Is Fine - Benitez

Liverpool's new £17m full-back Glen Johnson will make his Liverpool debut in Switzerland on Wednesday with boss Rafael Benitez insisting he is worth the money.

Johnson will play in Liverpool's first pre-season friendly against St Gallen.

Benitez admits, like Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, that the transfer market has gone mad this summer.

The Spaniard said: "Yes, the money people are asking is crazy. I hear, for example, that people at Seville are asking for 41m euros for Daniel Alves. That is a lot.

"The market is crazy, but you must pay good money for good players.

"The money for Johnson is OK. He is English, an international with quality and he is worth the money.

"He is a very good attacking player. If you try to buy a winger it can be £50m to £60m at current prices, but Johnson as an offensive full-back can give us more options.

"He can be good for us, especially when we are at home and teams are defending against us. Going forward he will give us something different, something special. He is a good addition for us."

Benitez has 24 players at the club's Swiss training camp, and says: "We will try to use all the players. Our idea is to use one team in the first half and change it at half-time.

"We have the video of their recent game against Basel and they were well organised - the manager knows what to do. The main thing for us is to get the match fitness, the result is not too important even though we want to win every single game - but it will be interesting.

"The important thing is to see how the team is on the pitch and see the understanding between the players."

Apart from Johnson, Benitez will want to run the rule over a batch of youngsters with the squad. Martin Kelly, Mikel San Jose, Daniel Pacheco, Peter Gulacsi, Daniel Ayala and Krisztian Nemeth will all have a chance to impress.

Liverpool will be joined by Javier Mascherano on Thursday after he became a father for the second time at the weekend, which has delayed his arrival in Switzerland.

Transfer speculation still revolves around the Argentina captain, as well as Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is due to join up with the squad on Sunday after the friendly with Rapid Vienna in the Austrian capital.

Despite Real Madrid's continued interest, Alonso is due to travel to the Far East with Liverpool for next week's two friendlies against Thailand and Singapore.

Benitez has also made it clear that Mascherano - despite interest from Barcelona -- will be expected to honour his contract, which still has over two years to run.

Benitez said recently: It is clear that they both (Alonso and Mascherano) are under contract with long-term agreements."

Alonso has asked Benitez to allow him to join Real Madrid, but the Liverpool manager will not sell below £30m.

Agent Claims Hungarian Quintet To Have Trial With Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has reportedly offered a quintet of potential Hungarian starlets for a trial at Anfield.

The clutch of players are goalkeeper Attila Abu, midfielders Krisztian Adorjan and Patrik Vass, striker Peter Horvath and defender Patrik Poor, who are all currently playing in the youth academy at MTK Budapest.

Their agent, Tibor Pataky, claims The Reds have shown plenty of interest in his clients and it will be the second visit to England for midfielders Adorjan and Vass.

"All of the players have been observed at least three times by a Liverpool scout, what's more at the end of May the new director of the Liverpool Academy, Frank McParland, went to Hungary to check the players' abilities," the agent told Pepsifoci.

"He invited five players to Liverpool. Krisztian Adorjan and Patrik Vass go to Liverpool for the second time, a year-and-a-half ago they trained with the youth team of Liverpool and played a game in England."

Liverpool already have quite a wealth of Hungarian talent at the club, including striker Kirsztian Nemeth, goalkeeper Peter Gulasci and midfielder Zsolt Poloski.

Hernanes: Rafa To Replace Alonso With Brilliant Brazilian At Liverpool

Interest is mounting for Brazilian hot property Hernanes who is strongly linked with a move to Italy but has also attracted the interest of a number of Premier League sides.

Liverpool are the latest club to be linked with the playmaker in the Brazilian press with claims that Rafa Benitez will replace want-away midfield schemer Xabi Alonso with the talented South American.

The 24-year-old’s full name is Anderson Hernanes de Carvalho Andrade Lime and he currently plies his trade for Sao Paulo.

Hernanes has been linked to the likes of AC Milan and Juventus but the Italian clubs have struggled to raise the fee Sao Paulo are demanding. The midfield schemer’s club have ridiculed a recent attempt by AC to sign the player with Sao Paulo Technical Director Joao Paulo de Jesus Lopes revealing to Globoesporte’s of the Italian club’s interest in their defender Miranda and Hernanes.

He had this to say, “I need to find how much a crate of bananas is worth, as that is how much they want to give us for both players.

We know that Milan ended the season in the red and not even the £60m from Kaka’s sale to Real Madrid was enough to balance the books.”

“If an offer does come for our two players, it is more likely to arrive from Spain, as their clubs are financially stronger.”

The player himself has spoken of his love for Serie A but the financial lure of the Premier League could sway the Brazilian to our shores. Hernanes revealed to the Gazzetta dello Sport, “I’m a player who loves to think on the pitch.”

“I understood that in every player there’s the time to evaluate and do the best things. My best qualities are probably dribbling with the ball and my hard shot.

“The comparison with Pirlo is very good, it definitely pleases me. He’s a complete player, probably the best midfielder in the world.

“I especially watch constantly the matches of Inter and Milan, also because there are many Brazilians. It would be something to be proud of and a pleasure to play in Italy one day.”

Hernanes has been touted as a readymade replacement for Real Madrid star Kaka at the San Siro after impressing in Brazil. He is far from a carbon copy of Kaka but has his own attributes; technically he is regarded as one of the best in his homeland especially as he is equally adept with both feet.

The 24-year-old is also extremely versatile and has played on both flanks as well as centrally as either and attacking or defensive midfielder. Unlike some Brazilians Hernanes is very much a team player and not one to over elaborate when a simple pass is available. His work rate is another plus point which explains why he is so highly regarded.

The Times report of the Top 50 rising stars of world football rated Hernanes the best prospect back in January and it’s easy to see why. The attacking midfielder came through the Sao Paulo youth academy breaking into the first team in 2005 when he made 16 league appearances (6 starts) and scored 3 goals. The following season he was loaned out to Santo Andre where he made a further 22 league appearances (7 starts) and scored 6 goals.

However, it was in 2007 when Hernanes came to the fore for Sao Paulo making 31 league appearances (29 starts) as his club won the Brazilian title before retaining the trophy in 2008. The 2nd title win resulted in Hernanes winning the Brazilian footballer of the year title and led to his first cap for his country in a 1-0 friendly win v Sweden in March 2008.

Hernanes also played for Brazil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he won a bronze medal. Despite only playing 80 league matches for his club (67 starts) and scoring 11 goals, Hernanes has attracted the interest from the likes of European Champions Barcelona but where he’d fit into a side brimming with playmakers is debatable.

Instead Hernanes would be a great acquisition for Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool if chief playmaker Xabi Alonso is indeed sold. As the speculation mounts regarding the future of Alonso at Anfield a move for arguably the best player playing in Brazil could prove to be a masterstroke. The club are likely to make a profit from these two deals too. One thing’s for certain Brazil’s next big export will be a global name once he moves to Europe.

Liverpool Look To Aquilani

Alberto Aquilani could be Liverpool’s replacement for Xabi Alonso, but Roma won’t part with him for less than £18m.

The Reds are looking at alternatives after Xabi Alonso reportedly requested a transfer to Real Madrid this week.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Rafa Benitez has already sent his men to ask Roma about Aquilani’s availability.

He recently penned a new contract with the club after a long saga in which he received interest from Juventus, Inter and Real Madrid.

However, Coach Luciano Spalletti hinted in his Press conference that it might not be the end of the transfer speculation.

“Having many midfielders, including Aquilani, it is possible we have a few too many players for that role.”

The 25-year-old Italian international has been beset by injuries in the last year, but is back to full fitness and ready for the new campaign.

If Liverpool want to prise the hometown boy from Roma, it will cost them at least £18m.

Manchester City Preparing Shock Bid For Liverpool's Xabi Alonso

Manchester City are being linked with a shock move for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

Alonso is widely expected to join Real Madrid in the near future, but, according to The Daily Mail, City have been encouraged into a move by the fact that the midfielder reportedly wants to leave Anfield.

However, Mark Hughes acknowledges that Alonso is unlikely to want to move to Eastlands, especially after holding out for a move to the Bernabeu for so long.

However, the one advantage City have is that they could potentially trump any Real Madrid offer for the player, both in terms of fee and wages.

Liverpool are thought to want around £35 million for Alonso, but that is a reduced figure arrived at after weeks of negotiations.

Liverpool FC Legend Robbie Fowler: I Could Never Join Man Utd Like Michael Owen

Robbie Fowler wished his old Anfield team-mate well last night, but the Liverpool hero admitted he could never have made the same decision as Michael Owen.

Owen was unveiled as Old Trafford’s new number seven yesterday.

But, speaking from Australia, where he is hoping to make a long-awaited debut for Queensland Fury tomorrow, Fowler was asked if he could ever have joined Manchester United.

“No, I don’t think so,” he declared.

With both England and Australia in Ashes frenzy, it was only fitting that Fowler should try to straight-bat questions about his former Liverpool partner’s controversial decision.

But like far too many of England’s top order, his best efforts came up short.

Fowler joined Australian side North Queensland Fury in February and after three months battling hip and groin injuries, the one-time Kop idol will get his first run-out with the A-League side in Perth tomorrow against Premier League newcomers Wolves.

But while happy to wish Owen all the best on a personal level, the man they called ‘God’ was yesterday reluctant to extend the goodwill.

“Obviously I want Michael to do well but I don’t want Manchester United to do well,” said Fowler, who used to taunt United fans by signalling Liverpool’s superior European Cup tally to their bitter rivals whenever he scored against them.

“It’s a sticky situation and I don’t want to get drawn into things with Michael and Man United. Everyone knows I’m a Liverpool fan,” he added.

“But if Michael scores a lot of goals then I hope Fernando Torres scores a lot more.”

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was once a big admirer of Fowler’s predatory instincts which saw him score more than 200 Premier League goals. But asked if he could have made a similar move to Owen, the striker said: “No, I don’t think so.

“I don’t want to go down that route as I leave myself open to criticism but Michael has done what he’s done and it’s not for me to judge what he should do or shouldn’t do. He’s a big lad.

“His record over the years has been fantastic. Again, I hope he scores a few goals but I hope they concede more.”

Fowler has been linked with another of his former team-mates, new Tranmere boss John Barnes, but he again dismissed talk of a move back to Merseyside.

“If people want to write stories that’s nothing to do with me,” he said. “The good thing is I quashed it straight away so it showed what my intentions were. Hopefully I’ve put a lot of things to bed.”

Townsville-based Fury, managed by former Rangers great Ian Ferguson, signed Fowler as their marquee player and he is one of the biggest names to join the A-League, which begins its fifth season next month.

And Fowler says is keen to make his mark.

“The last few months have been horrible,” he said.

“In terms of kicking balls I’ve not been able to do that, so hopefully there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel and I’ve got something to look forward to.”

Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez Asks For Xabi Alonso Transfer Request In Writing

Xabi Alonso's link with Real Madrid grows stronger by the day as reports surrounding the Spaniard's future at Liverpool continue to circulate.

British sources such as the Guardian and the Mail have said that Alonso has indeed vocalised his wish to become a Galactico under Florentino Perez, with Rafa Benitez adamant that the player must first hand in a formal transfer request.

The Reds boss has made it abundantly clear that, even if Alonso does request a transfer to La Liga, he is not for sale for a sum any lower than £35 million. However, Madrid have recently reduced their original offer, which is now said to be around the £25 million mark.

Los Blancos coach, Manuel Pellegrini had this to say on the subject of the Spain international: "It is no mystery that we are interested, but it will not be easy."

Alonso: Benitez Doesn't Want Me

Xabi Alonso will force showdown talks over his future after failing to be convinced he is wanted at Anfield.

The Liverpool midfielder has made clear his desire to move to Real Madrid following two successive summers where he felt manager Rafa Benitez was trying to sell him.

The Spanish midfielder has yet to officially ask for a transfer but he doesn't believe he can remain at Anfield after a breakdown in his relationship with the Liverpool boss.

Alonso was devastated last summer when Benitez openly tried to sell him to Juventus, and then put him on general sale at around £15million.

He worked hard to save his Anfield career and was voted the club's player of the season.

But Benitez put a £35m asking price on his head when Real Madrid made an enquiry at the start of this summer, and that has persuaded the midfielder his future lies elsewhere.

The Anfield manager has made no secret of the fact he will sell Alonso at the right price, and now the Spanish international will seek showdown talks to resolve the situation.

Alonso believes the price set is too high, given that he was touted around at just £15m last summer.

He will this week ask Benitez to be more reasonable and allow him to return to Spain after five years at Anfield.

If Benitez gets his asking price then it will be £25m more than he paid for the elegant midfielder when he snatched him from Real Sociedad for £10m in 2004.

Alonso is due back in training this weekend but hopes to have his future resolved by then.

He believes that he isn’t wanted at Anfield, and that the current stance from his manager is merely to inflate what he will argue is an over-the-top valuation.

Xabi Alonso: I Want To Quit Liverpool FC For Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso has told Rafa Benitez he wants to quit Anfield and sign for Real Madrid – but Liverpool will not grant his wish unless the Spanish giants come up with a fee in the region of £35m.

Alonso has stopped short of putting in an official written transfer request but he has made it clear to Benitez that his future lies in La Liga rather than the Premier League.

The 27-year-old is due to join up with his Liverpool team mates on Sunday after being given extended leave following his involvement in the Confederations Cup in South Africa but Alonso and his agent Inaki Ibanez are hopeful that a deal can be thrashed out with Real before then.

But with Real reluctant to spend more than £27m for the Spanish international and Benitez adamant that he will not allow Alonso to leave for that kind of figure, a compromise is some way off.

Alonso could try to force the issue by handing in an official transfer request but the midfielder believes that he deserves to be able to have his future sorted out without taking such formal measures after giving five years of service to the Reds. Real’s public pursuit of Alonso is now becoming incessant with recently appointed manager Manuel Pellegrini becoming the latest leading Bernabeu official to speak of his club’s desire to snap up the Liverpool man.

Pellegrini said: “He’s an important player as he has shown with the Spanish team.

“It’s no mystery that Real Madrid are interested in his services, but it will not be easy.”

Benitez is fully aware that Alonso’s desire to leave Liverpool will make it increasingly difficult to hold on to the former Real Sociedad man despite the fact that he still has three years of his Anfield contract remaining.

But the Reds boss is adamant that he will not let Alonso go on the cheap, no matter how much pressure Real put Liverpool under.

Benitez knows there are precious few midfielders around of Alonso’s quality and he is likely to have to re-shape his side if the Spanish international leaves - and that would inevitably be an expensive process.

So unless Real come up with the kind of money which would enable Benitez to go on a mini spending spree of his own, then the Liverpool manager will not budge.

Liverpool To Offer Javier Mascherano Mammoth New Contract

Liverpool are set to offer Javier Mascherano an astronomical pay increase in order to encourage him to remain at Anfield, and resist the charms of Barcelona.

British tabloid The Daily Mail is reporting that Mascherano's wife is unhappy in England, and did not want to return after a summer break in Argentina, leading to concern at Anfield that he may want to move soon.

As a result, the Liverpool hierarchy are set to offer him a new deal which would triple his wages, according to The Mail, as they look to keep the 25-year-old on Merseyside.

Last week, Reds boss Rafa Benitez had responded to talk of the player perhaps leaving Anfield, along with Xabi Alonso, by hinting that the two players owed Liverpool for igniting their careers in England.

"We signed Xabi when no one knew him, then renewed his contract two years ago and it seemed he was happy," Benitez said, according to The Sun.

"With Mascherano, you know the situation, so both players know they owe Liverpool a lot. They are players the fans like and they owe us, in terms of loyalty.

"We have to be very clear - we are preparing our squad for next season, not talking of selling players."

Despite those combative words, Real Madrid are still hovering with intent over Alonso, and, should the offer of a new contract materialise, it would seem that there is still some anxiety on Merseyside over Mascherano's future as well.

Real Madrid Decrease Offer For Liverpool's Xabi Alonso

Spanish sports daily Marca claims that Real Madrid have decreased their offer for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso by €3m in the face of a lack of response from the English club.

According to the Sunday edition of the Madrid-based paper, the Merengues' original offer of €27m expired on July 8, necessitating a new bid.

This offer has apparently been replaced by a decreased bid of €24m in an attempt to coax a response from the Anfield outfit.

At a weekend press conference coach Manuel Pellegrini stated that the Spanish international would fit nicely into his new-look, Galactico-studded line-up, as speculation over the ex-Real Sociedad crack's future heats up.

It is further rumoured that Xabi is keen to return to Spain, having apparently communicated these wishes to his coach, Rafael Benitez.

Martin Skrtel Believes Defensive Competition Is Beneficial To Liverpool

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel believes the competition for places at the centre of defence is pushing everyone in the squad vying for the position to their peak.

The Reds are notoriously strong in the centre back position, last season boasting Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger as their four top options.

Hyypia has since departed for Bayer Leverkusen in the twilight of his career, but Skrtel says he still has plenty to learn from his remaining team-mates.

"I hope there is a lot of improvement still to come. I am 24 and Daniel Agger is also. This is still very young for a centre-back," he told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"Every day in training you can learn from players like Carra. Every day I watch Daniel, Carra and last season Sami - this helps me in my job.

"That's very important and very good for us. Hopefully when we play in the future the things we learn every day will come through in our games."

He continued: "I have been competing not only with Daniel but also Jamie and last year Sami. Always when I get a chance I try to play very well and help my team win. But all four of us do that. You just have to play for the team.

"Everyone wants to play but when you don't you just have to wait for your chance. You have to show you're a good player."

Skrtel has made 50 appearances for Liverpool since arriving during the January transfer window of the 2007/08 Premier League season.

Jose Antonio Reyes: Liverpool Battle Everton For £4M Bargain Former Arsenal Star

Reports in Spain and Portugal claim Benfica have offered just 4m euros to buy out the remaining 75% of Atletico Madrid’s former Arsenal star Jose Antonio Reyes’s contract. The club has missed a number of deadlines imposed by Atletico in regards to the deal leaving the Spaniard’s career in limbo as he is not wanted in Madrid. Despite a spectacular fall from grace, Reyes is a talent and for such a small fee would hardly be much of a gamble for a number of Premier League clubs including his former side Arsenal.

The 25-year-old’s career has taken a downturn since leaving the Gunners in the summer of 2006 but surely a player of his age, quality and experience is well worth a gamble as the undoubtedly talented player looks to rebuild his career. Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool have reportedly enquired about his availability so a move back to the Premier League may now be on.

Reyes spent last season playing for Benfica on loan where he made 24 league appearances (20 starts) and scored just 4 goals. The Lisbon club finished a disappointing 3rd in the league although they did win a League Cup on penalties against Sporting with Reyes scoring the equaliser in the initial 1-1 draw. The Portuguese giants are rumoured to be in financial difficulty which has made a permanent deal for the Spaniard highly unlikely. This has left the Spaniard facing a return to Atletico where he struggled to start a match.

Despite being just 25, Reyes has already played for five different clubs including Sevilla, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Benfica. He began his career with Sevilla and was extremely popular after scoring 22 goals in 86 league games from a left-wing position. Reyes signed for Arsenal in a £10.5m deal in January 2004 joining a side that were in superb form and would remain unbeaten in the league leading to the tag ‘the Invincibles’. His departure from Seville caused the Spanish fans to demonstrate in protest at the sale of their cult hero. In two and a half seasons the Spaniard scored 16 goals in 69 league appearances in North London (53 starts).

An excellent start to his first full season in England saw Reyes score in each of the first five matches but his form waned and rumours of home sickness came to light. He signed a new 5-year contract in July 2005 and played his part in Arsenal’s march to the 2006 Champions League final in where he came on as a substitute in the defeat against Barcelona.

Reyes joined Real Madrid on loan that summer in exchange for Julio Baptista but struggled to break into the first team making just 14 starts in La Liga as well as 16 substitute appearances while scoring 6 goals. Despite a disappointing time at the Bernabeu, Reyes finished on a high as he scored twice on the final day of the season for Real to win the title. The Madrid giants had been 1-0 down when he came on as a substitute and scored with his first touch.

Instead of signing permanently with Real, Reyes moved to their rivals Atletico but again struggled to make an impact. He made 26 league appearances (10 starts) and failed to score. This prompted the club to loan him to Benfica last season after selling 25% of his playing rights to the Portuguese club.

Not only has the player’s club form deteriorated but he has also disappeared from the international set-up. Reyes earnt his first Spanish cap in September 2003 but failed to make the Euro 2004 squad. He was part of the 2006 World Cup squad but has drifted out of the international set-up as his club form has dipped in recent seasons. The Spaniard has won 21 caps and scored 4 goals at that level.

At 25 the player still has the opportunity to return to the top level and David Moyes may be the man to resurrect the Spanish star’s career. Everton may have shown an interest but Liverpool need cover in a number of positions and with their club packed with Spanish talent and staff, surely problems with home-sickness would not arise. Reyes could act as understudy to Torres up front or to Steven Gerrard as 2nd striker. He can also play on the wing so surely for such a low fee he could prove to be the bargain of the summer. Reyes has the pace and dribbling ability to offer something different to the current Liverpool squad without breaking the bank so could prove to be an absolute snip.

Fernando Torres And Xabi Alonso Celebrate Big Days In Their Private Lives

Two Liverpool FC stars were celebrating big days in their private lives over the weekend.

Star striker Fernando Torres and his wife Olalla were photographed showing off their newborn baby girl, Nora, outside a hospital in Galicia, Spain.

The infant, the couple’s first child, was born on Wednesday, weighing 8lb 4oz.

His Liverpool teammate Xabi Alonso married his long-time sweetheart Nagore Aramburu in his home town of San Sebastian.

Around 200 guests attended the wedding, including Everton’s Mikel Arteta and former Anfield star Luis Garcia.

Liverpool Midfielder Damien Plessis Wanted On Loan By Cardiff City

Cardiff City could be preparing for life without Joe Ledley next season as they look into the possibility of taking Liverpool midfielder Damien Plessis on loan for a year.

The Daily Mirror is reporting the Frenchman as a target for Bluebirds manager Dave Jones as the chase for Ledley's signature is hotting up between a trio of Premier League clubs.

Everton have been rumoured to be monitoring the Welshman, while Hull City and Stoke City are also said to be in the hunt.

Ledley is a highly-regarded young talent and has been a central figure in the Cardiff squad for a number of years having made his way through the youth ranks at the club from the age of nine.

He made 40 appearances in the Championship last season and has cemented his place in the Wales international setup.

The 22-year-old also scored the only goal in the FA Cup semi-final win against Barnsley, setting up a Wembley encounter with Portsmouth which they narrowly lost.

Plessis meanwhile is seen as one of the most exciting young prospects at Anfield and has made a handful of first team appearances since arriving from Lyon in 2007.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez could allow The French starlet to go on loan to gain valuable experience, should he manage to secure the futures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

Liverpool Legend Ian Rush: Rafael Benitez Can Bring Title To Anfield

Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer Ian Rush is fully confident that manager Rafael Benitez can bring the Premier League title to the club this season.

The ex-Wales striker feels the Spanish manager has now assembled a squad capable of making a real push for the club's first ever Premier league trophy.

The Reds finished just four points behind eventual winners Manchester United last season, and Rush feels that this season could be their big chance.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Rush said, "I think every football supporter begins the season hoping his team will do well and I was exactly the same last year.

"But the difference is this year I believe Liverpool will do well, rather than hope they will.

"The hope has been replaced by a genuine belief and I cannot wait for the season to start.

"The way we finished the last campaign was fantastic and Liverpool will know they can beat anyone.

"I'm very optimistic about our Premier League chances."

The Reds won 10 of their last 11 games during the 2008/9 season, to take the title race to the wire, and Rush feels these results can be taken and repeated over the course of the whole season

"Teams were coming to Anfield, putting 11 men behind the ball and frustrating us.

"But beating Real Madrid injected real belief into the players and from then on we went out to win games right from the very start.

"If we can beat Real Madrid 4-0, then we can beat any team in the world at Anfield and we embarked on a fantastic run after that.

"It's important we carry the excellent form we showed at the end of last season into the new campaign and if we can turn those draws into wins this year, I think Liverpool will win the league."

Benitez has made just one main addition to his squad this summer, with the £17 million purchase of right-back Glen Johnson from Portsmouth.

Liverpool Bid To Keep Want-Away Stars Javier Mascherano And Xabi Alonso

Liverpool will make a last-ditch plea to want-away stars Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso: "Stay one more year and we'll Kop the title."

Boss Rafa Benitez plans to tell the midfielders if they pledge their future to the club - even for just this season - he is confident they will be rewarded with the Premier League crown.

And Liverpool are feeling upbeat about their chances. Manchester United have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, while Chelsea are having to adapt to another new manager for the third straight season.

Mascherano and Alonso are coming under mounting pressure from Liverpool fans to state their intentions.

Real Madrid have already had a £25million bid for Alonso, 27, knocked back, while Argentinian Mascherano, 25, is keen to join Barcelona for family reasons.

But Benitez is determined to bring the lingering transfer worries to an end with clear-the-air talks next week.

Real Madrid Still Interested In Liverpool's Mascherano

Not content with chasing Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid are set to submit a bid for Liverpool's other defensive midfielder, Javier Mascherano.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, Los Merengues have been keeping the Mascherano option throughout their negotiations for Alonso, and could now be set to turn to the Argentine.

Alonso remains their first choice, but Madrid believe they can get Mascherano for a smaller fee. In addition, a deal for Mascherano would scupper Barca's hopes of landing the Argentina captain, thus dealing another blow to their eternal rivals in the transfer market.

Apparently, Madrid are ready to offer Mascherano a similar five year deal to that which is being proposed for Alonso, with greater financial terms than Barcelona have presented.

Therefore, if the Xabi Alonso deal is not finalized in the near future, his team-mate could be the one on his way to the Bernabeu.

Rafael Benitez Considered Michael Owen Signing For Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed he had considered the possibility of taking Michael Owen back to Anfield this summer.

Owen, a youth product of the club, joined Real Madrid during Benitez's reign and now arrives at Manchester United via Newcastle United on a free transfer, after his contract at St James' Park expired.

The Spanish boss has admitted to monitoring the situation regarding Owen's transfer but decided to opt out of a deal similar to the previous signing of returning Anfield legend Robbie Fowler.

"We had contact with different people and were analysing the situation. But if you want to play Torres and Gerrard there is not always a lot of space for other players." Benitez said, according to the Sunday People.

"When I brought back Robbie Fowler it was a different situation. We were looking for someone who could understand his role clearly and he was a good finisher.

"But we have a World Cup coming up and all the top players want to play. In his position it would be hard for Owen to play every week at Liverpool.

Benitez also believes there is enough strength in Liverpool's current strike force to leave them fully equipped for the 2009/10 Premier League campaign.

He continued: "We are confident in Kuyt, Babel, Ngog and Voronin for next season. We have players with quality."