Black Cats Revive Interest In Babel

Sunderland are set to step up attempts to sign Ryan Babel. Steve Bruce is keen to seal the deal before the close of the transfer window for the Liverpool miss-fit.

Babel is desperate to leave Anfield in search of regular playing time and revive his bid for a place in the Dutch squad for this summer's World Cup.

The stumbling block for Bruce could be the player's reluctance to move to the North East. Having already turned down approaches from Birmingham and Galatasaray he is believed to prefer a move to Tottenham or Arsenal.

The 23-year old, who has represented his country at all levels, had expressed a desire to stay at Liverpool but, having been left out of the squad on a number of occasions, is keen to look elsewhere in search of first team action.

Having joined Liverpool for nearly £12million the Dutchman was seen as one of the hottest young prospects in football world. There is no doubting his potential however his form at Anfield has been mixed.

Bruce is well aware of what Babel could bring to his side who have stuttered of late. Rafa Benitez is keen to add an extra striker as cover for Fernando Torres and has signalled an interest in Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones.

Despite Bruce's refusal to involve the Trinidadian international in a swap deal, with only four days left until the transfer window closes, it could prove the only option if he wishes to sign Babel.

Plessis Set For Lazio Loan Switch

Liverpool midfielder Damien Plessis could be set for a loan switch to Serie A strugglers Lazio, Goal.com UK understands.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been on the fringes of the Reds' first team for the past three seasons, making eight appearances in that time, and manager Rafael Benitez revealed yesterday that an Italian club had made an enquiry about signing Plessis on loan.

Goal.com UK understands that the Rome giants are heading the chase for the former Lyon-trainee, as they seek to arrest an alarming slide down the Serie A table.

Davide Ballardini's men currently lie 15th in Italy's top-flight, just two points above the relegation zone, and Italian football expert Susy Campanale says Plessis' physical presence would interest the Biancocelesti.

"Physical strength is prized in Serie A because it is so rare," said Campanale, who writes for the Football Italia magazine and website. "Inter have cornered the market in big, strong midfielders, so any of the top clubs would be intrigued by Plessis as a loan target. The Italian rumour mill suggests Lazio are the ones looking at him right now, and that sounds about right.

"Lazio are a club in serious trouble. It is not clear how much longer Ballardini can hang on, as they're sliding perilously close to the relegation zone."

Plessis was heralded as a potential star at Anfield after making an impressive debut against Arsenal in 2007, but the presence of the likes of Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Alberto Aquilani, plus the emergence of Lucas Leiva, has meant the Frenchman has found opportunities limited.

Benitez yesterday revealed that he would be prepared to sanction the release of Plessis on loan, telling reporters; "Plessis is a young player who isn't playing games. We were considering a loan but we're talking to the player and his agent.

"We had an Italian team asking about him and we'll see if we can find a solution that is best for him and for us."

Benitez is believed to be in the market for at least one more player before the transfer window closes next Monday, with Sunderland's £12 million-rated striker Kenwyne Jones his top target.

The Reds are also rumoured to have offered contracts to Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh, and Milan Jovanovic of Standard Liege. Both are out of contract this summer.

Kuyt Oblivious To Juve Link

Dirk Kuyt knows nothing about a possible move to Juventus, his agent Robert Jansen has claimed.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has recently been tipped to take over at Juve with current boss Ciro Ferrera severely under pressure after a number of lacklustre displays.

The reports have sparked rumours over which players could join the Spaniard if he moves to Italy and Kuyt has seen his name linked with the Old Lady.

However the forward, who Benitez bought for £9million from Feyenoord in summer 2006, is happy at Anfield, according to Jansen.

"I know nothing of Juventus' interest," he told Calciomercato.it.

"No-one has contacted us at the moment. He is now happy at Liverpool where he has two more years of his contract left."

With Benitez refusing to rule out a switch to Serie A after his side's 0-0 draw with Wolves on Tuesday, Jansen took a similar stance with Kuyt.

"The relationship with Benitez is excellent," he added.

"If Dirk could follow Rafa when he becomes the next coach of Juventus? I don't know. I cannot answer these questions now."

Terriers Line Up Reds Starlet

Huddersfield Town are set to strengthen their attacking options with the loan addition of Liverpool starlet Nathan Eccleston, skysports.com understands.

The talented 19-year-old striker recently committed his future to the Reds by signing a long-term deal that keeps him at Anfield until 2013.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who is happy for the teenager to bolster his experience at League One level, is tipping Eccleston as one for the future.

The Manchester-born youngster has already made two Reds first-team appearances after featuring off the bench in Carling Cup action at Arsenal and in the Premier League against Fulham.

Eccleston will link up with Lee Clark's Terriers once the paperwork is finalised and could now be in line to make his debut for the West Yorkshire outfit against Yeovil at Huish Park on Saturday.

Dynamo Moscow Agree Terms With Liverpool Midfielder Yossi Benayoun - Reports

According to several reports from Russia, ambitious Russian Premier League outfit Dynamo Moscow have agreed personal terms with versatile Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Liverpool are being plagued by financial trouble and are keen to offload some players in order to raise funds for the purchase of a new attacker. Benayoun now appears to be the first player set to leave Anfield.

The Israeli international was previously linked with Champions League hopefuls Olympiacos, but the transfer never materialised after the Greek giants failed to agree terms with Liverpool.

Dinamo have yet to reach an agreement with the Premier League side too, but they appear to be ready to match Liverpool's €8 million asking price.

Dinamo director Konstantin Sarsania confirmed that the Russians have already agreed terms with Benayoun and expect the transfer to be completed by the end of the week.

Why Rafa Could Find It 'Arda' To Resist

The relationship between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is widely recognised as one of the fiercest rivalries in World football.

A simply audacious attempt by Fenerbahce chairman, Aziz Yildirim, to lure Galatasaray golden boy, Arda Turan, fuelled months of debate among pundits and fans.

Having already signed Emre Belozoglu, previously seen as a product of the Galatasaray youth system, it may be that this was simply an attempt by Yildirim to rub salt in to an already open wound at the Ali Sami Yen. Galatasaray responded by giving Arda the captains arm band and, under the guidance of Frank Rijkaard, he has flourished once again in the Red and Yellow of 'CimBom'.

Arda is widely regarded as the hottest product of the Galatasaray youth system for the past decade. Technically excellent with both feet, strong in possession and the ability to play on either flank, or as a second striker, has helped his rapid progression at both club and international level.

Turan was one of the stars of Euro 2008. His last gasp-winner against Switzerland sent the hosts crashing out and was followed by a goal against Croatia to help Turkey into the knock-out stages.

Liverpool fans will undoubtedly have been scouring the internet for videos of their latest transfer target and few will have been disappointed in watching a player whose mazy runs and numerous assists have put him on Europe's radar once again.

With reported interest from Manchester City, claims that he wishes to play for a club who play in red will have been music to Liverpool fans ears, and with Liverpool desperately in need of some added flair, he could be an ideal signing.

Should he continue to produce the quality that has provided 15 assists and two goals this season, it would be 'Ard' to see him resisting the calls of Europe for much longer.

Rafa Benitez Agent Has Had No Juventus Contact

Rafa Benitez’s agent has dismissed rumours linking the Reds boss with Juventus.

Speculation surfaced this week that the Italian club are set to make Benitez an offer to replace current Juve boss Ciro Ferrara.

However, the Spaniard’s agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, says he has had no contact with the Serie A club and that Benitez is focused on Liverpool.

“I’ve had no contact with Juventus or with any other Italian club regarding an interest on Rafa Benitez,” said Qulion.

“There have been rumours linking Rafa to Juve just as there have been reports linking (Guus) Hiddink to Juve. But they are all media speculation and there is no truth in it.

“Rafa has a four-year contract with Liverpool. He feels he has the strength to continue with the team and he is fully focused on guiding them up the table.”

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez Left Frustrated After Draw At Wolverhampton Wanderers

ael Benitez admitted his Liverpool side missed an opportunity to close the gap on the top four after a frustrating goalless draw against Wolves.

The Reds failed to break down a stubborn Wolves defence at Molineux, leaving them three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place.

Benitez felt it was a case of two points dropped against the Midlands club.

"If you analyse our position in the table, then maybe [it was two points dropped]," he told the club's official website. "If you analyse the game then it was fair enough.

"In the first half we were in control, we didn't create clear chances and the final pass in the final third was the difference.

"In the second half they were pushing harder and we had to defend, but we still had some good counterattacks. Again the final pass was the difference. If you analyse the game, then the result is fair."

On a frustrating night at Molineux, the Liverpool boss was keen to look for positives and was encouraged by the return of skipper Steven Gerrard and new signing Maxi Rodriguez playing his first full game for the club.

"We know that Steve is a key player for us and clearly he has to work on his match fitness because you can see the difference when he is fully fit," Benitez said.

"Maxi was good in possession. He played the 90 minutes and could see the difference between the Spanish league and this one."

Liverpool Deflate Like A Balloon When Missing Gerrard And Torres

Steven Gerrard was the Footballer of the Year last season, not because he was particularly outstanding but because Liverpool were generally impressive and over the course of his career their captain had been generally excellent.

In a season without an obvious, stand-out candidate, in other words, the award went to someone who deserved to win something. It would have been somewhat anomalous, it was felt, for one of the best English players of his generation to be overlooked when the opportunity presented itself to acknowledge his overall contribution.

All of which goes to show that football writers (who vote for the Footballer of the Year) at least have foresight. Gerrard, and indeed Liverpool, have disappeared from the reckoning this season in a manner quite unimaginable when they finished second last time after losing only two games and inflicting two significant defeats on Manchester United. It may be some time before Gerrard is back to bestriding the game like a colossus, to judge from his anaemic display on returning from injury at Wolves, and if he does ever return to the heights of old it may be under a new manager and without Liverpool's other bona fide superstar, Fernando Torres.

That may be an unduly pessimistic view. Gerrard is entitled to come back gingerly after injury and anyone who expected to see him instantly back in the captain fantastic routine at Molineux was probably expecting too much, something that his occasionally superhuman performances have encouraged over the years. Rafa Benítez might not go to Juventus, though it seems idle to pretend that such a semi-honourable way out would not provide the neatest solution for all concerned in what has become a messy in-house argument at Anfield. And Torres, who knows, might even stay on Merseyside, though unless he makes a rapid recovery from his dreadful succession of injuries even he may not make much difference.

This time last year the Gerrard-Torres attacking partnership was being talked up as one of the most lethal in the land. This season it has simply not happened. It was being said last season that Liverpool could have won the title had they only managed to play their two best players in harness more often. Little did people realise that their joint appearances were about to become even more infrequent. Liverpool's decline this season is easily explained. They are a collection of ordinary players (with respect to the consistently above average performances of Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher) with two world class matchwinners. If the two WCMs play to their full potential the rest of the team comes up to match them. If they do not reach that level, or if they do not play at all, the rest of the team deflates like a balloon with a leak and eventually ends up flat.

Considering Torres is widely regarded to be the most complete centre forward in Europe at the moment, certainly one of the top three, his frustrating absence for much of the season has been a severe loss to English football, as well as to Liverpool. You just watch, though. He'll be full of goals and running in the World Cup with Spain. Whether England will be able to say the same about Gerrard is a cause for concern for Fabio Capello. Even when fit the midfielder has not been at his best this season, and Gerrard is no fresh-faced teenager any more, able to bounce back from injury as soon as he is allowed. Gerrard turns 30 just before the World Cup, and while it is possible to argue his time on the sidelines will allow him to reach South Africa well-rested, the disruption to his season has seen the player's form suffer and possibly his confidence too.

Perspiration Trumps Inspiration For Rafael Benitez's Men

If you could condense 90 minutes of 'action' into one split-second, then tonight's game could be neatly summed up when, in the 90th minute of a pallid scoreless draw, Liverpool's auxiliary right-back Jamie Carragher galloped on to a loose ball 30 yards from the Wolverhampton Wanderers goal, screaming at Steven Gerrard to vacate its path.

Considering Carragher, 603 games into his illustrious career, has troubled the scorers - at the right end of the pitch at least - just four times, the odds of him thrashing a half-volley past an underworked Marcus Hahnemann to clinch three points for the Reds were slim. And, predictably, he didn't. His shot was hit well, but at least ten yards wide of the American's right-hand post.

But such was Liverpool's night. A glance at Rafael Benitez's team selection before kick-off at Molineux suggested that an attacking game might be in the offing. Argentine Maxi Rodriguez was selected for a full Reds debut, whilst skipper Gerrard returned after a fortnight's rest with a hamstring strain. Albert Riera sought to continue his fine form from last week's victory over Tottenham.

Yet, for some reason, Benitez's men were devoid of conviction, bereft of ideas. Hahnemann's only real scare throughout came when Riera's audaciously looped volley threatened to catch him out early in the second half.

Indeed, it was the home side - with lone striker Kevin Doyle and wide-man Matthew Jarvis especially lively - who looked the more likely to open the game up. Mick McCarthy rested six of his line-up from Saturday's FA Cup clash with Sheffield United; he might regret his reluctance to name a partner for Doyle here.

Possession stats showed that Liverpool had 61 per cent of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, but to watch the first half was an exercise in endurance for both sets of supporters. One cross from Carragher, angled neatly into a deserted penalty area, was indicative of the malaise which affected both sides. When the fourth official, Kevin Friend, held up a board announcing two additional minutes before half-time, the groans were audible.

Not that it got much better; Liverpool's bench had an attractive look to it, with £17 million Italian Alberto Aquilani joined by three forwards in David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Dani Pacheco. But only Ngog joined the fray, and his introduction deprived the Reds of arguably their best attacking player in Riera.

It was easy to see why Benitez opted not to make further substitutions, Wolves' three-man central midfield of Karl Henry, Nenad Milijas and Michael Mancienne may have suffered the same lack of conviction as Liverpool's, but it was helping the home side turn over possession regularly. Disrupting the balance of the side could well have made things worse for the Spaniard.

Benitez will, quite rightly, point out that the draw means his side are now unbeaten in five league games, and have conceded just once in that spell - a testament to the form of the previously much-maligned Sotirios Kyrgiakos as much as anything.

But with Tottenham picking up a routine home win over Fulham, and both Manchester City and Aston Villa boasting games in hand, this result must surely register as two points dropped.

Match Report: Wolverhampton 0 - 0 LiverpooL

Liverpool suffered a severe blow to their hopes of securing Champions League football as they were frustrated by Mick McCarthy's side in a Barclays Premier League clash at Molineux.

The Reds actually moved above Manchester City on goal difference into fifth spot with a share of the spoils but have played two games more.

In contrast, it was a precious point for Wolves in their battle to stay in the top flight.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, whose agent has played down reports linking the Spaniard with a move to Juventus, saw his side dominate the opening 45 minutes in terms of possession.

But, in the absence of the injured Fernando Torres, they lacked a decisive cutting edge despite the return after a hamstring injury of skipper Steven Gerrard who was well policed by Michael Mancienne.

McCarthy opted for a change of formation with record signing Kevin Doyle the only striker in a 4-5-1 formation and they frustrated the Reds throughout the first 45 minutes with veteran defender Jody Craddock outstanding.

But after the break Wolves played with increasing belief and fluency and it was their turn to enjoy large spells of territorial dominance.

Doyle was a constant menace with his pace and power unsettling the Reds rearguard despite often being outnumbered.

Liverpool, who had taken 10 points from the previous four games, were quickly into their stride.

Gerrard's second minute corner was met by the head of Albert Riera at the near post but his effort flashed across the Wolves box.

Dirk Kuyt, bubbling with confidence after his double against Tottenham, tried his luck from 20 yards out but Craddock was able to make an important block.

Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina was booed every time he touched the ball by Wolves fans who remembered his part in the incident when Stephen Ward was sent off at Anfield on Boxing Day.

Liverpool enjoyed the lion's share of possession but Wolves coped comfortably and the best chance of the opening half fell to Doyle after 33 minutes in a Wolves counter-attack.

Jamie Carragher was isolated in the right-back role and unable to prevent Matt Jarvis from getting past him and sending in a low cross to the near post.

Doyle made a run across the Reds defence to attack the ball at the near post but poked his shot just wide.

Jarvis was posing the biggest threat for Wolves and another teasing centre picked out the run of Kevin Foley at the far post but his header was directed straight at Reina.

Christophe Berra got in a great challenge to halt the run of Maxi Rodriguez into the Wolves box at the expense of a corner just before half-time.

Gerrard was a peripheral figure for most of the first half but threatened after the restart when he seized onto a ball in behind from Lucas Leiva only for Berra to be alert to the situation.

Marcus Hahnemann had to be alert when backpedalling to palm away a looping first time effort from the edge of the area by Riera.

Ward then almost played the home team into trouble with a mis-timed back pass but Hahnemann raced 20 yards out of his box to clear from Kuyt.

Doyle was impressing whenever Wolves ventured forward but would have been disappointed not to hit the target after he found some space outside the box.

Wolves were playing with increasing fluency and the belief was starting to grow amongst their young players.

Kuyt curled a 20-yard shot past the post after Gerrard enjoyed some rare freedom and the game was more of an entertaining spectacle.

Benitez made his first substitution after 67 minutes with David Ngog replacing Riera and Kuyt moving into a wider role.

The impressive Doyle drilled a left-foot shot past the post after getting past Martin Skrtel.

Skrtel was booked after 73 minutes for a lunge at Ward.

McCarthy replaced Nenad Milijas with David Jones a minute later.

Liverpool Coach Rafael Benitez Is Juventus' Prime Target

Juventus' search for a new coach continues and the latest developments in Turin have seen Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez shoot to the top of the wish-list, according to reports.

Sportmediaset.it claims Ciro Ferrara has reached the bottom line at the club and will be ousted once directors line up an adequate replacement. Juve are planning to piece together a bid to lure the Spaniard to Turin.

However, they face a big task. On Monday Benitez's agent Manuel Garcia Quillon failed to confirm a concrete interest from Juve, but neither did he rule out a move there, responding "never say never" when prompted on the Italian link.

Furthermore, there are financial obstacles to overcome. Benitez earns around €4.5 million per season and he has four years left to run on his current deal at Anfield. It is said the Old Lady are not prepared to offer more than €3.5m.

But, reports in Russia on Monday had claimed Juve had made a €5m per season offer to Guus Hiddink, fuelling speculation that the club are willing to manouevre in order to bring in a top coach.

The reports remain unconfirmed though, despite mounting pressure at Vinovo.

What Does This £300m Sale Mean For Liverpool FC?

The news filtered through this weekend that Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has sold his baseball team, the Texas Rangers for a price of over £300 million following lengthy negotiations. Hicks was pleased with the deal, stating

“Together we have worked exhaustively since last month to attain this agreement; it’s a complex business deal that positions the franchise positively for the future.”

Obviously we’re all thrilled that Hicks has managed to make a complex business deal but, more importantly, does this mean anything for Liverpool? £300 million is a lot of money and, even though there’s a possibility that Hicks may not possess it until April due to hold-ups in the deal, Liverpool would be more than justified in expecting one of their owners to provide for the club using such a fortune.

The transfer window has brought Liverpool just Maxi Rodriguez on a free transfer when a lot of strengthening is clearly required. £300 million would deal with debts, bring in as many new players as needed and could help re-ignite talk over a new stadium.

But chances are none of that will happen. A similar deal occurred last year when George Gillett sold his ice hockey team for £323 million and how much of that money did Liverpool see? None of it, that’s how much.

You can see why there’s so much criticism of the American owners given how they regard the club; whilst other owners like Roman Abrahamovic, Randy Lerner and Carson Yeung care for their clubs and give them the money they need, Gillett and Hicks are solely looking to make themselves money and are putting the club in danger in doing so.

What’s next? A £40 million sale of Steven Gerrard followed by each owner pocketing £20 million? They’d happily go along with that.

I would be very surprised if Hicks put one penny of the money made from the sale into Liverpool and thus the sooner Liverpool get bought by someone else who actually cares for the club the better. There was a time when football club’s owners actually had an interest in the sport but it’s owners like Gillett, Hicks and Manchester United’s Malcolm Glazer who screw their clubs over, taking all the money and only putting money in if they think it’ll pay dividends for themselves and the protests around Anfield should keep on going, even if it’s just to show Hicks and Gillett how unwelcome they are.

Rafa Benitez To Juventus? You Never Know - Agent

Coach Ciro Ferrara's future is increasingly uncertain after Juventus were defeated 2-1 by Roma on Saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.

Several coaches have been linked with his post and one of the most recent names is Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. However, the manager's agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, has admitted that such a move cannot happen until at least June - even if Benitez is committed to the Reds.

"Benitez to Juventus? In football you never know," he explained to calciomercato.it.

"I don't know what will happen in four to five months. In football everything changes quickly, but the basic principal is that Rafa still has a four-year contract with Liverpool."

The under-fire coach has been linked with an exit from the Premier League outfit, as they, much like Juventus, have not met expectations this season. But is a switch to Turin really a possibility for the former Valencia coach?

"Right now, that hypothesis is not correct, because he is a very important figure [at Anfield]. The idols of the fans are [Steven] Gerrard, [Fernando] Torres, and Benitez."

Rafael Benitez Insists That Steven Gerrard Is Staying At Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has insisted that Steven Gerrard will not be leaving Anfield any time soon.

Rumours continue to circulate that the England international is unhappy with life at Anfield after a disappointing season that has seen the Reds stumble out of the Champions League and struggle domestically.

But his manager maintains that there is no reason to doubt Gerrard's commitment to the Anfield cause, and the player's preceived lack of form has been due to injury worries.

"I don't have any doubt at all about Gerrard's commitment - and nobody at this club has," Liverpool's manager said, accoriding to The Daily Mirror.

"Yes, he can maybe play better or he can play worse, but he will always try, that is absolutely guaranteed.

"People have talked about his form, but the consistency of form is something you can only find when you train every week and have training sessions in a row.

"If you are injured and have to start again, and injured and have to start again, then it's difficult for any player to show his best, be it Gerrard, (Fernando) Torres, (Yossi) Benayoun or whoever."

Rooney: I Would Love To See Gerrard In A Manchester United Shirt

Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has admitted he would love to see Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard play for the current Premier League champions at Old Trafford.

The Manchester United talisman claims the Liverpool captain would be a brilliant player under Sir Alex Ferguson, but admits it would be impossible for the Anfield hero to move to Old Trafford because he is “a Liverpool man through and through”.

Wayne Rooney claims Steven Gerrard had trials with Manchester United before he joined Liverpool, and in addition to being a brilliant player, Rooney claims he and his Anfield counterpart are good friends.

When asked which players he would like to team up with at Old Trafford, the Manchester United star told Goal.com: “It’s not for me to say because that’s the manager’s job, to bring the best players to Manchester United.”

“I’ve played with some great players in the past and would have loved to have played with some legends of the game.”

“Steven Gerrard is a very good mate of mine and he had trials at Manchester United as a kid, it would have been great to have had him at United, but that will never happen because he’s a Liverpool man through and through.”

“He’s a top-class player.”

The Manchester United hero, who recently scored four goals against Hull City to take his tally in the Premier League this season to nineteen goals, also suggested he would have loved to play with Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane.

Rooney added: “I’d have loved to have played with Zinedine Zidane.”

“I’ve played against him and I was just in awe.”

“But playing against him gave me a lot of confidence because it gave me the belief to say ‘I can play with the best, and I’m just going to chill out and let my football do the talking'.”

Benitez Says Liverpool Keeper Reina Crucial To Resurgence

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has praised goalkeeper Pepe Reina and emphasized his importance to the Reds both on and off the pitch.

Reina will be looking to claim his fourth clean sheet in five matches this evening against Wolves to boost Liverpool's bid for Champions League qualification.

Benitez told the Liverpool Echo, “In a top side you have to be a top keeper and have great character. He is always pushing his team-mates and he is a leader on the pitch too.

“Pepe has had some (injury) problems but he has been playing and doing really well. At Stoke we only played him at the last minute but he was nearly man of the match.

“It’s important to have Pepe and it’s important to have Stevie back too. He has desire and he can see his team-mates working hard and you will see him do the same on the pitch.”

Commenting on negotiations over a new contract to keep the Spanish keeper at Liverpool, Benitez said, “We have had a conversation with Pepe’s agent (over a contract) and he knows our idea.

“The conversation will continue and I’m sure it will be easy to finalise and have an agreement. His mentality is very good and it is not just that he is a good keeper."

Ian Rush: Rafa Benitez Needs To Make One More January Signing For Liverpool FC

The transfer window will soon slam shut and it is inevitable that a number of deals will be struck in the next six days.

What part Liverpool play remains to be seen but I would still love to see Rafa Benitez bring in a striker, even if it is only a short-term loan.

If he can’t do that for whatever reason, it will put a big demand on the players already at Anfield and they will have to be prepared to work that extra bit harder to make up for the shortage.

That said, it was pleasing to see David Ngog make an impact as a sub in the win against spurs; he may just ease some pressure.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos Finally Stepping Out Of Sami Hyppia’s Shadow

Zabi Alonso was the biggest departure from Anfield last season but Sami Hyppia’s move to Bayer Leverkusen was also a huge blow.

However, it could be that, at long last, Sotirios Kyrgiakos is ready to fill the void left by the Big Finn.

I’m not for one moment comparing the two, as Sami was rightly thought of as a Liverpool legend.

But Kyrgiakos has shown in his last two performances that he has similar qualities and is right man to fill the role Sami would have occupied this year.

You won’t have many bigger aerial tests as a defender than against Stoke and Peter Crouch but Kyrgiakos passed both with flying colours.

The jury had been out on him but he is starting to get to grips with the Premier League and is well capable of playing his part for the rest of the year.

Steven Gerrard Waxwork To Appear In Madame Tussauds

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been transferred to an exclusive London club - for just £150,000!

But before Reds fans worry too much, it is only his waxwork which will be moving to the capital at Madame Tussauds museum.

Gerrard will appear in the interactive Sports Zone in his Liverpool kit and boots which he donated.

He said: "It is an absolute thrill to have my own wax figure at Madame Tussauds."

The wax model has been worked on since October last year when sculptors met Gerrard at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.

During the sitting, the team took over 300 precise measurements and a catalogue of reference photographs to work with. The figure is nearly ready at a cost of £150,000.

"We’re delighted to be welcoming Steven Gerrard to the attraction in this World Cup year", commented Liz Edwards, PR Manager.

"He will join his England team-mates David Beckham and Wayne Rooney in our Sports Zone and guests will be able to test their own footballing skills with a "shoot out" challenge over half term".

As well as his fellow footballers, Gerrard will join an all star sporting cast of greats from past and present in Madame Tussauds’ Sports Zone - from Lewis Hamilton to Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Ali to Jesse Owens.