Benitez: Torres And Keane Will Terrorise Europe

Rafael Benitez is backing Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane to strike terror into defences across Europe this season – starting in Belgium tonight.

Liverpool begin their campaign this evening against Standard Liege in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Benitez is hopeful that Steven Gerrard will have shrugged off a thigh problem to lead his team out at the intimate Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Keane will make his competitive Liverpool debut alongside Torres in attack following his £19m signing from Tottenham Hotspur last month.

And despite having shared only 90 minutes of time on the pitch together, Benitez reckons his new-look strikeforce can forge a partnership to rival anything in Europe.

“I think they could be as good as it gets in the Champions League,” said the Anfield manager. “They are both in the top-class level and can be as good as anyone. If they play together more games then they can get better and better.

“I would prefer them to have played together more, but we couldn’t with both Torres and Keane coming in late. It wasn’t the ideal situation but I think it could be enough.

“But both Torres and Keane are prepared enough to play well. Little by little they can get better. If one of them or both can play well on Wednesday, then that would be fantastic.

“In the time they have had together they have played well and we have been scoring goals. They need time but we have confidence in them and I think we played well in the last game against Lazio.”

Keane and Torres were employed in the 4-2-3-1 formation Benitez favoured last season during the 4-1 win at Valarenga, with the duo then paired up front in a more conventional 4-4-2 against Lazio last Friday.

And Benitez added: “Both formations were good as the team was playing well and scoring goals. In both positions they were playing well, they are clever players and it doesn’t matter what positions they play in.

“Everyone knows these are good players. The only thing is they haven’t been playing together a long time. They will need time.”

Benitez also shrugged off the speculation over his future that has been rekindled by the stalled attempt to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

“I was really calm last week and really concentrated on the game, we don’t have any big problems,” he said. “I’m being allowed to pick the team without any interference.

“I am not distracted and I am focused on the game.”

Of the Barry saga itself, Benitez added: “If we sign any player he can’t play tomorrow. So I’m not worried about that now, I’m concentrating on this game.”

Benitez intimated he has no qualms in selecting Xabi Alonso, despite the midfielder being ineligible to play for another club in the Champions League this season should he appear tonight.

The Spain international continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield having come close to joining Juventus earlier in the summer.

But Benitez said: “Alonso play… why not? He’s our player, we need him and we’ll use him.”

Rafa Benitez Focused Whatever Standard Of Opposition

On watching his team paired against Liverpool in the Champions League draw, a disbelieving Standard Liege coach László Bölöni admitted to responding with a choice expletive.

Rafael Benitez, though, would be forgiven for muttering a few swear words of his own given the less-than-ideal preparations for tonight’s crucial final qualifying round first leg in Belgium.

From the staggered return to pre-season of his squad, the absence of key players on Olympics duty and the ongoing Gareth Barry saga, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the meticulous Spaniard. And while the opposition would appear less foreboding than some of the others Liverpool could have been paired with, Benitez is wary of the threat posed by the Belgian champions.

After all, the sight of UEFA Cup finalists Rangers being dumped out the previous round by FBK Kaunas was a sobering reminder of how the estimated £12million windfall of qualification to the group stages of the Champions League is by no means a formality.

Benitez, though, has good form at this round of the competition. In four previous seasons, the Spaniard has successfully guided Liverpool past Grazer AK, CSKA Sofia, Maccabi Haifa and Toulouse, albeit not without a scare or two.

Indeed, Liverpool have never lost a Champions League qualifier and have won nine of 11 previous games against Belgian opposition, including victory in both legs against Standard in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965.

But Benitez says: “These games are very dangerous, so we will be very focused on the game.

“The first game is really important. We have the advantage of playing the second leg at Anfield, but if we can have a good result in the first game then it will be better for us.

“I don’t think the financial need to qualify for the group stages puts on any added pressure. Every year it has been the same. We have experience of this in the past, and we’ve always got through, so hopefully we can do the same.

“But every club, the top sides especially, must be aware of the quality of the other teams in this competition. You must be focused for every game and you can’t change things if you make a mistake.”

Benitez has been unable to work with his full squad at any point during the summer and only welcomed back the Spanish contingent a fortnight ago following their Euro 2008 exploits.

He adds: “Pre-season has been difficult with the players having come back at different times, but we’re really pleased with the way the young players have come through and showed their quality, the way the senior players and new players have done and the mood is really good.”

While Liverpool have lost Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel to Olympic duty in Beijing, Standard Liege have worked a way around the Games.

They were helped by skipper Steven Defour, a 20-year-old midfielder who was awarded the Golden Shoe for the most valuable player in the Belgian League last season, electing not to represent Belgium in China.

Marouane Fellaini, another highly-rated 20-year-old, did make the trip to the Far East. But such is his importance to Standard, the club’s supremo Lucien D’Onofrio sent his private jet to Beijing to collect him specifically for tonight’s match.

Standard ended a 25-year wait to win the league last season, going 31 games unbeaten and losing their only match of the campaign after the championship had already been secured.

“We’ve watched and analysed Standard Liege,” says Benitez. “I haven’t seen too may of their games, but the staff have been watching them and because they have changed the coach we’ll need to see what effect that has.

“They are a good team, and we know they are especially tough when they are playing at home. They are very strong in defence, and don’t concede a lot of goals.

“They might not be used to the Champions League, but they only lost one league game last season and showed their quality.

“Whenever you play away from home in Europe, it’s always difficult.

“We have confidence in our players but when you play against a good team in Europe you need to be careful. We know they lost to St Etienne recently in a friendly but they beat Anderlecht in the (Belgian) Super Cup.”

Standard have had some problems. Dieumerci Mbokani, their Congolese striker, only returned to Belgium on Monday after visiting Africa because of a family bereavement, while Milan Jovanovic, their top scorer from last year and the Belgian footballer of the year, is a target for PSV Eindhoven and may not appear tonight.

Standard’s 29,200-capacity Stade Maurice Dufrasne, known locally as the “Chaudron de Sclessin”, is renowned in Belgium for its intense atmosphere.

And one Liverpool player hopeful of getting a run-out this evening is Andriy Voronin.

The Ukrainian marked his first competitive appearance for the Anfield side last season with a goal in the Champions League qualifier in Toulouse, but went on to endure a disappointing campaign.

Voronin has subsequently been linked with a departure, particularly after the arrival of Robbie Keane. But, after scoring three times in pre-season including the winner against Lazio on Friday, the 29-year-old is vowing to fight for his place.

“I have had a great pre-season run and am the fittest I have ever been,” says Voronin.

“I am really looking forward to this season and know I can do a job for the team.

“It’s not going to be easy for me but I am up for the fight and am working very hard.

“My English has improved and I have settled well in Liverpool. Now I need the chance to prove my quality.”

Kuyt: I'm Really Happy At Anfield

Striker Dirk Kuyt has reiterated how happy he is at Liverpool.

Rafael Benitez was quick to play down media speculation last week linking the player with a move elsewhere - words which came as music to the Dutch international's ears.

"I'm really happy at Liverpool and I want to stay here for as long as the club wants me," Kuyt told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"I am really settled here and I like the city. The most important thing is I like the club and I've really enjoyed the two seasons I've been here. The only thing I am missing is some trophies and hopefully that will come in the next year.

"I've never had any intentions of leaving this club. Sometimes things are said in the press but the boss said to me that is not relevant and he wants me here with Liverpool."

The Reds number 18 is now focusing on tonight's Champions League qualifier with Standard Liege, and while the team have been in good form during pre-season, Kuyt insists the hard work starts now against tricky Belgian opposition.

"The team has been working really hard and the new players have adapted well," said the 28-year-old.

"The last three games we have had some good results against Rangers, Valerenga and Lazio, but let's see where we are after this week. If we start well on Wednesday and then against Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, then we will have had a good pre-season.

"We know that we are a good team. We have a lot of confidence and we've just got to show that in the first games of the season.

"I know a bit about Liege. Belgium is close to Holland and I know their league. Maybe it isn't as good as a couple of years ago but they are still a good team with a few talented young players.

"It will definitely be tough for us and hopefully we can get a good result. I think it's really important to have the second game at home. Every team in Europe is difficult to beat but it's good for us because the distance is not too far. Hopefully we can get the result we want and get through to the Champions League.

"This is a really important game for us so early in the season because we know if we were to lose we would be out of the Champions League. That's not what we want because we have had some really good results in that competition over the past few years."

Kuyt has also spoken about his role on the right-hand side of midfield, claiming he would play anywhere for the good of the team.

"I have always played as a striker in my career but in the national team I have played on the right," he added.

"I played there during Euro 2008 for Holland. I'm not really a right winger but I can play it my own way and I like it so far. The last 15 games of last season went really well. We were playing well as a team and I was scoring goals and giving assists.

"As long as I can be important for the team I'm happy to play on the right side. For me the most important thing is winning games and picking up trophies. That is more important to me than being a striker and scoring goals.

"I don't care if I play as a striker, a second striker or a right winger. I just want to play as many games as I can and be important for the team."

Kuyt also welcomed the summer acquisition of Robbie Keane.

"Robbie has so many qualities," he said. "Everyone knows him because he has played at a really good level for many years in the Premier League.

"With the signing of Robbie and the other new players hopefully we can make another good step forward.

"This is going to be my third season with Liverpool and every year the club brings in a new striker. That's Liverpool because the club always wants to progress and always wants to be better. It's a good thing because you have to perform better as well."

Rafael Benitez Still Wants Gareth Barry

Rafael Benítez has declared himself “calm” as Liverpool prepare to start their season this evening with their summer-long pursuit of Gareth Barry still up in the air, but the suspicion remains that this calm could be the prelude to another storm.

Despite his board’s decision to veto an £18 million deal, Benítez is determined to proceed with a deal to sign Barry from Aston Villa and he will urge the club’s American owners to back his judgment once the small matter of tonight’s Champions League qualifying match in Belgium is out of the way.

Benítez refused to be drawn on Barry at last night’s press conference in advance of this evening’s first leg against Standard Liège, the champions of Belgium, saying only that he was “calm” and that he was “concentrating on the game”. But he is known to be unhappy at the refusal of Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., the owners, to sanction the signing of Barry and will urge them and Rick Parry, the chief executive, to support him by making a restructured bid, aware that the England midfield player may choose to commit his future to Villa if no deal is reached by the weekend.

The proposed signing of Barry has provoked a mixed reaction among Liverpool’s supporters, many of whom were aggrieved by the prospect of selling Xabi Alonso to make way for the Villa player, but Benítez indicated last night that Alonso will play against Standard, which, given that it would render him ineligible to play for any other team in the Champions League, would affect his market value. Benítez appears to have come round to the idea of a squad that would accommodate the vision and artistry of Alonso in addition to the contrasting qualities of Barry, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva.

With Mascherano and Lucas representing Argentina and Brazil respectively at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Benítez was relieved that Gerrard was able to train fully at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne last night. Damien Plessis, the French midfield player, had been on standby to replace Gerrard in a starting line-up that is likely to include two summer signings, Andrea Dossena and Robbie Keane. Despite the absence of another new addition, Philipp Degen, there was no place in the squad for Steve Finnan, who has not travelled with the squad after a fallout with Benítez and is likely to be on his way out of Anfield.

Keane is expected to play just behind, rather than alongside, Fernando Torres in attack on his competitive debut for Liverpool, but Benítez believes that the players can form a strike partnership that will be equal to any in the Champions League this season. “I think so,” the manager said. “The two strikers are top-class and on the same level as anyone. If they play together a lot, I think they can form a really good understanding and then they can go on and get better and better.”

Rafael Benitez Considers Xabi Alonso For Champions League Game With Standard Liege

From Euro 2008 to Wimbledon and the Tour de France, this has been the summer of the Spaniard and here, in a stadium situated between a steelworks and grassed-over slag heaps, Rafael Benitez launched his own quest for glory.

The Champions League is his banker; the tournament that has earned the manager his place in the Liverpool pantheon. Without the two finals and a semi-final, his finishing positions of fifth, third, third and fourth in the Premier League would not have guaranteed his survival.

Liverpool have had to pre-qualify for the Champions League each time and they set out in Liege, a kind of Belgian Sheffield, in a stadium with a hint of Bramall Lane.

There are those who believe that Benitez's fractured relationship with the club's co-owner, Tom Hicks – this time over the inability to fund Gareth Barry's transfer from Aston Villa – means he is unlikely to make it to the Olympic Stadium in Rome, venue for the final and where Liverpool have won two European Cups.

While acknowledging he has the strongest squad in his four years at Anfield, he would not be drawn on his relationship with Hicks. "I'm not thinking about signing players at the moment, because they cannot play against Standard Liege," said Benitez. "I'm only concentrating on this game. And I have not needed to contact the owners because they cannot help with the preparation for this. I prefer not to say anything else."

He suggested he might start Xabi Alonso. Since it was the failure to sell him to Juventus that meant they were unable to meet Aston Villa's asking price for Barry, that would be a significant decision. Were Benitez to try to sell the Basque now or in January, he would be cup-tied for the Champions League and his value reduced. Steve Finnan, another whose future is uncertain, did not even travel with the squad.

Steven Gerrard has been passed fit, with Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane poised to start their first competitive match together.

Team details (probable)

Standard Liege (4-4-2): Espinosa; Marcos, Sarr, Fellaini, Dante; Witsel, Defour, Toama, Dalmat; De Marmargo, Mbokani.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Dossena; Kuyt, Alonso, Gerrard, Benayoun; Keane, Torres.

English Giants Wary Of Slipping Up

Premier League giants Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC begin their assault on the UEFA Champions League tonight, and both can expect serious tests as they target group-phase berths.

Arsenal travel to face FC Twente on Wednesday, before hosting the Eredivisie side a fortnight later, and manager Arsène Wenger knows his players will have to be focused if they are to emerge triumphant. "When you go to Holland, you get a game – it's a football country," he said. "The clubs are always well organised and we will be favourites. It will be important for us to be at the top of our concentration to go through."

The Gunners were in the Netherlands on pre-season duty and had to come back from two goals down to beat AFC Ajax on Friday, winning 3-2 against the side Twente pipped in a play-off to claim their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round place. And with former England manager Steve McClaren in the dugout, the Enschede outfit will have added motivation. "It is a good opportunity for him to show his quality," added Wenger, whose Arsenal side beat McClaren's Middlesbrough FC 7-0 the last time the pair locked horns in January 2006. "He will want to show that he can bounce back and show his quality."

Liverpool also contest their first leg away from home as they face R. Standard de Liège on the same night. The two sides previously met in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup during the 1965/66 campaign, with Liverpool claiming a comfortable 5-2 aggregate win. Yet the Merseysiders' coach Rafael Benítez knows not to take the Belgian champions lightly. "People may say it's a kind draw for us but we will treat them with respect," said the Spaniard. "They have not played in the group stages of the Champions League before so they will be keen to change that. Also, they will have the confidence of champions after winning their title."

Benítez's cause could be complicated by an injury to talismanic captain Steven Gerrard, who suffered a thigh strain during a friendly with Vålerenga IF and may not be risked. The five-time European champions will also be without Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel, all of whom are competing at the Olympics.

Premier League Season Preview: The Big Four

Following on from our look at each individual Premier League club, Luke Simmons compares and contrasts the fortunes of the 'big four'.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool comprise the biggest names in English football, some of the greatest in Europe, and four of the most reowned names in the Wworld. But what does this new season hold for each team? Every season each team set out knowing that they have a massive chance of winning a major trophy, but with only four pieces of silverware up for grabs, none of them intend on settling for one cup each…

MANCHESTER UNITED

The Red Devils have enjoyed two brilliant seasons in recent years, following up their 2007 league victory with the historic double of 2008. They have the best player on the planet in Ronaldo, who was simply outstanding last season, and they have the most successful manager in Premier League history. But everything is not so perfect down at Old Trafford: the just-concluded ‘will he, wont he’ transfer saga of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid stretched nearly all summer long and left a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that, if Ronaldo did leave Man Utd, they certainly would not be the force they were last season. On the other side things have been slow:Sir Alex has been quiet in the transfer market so far, only bringing in Davide Petrucci. But no doubt about it, the champions will be up for retaining their trophy for a third season in a row.

And the bookies have them in pole position to do just that, with one leading bookmaker putting them at 11/8 favourites to rule in England yet again. Not a surprise to anyone that they are the favourites, with ten League titles under his belt, Sir Alex will be confident of securing his 11th this season, especially with wonder boy Ronaldo staying at Old Trafford. Their fast paced style of play ripped teams apart last season, and while Ronaldo was obviously the man who grabbed the headlines the link-up play between Rooney and Tevez was incredible. Two results that stuck out last season were the Newcastle games, home and away, in which United 11 goals all together, with a 5-1 away win and an incredible 6-0 home win. If they can keep producing this type of football this season, does anyone else really stand a chance?

CHELSEA

The London club are yet again going through another managerial change, their fourth in five years, with new boss Felipe Scolari taking charge of the Blues this season. The new coach has been quick to bring in players who he has managed in the past, with Jose Bosingwa and Deco being added to the squad, with a cost of over £23 million for the pair. After their heartbreaking defeat in the Champions league final in Moscow to bitter rivals Manchester United last season, they will be looking for revenge this time around. They will surely be contenders for every trophy, and with their strong but fluent style of play they are a good bet for silverware this season. Can Scolari be the man to make the Chelsea fans forget about Jose Mourinho? Only time will tell, but I myself believe they can win either the Premier League, or the Champions League next season, or even both.

The bookies have Chelsea the second favourites for the league, at 7/4. The experience Chelsea have is phenomenal: some may argue that they are an ageing side, Sir Alex among them, but I see them as experienced, and with players like Ballack, Lampard, Deco and Terry, no wonder they are a strong favourite for the League. What's more, they are determined: their strength and willingness to win games showed towards the end of last season, taking the League to the last day, when many wrote them off months before. Scolari has promised more entertaining football at Stamford Bridge this season, but if I was a Chelsea fan, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the way they play, just as long as they keep up their fantastic record of winning borne of Roman Abramovich's takeover in 2003. Expect a few more names coming in for Chelsea until the end of the transfer window: rumours keep circulating regarding the possibility of Kaka joining the Blues. Whether it's true of not is another matter, but one thing's for sure: if anyone has the funds to bring Kaka in, it's Chelsea.

ARSENAL

After a summer of rumours, with many big name players being linked with a move away from North London, Arsenal look set to start the new season with belief and hope in their young but experienced side. The losses of Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb this summer has left a big hole in the Arsenal midfield, but with Welsh teenager Aaron Ramsey, French attacker Samir Nasri and Portuguese starlet Amaury Bischoff being added to the squad, are Arsenal really any weaker than last year? Another new name who is making the headlines in pre-season is Mexican striker Carlos Vela, the teenager finally joining up with the Gunners after two seasons out on loan waiting for a work permit. Last term was a bittwesweet one: they finished third in the league, four points off being the champions, and reached the quarter finals of the Champions league, where they were knocked out by Liverpool in a controversial manner. Arsene Wenger will want to get off to a good start to the Premier League campaign, and with new boys West Brom their first opponents next week at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal should do just that. If the Gunners weren’t so unlucky with injuries last season, maybe it would have been them lifting the Premier league trophy instead of arch rivals Man Utd, but Arsenal have to forget about last year and their young squad needs to push on for glory this term. They should have the strength to do so: the way I see it, these kids are becoming adults, and very talented adults at that.

Arsenal are the third favourites for the league, behind Manchester United and Chelsea, with the odds-makers putting them at 5/1 to lift the trophy. Not a bad bet, considering they finished only four points behind the winners last season. Wenger has said he is looking to bring in one more experienced midfielder, and if he succeeds with this purchase, the Gunners will be, in my view, stronger than they were last year. Some say they play the best Football in the league, but their inability to finish games off cost them dearly at times last season, but if they can fix this fault in their game, I’m sure they can surprise many people next year by winning a major trophy. Like I said, the young Guns are ready to step up to the plate, and with players like Cesc Fabregas, who constantly pledges his future to the club, I wouldn’t bet against them this year.

LIVERPOOL

It’s been a busy summer for Liverpool Football Club, with seven names coming in, including £20.3 Million signing Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur. He'll surely form a mouth-watering partnership with Fernando Torres up front, but perhaps the one player Rafa wants the most, Gareth Barry, is still yet to put pen to paper. It’s been the most complicated transfer saga of the summer so far, and it’s still going on, with the American owners of Liverpool now refusing to pay the asking price for the England midfielder. At the other end, the Reds have let nine players leave the club this summer, Harry Kewell and Peter Crouch being among those names. With all this uncertainty surrounding the Barry saga aside, Liverpool will be hoping to end a nineteen year wait and finally win the Premier league. You can ask any Liverpool fan, what would they most want to achieve this season, and you will get the same answer every time - win the League. So, is this finally Liverpool’s year? If Steven Gerrard can produce what he normally does, and Fernando Torres can achieve the same number of goals as last season, along with Robbie Keane who also has an eye for goal, maybe this season belongs to the red half of Merseyside.

The bookmakers have them at 6/1 fourth favourites to win the League, behind the ‘big three’. But the hopes are high amongst the Liverpool faithful, they believe this is the year they can crack the Premier League code, they believe Torres and Keane is the perfect partnership to do just that. The thing that has let the Reds down in the past is consistency, they can’t seem to keep up a patch of good form in the league, right till the end, but they can in Europe, something that’s puzzled many people over the years. If they can dominate the European stage, why not England? I think it shows just how hard it is to win the Premier League, but Liverpool simply have to win it soon, they need that significant trophy added to their tremendous collection, Plus, Manchester United, their most hated rivals, are catching them up on League titles overall.

Rafa Benitez Seeks Showdown With Liverpool Board

Rafa Benitez wants showdown talks with Liverpool's American owners in the hope of resurrecting the Gareth Barry deal.

The Anfield boss is focused on the Champions' League clash with Standard Liege in Belgium tomorrow, as Liverpool pursue a place in the group stages.

When he returns, Benitez will want to know why the club agreed to meet Aston Villa's £18million valuation of Barry a week ago, but now feel the price is too high.

Barry flies out with Villa tomorrow for Thursday's UEFA Cup qualifying round game at Icelandic minnows FH Hafnarfjordur - and if he plays, would be cup-tied.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "He's our player. If Gareth is still our player on Wednesday morning, he's as good a chance of climbing on the team bus as anybody."

Benitez To Gamble On Gerrard To Secure Champions League Place

Rafael Benitez is ready to risk Steven Gerrard in his attempts to secure qualification for the Champions League group stages.

The Liverpool manager has been hampered in his preparations for tomorrow’s third qualifying round tie at Standard Liege and faces a crippling midfield shortage.

Gerrard is struggling to shake off a thigh strain while Benitez is still being foiled in his attempts to sign Gareth Barry after the club admitted they wouldn’t meet Aston Villa’s asking price.

And the absence of Javier Mascherano and Lucas will continue into next week as they have both helped Argentina and Brazil, respectively, to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympics football tournament in Beijing.

That means the only fully fit central midfielders available are Xabi Alonso and

Damien Plessis – who has looked impressive in pre-season but only has two first team appearances to his name and none in Europe.

With a tricky away leg looming against the Belgian champions, Benitez is giving his captain every chance to prove his fitness and he will fly out with the squad this morning.

“I was talking with him this morning and he will go with us to Belgium,” said Benitez.

“He is progressing really well but we will check after training. I will speak with the doctor and with Steven and then decide.”

Being backed into that position will only increase Benitez’s frustration as he faces up to kicking off the season at Sunderland on Saturday without Barry.

He wants to concentrate on the Liege tie in the next two days but after tomorrow’s game he is set to seek further talks with American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks regarding the direction of his transfer business in the remainder of the window.

But another nail in the coffin of the Barry deal could be struck by Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill on Thursday if he plays his skipper in the Uefa Cup

Villa to take on Icelandic side FH Hafnarfjordur in the second qualifying round and an appearance by Barry would leave him cup-tied for the Champions League.

O’Neill said: “He’s our player and though things could change, if Gareth is still our player on Wednesday morning, he’s as good a chance of climbing on the bus as anybody.”

The uncertainty surrounding Barry’s status has disrupted Villa’s preparations and with O’Neill keen to see a conclusion to the saga, dropping his £18m valuation remains an outside possibility.

It is the only way Liverpool will be able to now complete the signing of Barry.

Meanwhile, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Philip Degen won’t be joining Gerrard on the flight to Belgium.

“Martin and Fabio are training with us but they will stay here,” added Benitez. “They are not ready for this game but hopefully both will be available for the weekend.

“Philip isn’t training with us yet and is a little behind the other two.”

Another defender, Miki Roque, has gone on loan to Spanish side Futbol Club Cartagena for the rest of the season.

Optimistic Benitez Delighted With Liverpool Squad

The headline-grabbing signing of Robbie Keane has stirred Liverpool fans into their annual bout of anticipation that this could be the year they win the title for the first time since 1990.

Irish captain Keane cost Liverpool 20 million pounds ($38.56 million) when he signed from Tottenham Hotspur and promises to be the perfect foil for last season's spectacular success story Fernando Torres.

The Spanish Euro 2008 winner scored 33 goals in his debut Anfield campaign, with little striking support, to become an instant hero of the Kop.

Manager Rafael Benitez has moved to ease the pressure on Torres by bringing in Keane to play a support role that should ensure plenty of goals.

Keane scored 23 goals for Spurs last season and although he admits he was happy at the London side he could not resist the chance of joining the club he supported as a boy.

Benitez, who has also spent the off-season chasing Aston Villa's holding midfielder Gareth Barry, is still hoping the England international will sign before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Although he is making no predictions about Liverpool winning the title, he is optimistic about the season.

"I am confident about my squad and I am happy that we have the best squad since I arrived at Anfield," he told the Daily Mirror newspaper.

"The key is not to say we will win the title, because the Premier League is now the best, and most difficult, in Europe.

"Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are the best in Europe, but my belief is unshakeable that we can compete with them."

However, despite the arrival of Keane and Benitez's optimism, Liverpool still look short of matching the leading trio.

Benitez admitted at the start of the break that he needed a top-quality left winger and has failed to fill that gap, while the central defence is an area that could be left short if injuries hit.

Right back Philipp Degen has come in from Borussia Dortmund and Andrea Dossena has joined from Udinese as the new left back, with John Arne Riise moving to Roma.

The transitional nature of Liverpool's defence could be their Achilles heel as they go in search of the title that has eluded them for so long.

DIC Back In The Frame

Reports from the Middle East indicate that Dubai International Capital (DIC) are ready to re-launch their Liverpool takeover bid, as tensions mount between manager Rafael Benitez and the club's current owners.

DIC attempted to take control of the Merseyside club in March, but their £400million bid was rebuffed despite the widening rift between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The Arab firm had planned to buy out Gillett's majority stake with the aim of then challenging Hicks for sole ownership by offering up cash for the club's new stadium, which the Americans have so far struggled to do.

But Hicks, the more prominent of the co-owners, vetoed that deal and relations have since improved between him and his business partner.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the pair's associations with Benitez.

The Spanish tactician has had to operate under strict sell-before-buy guidelines in the transfer market, and to his credit had been doing so with a minimum of fuss as he offloaded the likes of John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch before signing Andrea Dossena and Robbie Keane.

However, Benitez had been under the impression that he would be allowed to fork out the £18million required to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa without selling Xabi Alonso, whose proposed move to Juventus collapsed earlier in the summer.

Either the owners have reneged on their promise or a massive miscommunication has occurred, because Hicks and Gillett have told the manager that Barry is not needed while Alonso is still in the squad.

It is not the first time during the Americans' short reign at the club that Benitez has been told certain targets are off-limits, and this latest case will only further infuriate both he and the fans - who, despite their backing of Alonso, have been equally supportive of Rafa's designs for the team's progress.

Hence, a DIC takeover would be widely welcomed, and Dubai newspaper The National claims that the firm are set to refresh their bid.

A source close to the DIC directors said: "Just because it is has been a quiet summer does not mean DIC have lost interest. They are happy that things have now become low key, and they are awaiting developments."

Keane - Liverpool Plus Barry To Win League

Sunderland manager Roy Keane believes Liverpool will be favourites for the Premier League title should they secure the signing of Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

In a saga to match that of Cristiano Ronaldo's mooted move to Real Madrid, Villa have rejected three offers from The Reds as they hold out for the £18 million asking price they have placed on the 27-year old's head.

Should a deal be completed, it will not be the first big-money arrival at Anfield following the £20 million purchase of Robbie Keane, but The Black Cats manager believes Barry could be the final piece in the jigsaw as Liverpool aim to end their long wait for the league title.

“They have to beat the Uniteds, Chelseas and Arsenals to win a trophy. They haven’t done that in recent seasons - it’s as simple as that," Keane said.

“That’s why they have paid £19m for Robbie and are ready to buy again with Gareth Barry.”

“They are both very good players and you need these sort of players to win crunch games. That is why they are going for big money.”

“Trust me, if Liverpool win the league this season they won’t look back and say they spent over the odds for Robbie Keane.

“When Chelsea were winning trophies nobody mentioned to Mourinho how much he had spent.

“Of course I would have taken Robbie in a flash. He would certainly bring something to our team - without a shadow of a doubt.

“My job is to get Sunderland into the top six and playing European football so that we can attract the Robbie Keanes of this world.”

Liverpool Deny Rift About Barry

Liverpool have denied there is a rift between manager Rafa Benitez and the club's American owners over the proposed signing of Gareth Barry.

Yet chief executive Rick Parry has confirmed that owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks think Aston Villa's £18m asking price for Barry is inflated.

"On this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high," Parry said.

Benitez has made no secret of his eagerness to add the England international to his squad.

Reports had claimed Benitez was at odds with Hicks and Gillett over the player's signing. This is not about questioning the manager's judgement or the ability of a particular player

Benitez was said to be willing to pay the £18m asking price for Barry, while the American owners believed it was too much for the 27-year-old.

But Liverpool issued a statement on their website late on Saturday in which Parry said: "This is not about questioning the manager's judgement or the ability of a particular player.

"The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.

"It is obviously the selling club's prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high."

After Liverpool beat Lazio 1-0 in a friendly on Friday, Benitez reiterated his desire to sign Barry.

"The situation is not a question of money," he said. "He is English and can play three different positions, but I am talking about someone who can play on the left."

Barry can play in central midfield, on the left side of midfield and at left-back.

Benitez Won't Change Much For Liege

Rafa Benitez has revealed his starting XI against Standard Liege on Wednesday is unlikely to differ too much from that which took to the field against Lazio.

Most of the club's big guns were on display on Friday night, aside from our three Olympians and Steven Gerrard, who faces a race against time to be fit for the Belgium trip due to a thigh strain.

If the skipper doesn't recover in time, it could be Damien Plessis who again fills the midfield void.

Benitez said: "More or less the side that played against Lazio will be the one that plays in the Champions League on Wednesday in Belgium.

"Most of the senior players were involved, this will be the side that plays against Standard Liege.

"The situation has been very difficult for us, we have had a lot of players returning to training late after international games in the summer and now we have players at the Olympics.

"It has given me a chance to see the young players during pre-season, and I am sure that the future of the club is guaranteed.

"I believe we are ready for the Champions League tie, the experienced players are ready. But we know that we have quality from the young players.

"I have not decided whether any more will go out on loan, it depends on whether we sell anyone else. If we do not bring anyone else in, maybe we do not need to loan any of the youngsters."

Keane Eyes CL Proper After Home Bow

Robbie Keane claims he will never forget the night he first stepped out in front of the Kop wearing a red shirt - and the Irishman now has his sights on another career landmark.

It is well-documented that the Dublin-born striker grew up dreaming of emulating the likes of Ian Rush and John Aldridge by leading Liverpool's attack at Anfield.

After three run-outs on the road, Keane finally made his home bow against Lazio on Friday night, and though he didn't mark it with a goal, the 28-year-old insists it was just how he imagined.

"It was nice to get my Anfield debut - it was a childhood dream," he told Liverpoolfc.tv. "It was great to step out and look at the Kop – it's something I've always dreamed of, you know. It is something I will never forget.

"It's nice to get it out of the way, but obviously the most important thing is the win. That gives us confidence going into next week and all the players are now looking forward to the challenge of the Champions League and Premier League."

Next up for Keane is a trip to Belgium for Wednesday night's Champions League third qualifying round.

The Republic of Ireland captain has never appeared in the competition proper and doesn't intend to let the chance of doing so in 2008-09 slip away.

"Of course I'm looking forward to Champions League football. Liverpool is a massive club and we're expected to beat teams, so I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.

"I certainly am ready. Ask any player and they'll tell you that pre-season is just about getting fitness. Now the real business starts.

"Whenever Liverpool were playing in the Champions League or in a game which had no effect on Tottenham, I'd be cheering them on.

"The Champions League is part of why I wanted to come here. This is my opportunity now.

"I've not had a chance to go to any European games at Anfield since I was a kid.

"Once you're playing it becomes difficult, especially when I was playing in the UEFA Cup with Spurs, which would usually be a day later.

"I'm looking forward to every game, whether we're playing Manchester United or Wycombe away in the cup, but obviously I can't wait for the Champions League."

The Lazio friendly provided a third opportunity for Keane and Torres to acquaint themselves with one another.

Though still to get off the mark since signing from Spurs, the new boy feels an understanding is already developing – and predicts the duo will be firing on all cylinders sooner rather than later.

"It's only going to get better as we play games and get to know each other. As the games go along we will get better and hopefully we can score a lot of goals together for this club."

U-18S Crash To Opening Defeat

There was disappointment for Liverpool Under-18s as they lost 3-0 to Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol in their opening game of the Villarreal tournament.

Nathan Eccleston had a great chance in the opening minute of the game when he found himself clean through but was denied by a good save, and that was at good as it got for Liverpool.

Hughie McAuley then suffered a blow when German Christopher Buchtmann was forced to leave the field after 10 minutes with a knee injury.

"We made some poor mistakes and I have to say that on the night they were better than us," McAuley told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We didn't play as well as we have been doing in pre-season and we didn't pass the ball like we normally do.

"We created some decent chances but Nathan and Marvin Pourie couldn't take them and we gave away some poor goals.

"I will be looking for a response from the players when we face Real Madrid tonight. That will be a big test for us."

Liverpool team: Chris Oldfield, Jack Metcalf, Christopher Buchtmann (Michael Roberts 10), Andre Wisdom (Under-16), Joe Kennedy, Astrit Ajdarevic, David Amoo (James Ellison 83), Adam Pepper, Lauri Dalla Valle (Marvin Pourie 45), Nathan Eccleston, Alex Kacaniklic (Thomas Ince 65).

Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt Praises Recent Signings - Striker Unlikely To Make Hamburg Move

Amid a cloud of rumours of his possible exit from the club, Liverpool Kuyt has come forward to praise Rafael Benitez’s summer signings.

The Reds have included five new faces to the team so far in the season, namely Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane, David N’Gog from P.S.G, Andrea Dossena from Udinese, plus Phillip Degen and goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri.

Kuyt, who has been linked with a move away from Anfield to SV Hamburg, which is now coached by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Martin Jol, is now expected to stay at Liverpool for the coming season.

28-year-old Kuyt is excited about the coming Premier League season, saying to the official Liverpool website: "The new players have come in and all done well.

"It is always good to have a few new faces in the group and hopefully we have made them feel welcome also. Sometimes you only need a few changes to make a big difference and hopefully the players who have been signed will help us achieve that.

"We already had a really strong team and now we have added to what we had so that can only be a good thing", added the Dutch international striker.

Xabi Alonso Could Still Be Sold Says Rafa Benitez

Rafael Benitez is still refusing to rule out the possibility that he could sell Xabi Alonso - despite the astonishing support the midfielder has received from Liverpool fans.

But the Anfield boss, who also insists that “Liverpool are ready for the Champions League” next week, maintains Alonso will only leave now if the club receives a massive offer for his services.

Benitez is still embroiled in the Gareth Barry saga, despite failing to receive financial backing from the club’s American owners and their support for the £18million transfer.

And he clearly needs money to continue his stubborn pursuit of the Aston Villa midfielder just a week away from the Premier League opening weekend.

Benitez also acknowledges the clear support for Alonso from the Liverpool fans, and their obvious distaste for the Barry deal voiced during last night’s 1-0 friendly win over Lazio at Anfield.

But not even that reaction from the fans will make Benitez confirm that Alonso will not be sold.

Benitez said: “We knew Alonso was a very good player and as a result he had a good price (on his head). We had offers, but they were not enough so we decided he needed to stay with us.

“It could be that he does stay with us.

“For me it is not a problem if he stays or not. He can stay, we always have felt he is a good player.

“We are only talking about a very, very good price. He is a good player, if he is not going to bring a good price then it is very simple, easy to understand.

“I heard the crowd, obviously. We know now, as we knew before, that he could stay with us.”

Andriy Voronin’s winner against the Italians could also be his last for the club, because Benitez clearly is looking to sell to fund the Barry deal.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the saga of the Americans’ ownership to discover that money is not readily available and new objections to a deal are being placed on Benitez at a very late stage of negotiations.

He added: “It is not positive that we may not have the players we want here before the Champions League game. But the transfer window closes at the end of August, we will try to do our best to bring in the players to improve us by then.

“I try to do the best for my club with the possibilities that you have, I have done this every since I have been here. And I am trying to do the same for this coming season.

“I do not feel any more pressure, every season is the same. We have a good squad, better than before, but we can improve a little bit more.”

Benitez obviously intends to continue his master-plan to recruit Barry, who he sees as a player who can fill three different roles. Barry can play central midfield, left side of midfield or left-back.

The 28-year-old will probably not be there in Belgium next Wednesday for the Champions League third qualifying round first leg against Standard Liege.

But after seeing his squad stay unbeaten in eight pre-season friendlies, Benitez believes they are ready for the demands of making sure Liverpool reach the Champions League group stages.

He said: “More or less the side that played against Lazio will be the one that plays in the Champions League on Wednesday in Belgium.

“Most of the senior players were involved, this will be the side that plays against Standard Liege.

“The situation has been very difficult for us, we have had a lot of players returning to training late after international games in the summer and now we have players at the Olympics.

“It has given me a chance to see the young players during pre-season, and I am sure that the future of the club is guaranteed.

“I believe we are ready for the Champions League tie, the experienced players are ready. But we know that we have quality from the young players.

“I have not decided whether any more will go out on loan, it depends on whether we sell anyone else. If we do not bring anyone else in, maybe we do not need to add anyone or loan any of the youngsters.”

Benitez now will determinedly continue his chase for Barry, with the risk that he could find himself again at loggerheads with Liverpool’s owners.

Last time that happened his outbursts almost cost him his job. This time around he is more aware of how far he can go with any defiance. But he still wants Barry.

Tellingly, Benitez said after the Lazio game: “(This deal) is not about money.

“We have a good player(Alonso) and we have another good player coming in soon.

“We can improve the squad, so we will try to do that. We will bring in one more player if we can.

“Who comes in? It could be another left-sided player rather than a central midfielder.

“The player I want can play in three different positions, that is a positive thing. I am talking about one player, but I won’t say the name.

“He is English and he can three different positions, but I am talking about someone who can play on the left.”

Finnan Finished At Anfield?

Steve Finnan's future at Liverpool hangs in the balance following a reported row with manager Rafael Benitez.

News of the World claims that Finnan was omitted from the Reds' pre-season trip to Norway after exchanging less-than-friendly words with Benitez regarding his status at the club.

The Irish defender is something of a forgotten man at Anfield despite being considered one of the most consistent full-backs in Europe up until last season, when his campaign was ruined by injury and indifferent form.

Finnan was offered to Aston Villa as part of the Merseyside club's bid for Gareth Barry - a proposal that did not please the 32-year-old one little bit.

For although he now faces stiff competition from Alvaro Arbeloa, Philipp Degen and even Jamie Carragher for the right-back slot, the former Fulham man is eager to regain the place he once owned in Liverpool's starting XI.

Age is not on Finnan's side, however, and nor is Benitez's focus on attack-minded wide defenders, as the ex-Notts County man has often been criticised for his sometimes cautious approach.

And with the list of suitors appearing short indeed, the Champions League-winner may be doomed to a season of bench-warming unless he can patch things up with his boss.

Silva Lining For Furious Rafa?

In an attempt to placate manager Rafael Benitez, Liverpool's owners have reportedly authorised an £18million move for Valencia star David Silva.

Benitez is livid with Tom Hicks and George Gillett after the Reds co-owners vetoed an £18million deal for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.

The Americans' decision has strained their relationship with the Spanish tactician to breaking point, as it has recently been revealed that their reason for blocking the buy is not a financial one.

For it is believed Hicks and Gillett have sided with the Kopites' view - which was voiced strongly during the club's recent friendly against Lazio - that there is no need for Barry when Xabi Alonso is already at Anfield.

Such a line suggests that the owners have doubts over Benitez's judgement - an insinuation that has understandably ignited the manager's wrath.

But according to News of the World, a compromise has been put forth in the form of Silva, who was near the very top of Rafa's wish-list earlier in the summer.

One of the reasons Benitez has been hell-bent on signing Barry is the England international's left-sidedness and versatility, something the Merseyside giants have lacked in midfield over the last few years.

Indeed, the former Valencia boss highlighted his concerns regarding the left flank after the win against Lazio, as Ryan Babel is currently at the Olympics and Sebastian Leto has been loaned to Olympiacos after being denied a work permit.

Therefore, Benitez will likely have little issue raiding his old club for the left-footed Silva, who can play all across the attacking third.

Liverpool will not waltz in unopposed, however, as North West rivals Manchester United have supoosedly joined Barcelona in the tango for the 22-year-old.

Dalglish Delighted With Keane Signing

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has lauded the signing of Robbie Keane and believes his versatility will be an asset to the Reds' attack ahead of the new season.

Keane signed from Tottenham Hotspur for an initial £18 million, a fee criticised by many, though his quality has been hailed as well and it is expected he will be what Liverpool need to push on and mount a genuine Premier League challenge.

Liverpool striking legend compared Keane to Dalglish, who himself is confident Keane has what it takes to be a success at Anfield: “Robbie is one of those players who can come in straight away and hit the ground running.

“He has played all his career in the Premier League with a one-year spell in Italy, so he doesn't need to take any time to settle in.

“He can make an impact from the first whistle. There is no getting used to the speed of the game or anything like that.

“All he has to do is get to know the boys and tune in to their games, where they like to make runs, where they are going to want him to run to and so on.

“He will give the manager plenty of options in the striking positions. He can play straight through the middle as a partner for shoulder to shoulder.

“Or you can withdraw him slightly from Fernando and play him in the hole between the strikers and midfield.

“He will be effective in either role. You only have to look at how he fitted and moulded his game around Dimitar Berbatov at Tottenham to see the potential that he and Torres have as a pairing.

“Berbatov scored a lot of goals from direct final passes from Keane, or from his movement and ability to create space.

“And when Keane gets into position himself in front of goal, he can finish as well as anyone.

“Torres is maybe just a step above Berbatov because he is a lot younger so you have to be licking your lips at the prospect of them being unleashed on the Premier League.”

Liverpool chief executive Parry Says Aston Villa's Barry Price 'Too High'

Liverpool's quest to sign Gareth Barry has taken another twist after the club's chief executive Rick Parry admitted that "the price quoted is too high". Parry's comments appear to contradict those made by manager Rafael Benítez after the Spaniard claimed that money was not the issue.

The Aston Villa midfielder was identified as a summer transfer target by Benítez but the two sides have so far been unable to agree a fee. Last month the Midlands club announced that the deal was off after Liverpool missed a deadline to submit an acceptable offer. However, just days later Martin O'Neill was forced to concede that Barry could still leave Villa Park before the transfer deadline at the end of August.

In an official statement on the club's website, Parry insisted that Benítez has the backing of owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks "There has been a lot of comment regarding our position with regards to Gareth Barry," he said. "This is not about questioning the manager's judgment or the ability of a particular player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.

"It is obviously the selling club's prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high."

Trio Handed First-Team Squad Numbers

Three of Rafa Benitez's young pretenders have been given first-team squad numbers for 2008-09.

Damien Plessis, Krisztian Nemeth and Martin Kelly have all been allocated numbers for the first time.

Central midfielder Plessis, who borrowed the number 47 for his debut at the Emirates last term, will wear 28 on a permanent basis.

Nemeth, who top-scored for Gary Ablett's title-winning reserves in 2007-08, has been handed the number 29.

Defender Kelly will have 34 on his back should he make his first-team debut in the forthcoming campaign.

Meanwhile, three youngsters have swapped shirts: Emiliano Insua has moved from 48 to 22; Jay Spearing from 34 to 26; and Nabil El Zhar from 42 to 31.

Rafa Hails Youngsters After Lazio Win

Rafael Benitez hailed the performance of Liverpool's young guns after they concluded their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 win over Lazio at Anfield.

The Reds boss admitted he was pleased with his side's overall display after Andriy Voronin stoppage time winner sealed a deserved victory against the Italians and Benitez felt the impact of the likes of Jay Spearing - who created the winning goal - was the main highlight of the night.

"I think it was a very good game against a good team," he said.

"You could see they were pretty sharp, comfortable on the ball and played well on the counter attack. We had two or three really good chances to score and win the game so overall it was very positive, particularly as we had a lot of young players in the side.

"The young players were good too. We know all about the senior players but they all played well. Nabil El Zhar, Jay Spearing, Damien Plessis, and Nemeth - they were all good."

Benitez also had words of praise for Xabi Alonso, who enjoyed a superb display at the heart of the Reds' midfield.

"He was playing well," he said.

"That was positive for us. He is a good player and hopefully we will have another good player coming in soon. We can improve so we will try to improve."

With a Champions League qualifier away to Standard Liege and a Premier League encounter with Sunderland just around the corner, Benitez is now focused on putting the final touches to his squad and admitted a left-sided player was still a priority.

"Clearly we have problems on the left," he said. "We have sold Riise and Kewell and Fabio Aurelio is injured. Leto doesn't have a work permit and Babel is at the Olympic Games, so I think we can improve in this area."

Utrecht Strike Brouwer Deal

Utrecht have struck a deal with Liverpool to take promising striker Jordy Brouwer on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old is yet to break through into the Reds' first team after joining from Ajax's academy in January 2007.

Brouwer is a regular in Liverpool's reserve side, although he is now set to garner experience in the Eredivisie.

Utrecht are reportedly keen to have the option of buying Brouwer permanently in the deal, but the Reds are against selling.

Brouwer could well have the option of a second destination with ADO Den Haag also enquiring about his availability.

In what could turn into a double deal for Utrecht, the club have also agreed a deal with Real Sociedad for Morten Skoubo.

"He wants to come here," said technical director Piet Buter. "He is looking forward to playing for an attack-minded team."

New Liverpool Power Struggle Could Split The Club

With the Gareth Barry deal hanging in the balance, Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, must have known when he sat down on Thursday afternoon and expressed hope in an interview with this newspaper that the new season would be free of the turbulence that blighted the previous campaign, he was asking for the impossible.

As it turns out, the season has yet to begin and already Benítez appears to be on another collision course with Liverpool's controversial American co-owners, the outcome of which is probably too difficult to predict at this early stage.

Ignoring for a moment the ins and outs of the Barry saga and where the responsibility lies for the collapse of the summer's most protracted and farcical transfer, it is first worth asking how Benítez will respond to being undermined for a second time by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

Benítez had to grin and bear it the first time after it had emerged that Hicks and Gillett had met Jürgen Klinsmann not once but twice with a view to the former Germany coach, now in charge at Bayern Munich, taking over the reins at Anfield. Whether he is prepared to stomach the ignominy of being embarrassed so publicly yet again, however, is an altogether different question.

Benítez may have handled the prospective Barry transfer poorly and, in doing so, irked the owners, but that Hicks and Gillett let it drag on for so long, only to pull the plug at the eleventh hour after questioning the manager's judgment opens up a whole new can of worms.

The Spaniard has insisted that he wants to see through what he started at Anfield in 2004, but whether the manager now views his position to be untenable after being defied in public once again remains to be seen.

The Barry deal could certainly have been handled better on Benítez's part. The Americans were initially led to believe that the Aston Villa midfield player would cost considerably less than £18million, hence Liverpool's opening offer of £10 million, and that a deal was all but in place to sell Xabi Alonso to Juventus for £16million. But, when a formal offer for Alonso from Juventus - or from any other club for that matter - failed to materialise and the cost of signing Barry soared, Hicks and Gillett began to ask questions.

In addition to concerns about Barry's price and resale value, the owners believed that, with Alonso still on the books and a host of other central midfield players to pick from in Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Damien Plessis, Benítez had more than enough cover in that department.

Contrary to widespread belief, Hicks and Gillett are understood to have had the money to sign Barry, but the fact that they even rejected a £12million interest-free loan from a wealthy Liverpool supporter underlines just how opposed they were to paying through the nose for a 27-year-old. Having already spent a projected £20.3million this summer on a 28-year-old in Robbie Keane, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, they felt that a comparable outlay on a player of a similar age made no sense.

In some respects, it is a fair point, but even accounting for the way in which they feel they have been misled, the Americans could have informed their manager much earlier than they did that there was little appetite for the deal at that price and while Alonso was still at the club. By failing to do so, though, they have dealt a potentially fatal blow to Benítez's pride.

Furthermore, where all this leaves Barry has almost been forgotten. Having made no secret of his desire to join Liverpool, the England midfield player has incurred the wrath of both sets of supporters and Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, and, unless Arsenal come to his rescue, he will have a lot of bridges to rebuild. Whether Benítez and Liverpool's owners can do the same, however, is unclear.

Liverpool Edge Lazio As Keane & Dossena Make Anfield Debuts

Andriy Voronin scored at the death to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over SS Lazio at Anfield in their last pre-season friendly.

The kick-off of Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Lazio tonight was delayed until 20:15 because of ticketing problems.

New signings Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena were making their Anfield debuts against Lazio, with Pepe Reina and Damien Plessis returning to the starting XI in place of Diego Cavalieri and injured captain Steven Gerrard.

But Andriy Voronin, only just on as a late substitute, kept his composure to fire a shot that dipped over keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo to give Liverpool a victory they deserved.

The win puts leaves them in good shape ahead of next week's Champions League and Barclays Premier League games against Standard Liege and Sunderland, respectively.

After just nine minutes, Fernando Torres fired narrowly over from 25 yards.

Italian full-back Andrea Dossena impressed on the left, particularly when charging forward, while fellow Anfield debutant shot wide after a good link-up with Dirk Kuyt.

At the other end, Stefan Mauri glanced a free header wide, before Yossi Benayoun gave Dirk Kuyt a chance just before the break but the Dutchman failed to make contact with the empty net yawning.

In the second-half Kuyt was foiled by Carrizo after good play from Benayoun and Alvaro Arbeloa, then Keane fired narrowly wide after another fine one-two with Kuyt.

On the counter, Stephen Ayodele Makinwa headed just over for Lazio, while Xabi Alonso saw a 25-yard free-kick deflected just wide and Daniel Agger forced Carrizo save well from the resulting corner.

Lazio substitutes Pasquale Foggia and Mauro Zarate both brought saves from Reina, but Voronin settled things in stoppage time.

Teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Carragher (captain), Agger, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Plessis, Kuyt, Torres, Keane. Subs - Hyypia, Ngog, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Voronin, Darby, Pennant, Insua, Finnan, Spearing, Nemeth.

Lazio: Sorin, Radu, Siviglia (captain), Rozenhal, Lichsteiner, Matuzalem, Dabo, Mauri, Ledesma, Pandev, Makinwa. Subs - Zarate, Diakite, Tuia, Mendicino, Cinelli, Faraoni, Manfredini, Meghni, Foggia, Muslera.

Rafael Benitez On Warpath As Gareth Barry Deal Falls Through

Rafael BenÍtez’s relationship with Liverpool’s owners reached crisis point last night when it emerged that not only had Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr vetoed the manager’s bid to buy Gareth Barry but that the American duo had turned down an offer of a £12 million interest-free loan to help to buy the Aston Villa midfield player.

The loan - which The Times understands was proposed by a millionaire Liverpool fan concerned about the ramifications for the club if the deal fell through - was offered this week and rejected by the owners. The £12 million would have financed the initial installments demanded by Villa.

Hicks and Gillett agreed to provide the £18 million to buy Barry a week ago after Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, conceded defeat in his battle to keep his captain. However, the owners have made a U-turn and told BenÍtez on Thursday that Barry is too expensive and, at 27, lacks resale value. The club last month paid Tottenham Hotspur £20.3 million for Robbie Keane, who is 28.

The owners had failed to express their reservations about Barry during the protracted transfer saga and their misgivings this week drew suspicions that they could not find the cash to pay for him.

Hicks and Gillett have strenuously denied rumours that they are in financial trouble. Sources close to the owners suggested last night that they had refused the loan because they had enough money to seal the deal themselves.

Either way, the news that money was available will infuriate BenÍtez, because it appears that Hicks and Gillett are questioning his judgment. The Americans have also raised questions about the number of central midfield players in the squad and suggested that BenÍtez has enough talent to work with in that area.

Spokesmen for both Gillett and Hicks refused to comment last night.

Benitez: I'm A Victim Of My Own Success

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says he is a victim of his Champions League success in 2005.

According to the Spaniard, the unexpected 'Miracle of Istanbul', coupled with a penalty shoot-out defeat of West Ham in the FA Cup final the following year, raised expectations to an unattainable level.

Looking back on that defeat of AC Milan, Benitez told The Times: "In some ways made things more difficult because the expectations became so high. Then we won the European Super Cup and FA Cup the following season and so suddenly everyone was saying, 'OK, the next step will be the Premier League title.'

"But then, when you don't win it, people say, 'Oh, you can't go to that next step,' when, maybe, we were operating at the next level up, but because the other teams around us were progressing as well, it didn't seem that way.

"In some respects, we were maybe our own worst enemies, but, of course, I'd prefer to have that problem, to be talking as a Champions League winner. People are talking now about us not having won the league for 18 years, but it was 21 years since this club had last won the European Cup."

Winning the league title has become Liverpool's Holy Grail and Benitez suggested that the time-honoured expectation that this 'will be Liverpool's year' was precisely one of the reasons why the club has failed to mount a sustained bid under his management.

"The key is not to say that we can win the title because it's clear that it's the most difficult league in the world to win. Look at the final of the Champions League last season, it was between Chelsea and United, who are at the top of the table in England," he explained.

"It's clear that we are going in the right direction and progressing. We have got good young players coming through who will be important, while those with experience are settling down now so it could be a very good season for us.

"Everybody can see that the team and squad is improving every year and that now we are much better, but will that be enough to win the title? That's the big question because it depends on the other teams as well."

Delio Rossi Relishing Liverpool Test

Lazio coach Delio Rossi is preparing his squad for their friendly against Liverpool, but he insists that the Biancocelesti cannot use these types of matches to gauge if the team is ready to return to European competition.

Lazio and Liverpool will face off at Anfield today in what many expect will be a physical match-up. Lazio coach Delio Rossi feels the same way and expects that his side will face a difficult test against the Reds. He is particularly concerned about the advanced preparation of their opponents, who began their season two weeks earlier, as well as the fiery atmosphere their passionate fans will generate.

Rossi voiced his concerns to SkySports but at the same time, he is interested to see how his players will react to an environment almost completely different from what they are used to in Italy.

"I want to go there tomorrow to see the character of my players and see who has the kind of spirit to play in this stadium," explained the coach, who risked being sacked this summer due to Lazio's 12th place finish last season, which meant that the team missed out on even the UEFA Cup this season, after competing in the group stages of the Champions League last year.

Lazio have arranged a majority of their pre-season games against high profile international club sides during the off-season including Slavia Prague, Liverpool and PAOK and while these matches will provide good experience for Lazio to get back into Europe in the future, Rossi is sceptical.

"The problem is that friendlies cannot return you on the path to Europe. I think we must go back to what we have done in the past three years, qualifying for Europe through the front door, not through friendlies," he stated.

Lazio's pedigree has fallen in recent times due to their poor results last season in both Serie A and Europe but they are hoping for a fresh start and to have a campaign similar to the 2006/2007 term when they qualified for the Champions League.

Premier League Preview

Everyone has one: a mate who spends ages in front of the mirror before heading out on Friday evening, dousing himself in deodorant and preening like a wannabe Casanova despite the fact that it's obvious to all that he's not going to pull. He'll return home later that night, alone as always, and, ahem, get a grip of himself. His whole sorry routine is an unwitting tribute to Liverpool in the Premier League.

But this time it will be different! It really will!

Well, it might be.

Certainly Liverpool seem intent on playing more attractively than at any other time under Rafa Benítez. Anyone who doesn't expect Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane to strike up a joyously fruitful partnership is a begrudger or a fool. They are both highly intelligent and hard-working performers whose different skills should prove perfectly complementary.

Of course, if they are to sustain a challenge for the title beyond Christmas, Liverpool will have to develop the offensive diversity and unpredictability to turn last season's costly draws against smaller teams into victories. It would have been useful to keep Peter Crouch as an extra option, but the club's finances forbade that and instead the cameo role of lanky frontman who's not very good in the air will have to be entrusted to David Ngog, who does have abundant potential (and speed), even if PSG primarily used him last season as a substitute or a right-midfielder. Liverpool, then, will still find themselves resorting to the sort of improvisation that is beneath Chelsea and Manchester United.

But are they really forced to? Could Benítez really not make better use of the money available to him? The case of Gareth Barry suggests he could. Liverpool's pursuit of the wannabe former Villan is puzzling. Presumably the manager doesn't intend to buy him just so he can boast to United and Chelsea that he can afford £18m squad players (when he clearly can't); similarly it seems improbable that he envisages using him as a left-back (that'll be Andrea Dossena's role, surely). Which means Barry will be deployed in midfield alongside Javier Mascherano, with Steven Gerrard edging closer to the right in a 4-2-3-1. The thing is, that will aggravate Liverpool's biggest problem: they will have even less width.

Granted, the gifted Ryan Babel can be expected to progress even farther this season (once he returns from the Olympics) and carry a growing threat from the left – even though he seems more suited to a central role – but the right will be rendered even more inadequate. Jermaine Pennant and, in particular, Dirk Kuyt have hitherto offered a partially effective sort of nuisance value but, obviously, not enough to win the Premier League; neither is likely to start regularly if Barry comes (indeed, Pennant may be about be sold) but putting Keane there would be to restrict his interaction with Torres. Gerrard can be very effective out there but lacks the discipline or inclination to actually stay there.

The full-backs won't compensate. Alvaro Arbeloa is a tidy defender but he's no raider in the style of Bacary Sagna, Jose Bosingwa or even Wes Brown; Philippe Degen, as you might expect from a freebie, is not up to their class either, though he would offer more going forward than Arbeloa does, albeit at the cost of slack defending. On the left, Dossena is an improvement on John-Arne Riise but, again, inferior to Patrice Evra, Gaël Clichy and Ashley Cole.

In short, Barry's arrival, while introducing greater thrust and variety through the middle, would spell even more limitations out wide. It's not easy trying to overtake United and Chelsea when you have to sell to buy, but if Liverpool do manage to flog Xabi Alonso for the inflated fee they seek, or if the owners manage to piece together £18m despite the credit crunch and uncertainty over the club's new stadium, wouldn't Benítez be better off buying at least one top class wide man, particularly for the right? Instead of bringing in Barry, who, accomplished though he is, isn't really that much of an upgrade on Alonso anyway.

Defensively, at least, Liverpool will again be sound. As hinted above, suggestions that Barry's arrival would mean a switch to 3-5-2 are probably misguided, though that would at least have the merit of showcasing the club's three solid centre-backs. More likely, Benítez will deploy a back four safe in the knowledge that he can't go far wrong regardless of which two he picks from Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. Behind them, of course, is Pepe Reina, a quality keeper who has the concentration level required for the least busy custodian in the division: last season Liverpool restricted opponents to just 90 shots on target in the entire league campaign, the meanest rate in the country. They also allowed less crosses than any other team (go on, guess how many – and go out and get some fresh air if you knew it was 653). But this season must be all about attack for Liverpool.

If taking a respectable tilt at the title means squashing all the small fry, then actually winning it entails doing something else Liverpool failed to do last season (albeit because of obscene refereeing when Chelsea came to Anfield): namely, beat at least one of the big boys in the league.

They'll have a prime early opportunity to do just that in Game 4, when Manchester United will travel to Anfield without Cristiano Ronaldo (and possibly also Wayne Rooney). Victory for the visitors, even another fluky one, would intensify suspicions that this is going to be another fruitless domestic season for Liverpool.

IN: Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund - free), Andrea Dossena (Udinese - undisclosed), Vincent Lucas Weijl (AZ Alkmaar - undisclosed) Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras - undisclosed), David Ngog (PSG - £1.4m), Robbie Keane (Tottenham – up to £20.3m)

OUT: Peter Crouch (Portsmouth - £11m), Harry Kewell (Galatasary - free), John Arne Riise (Roma - £4m), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Mans - free), Scott Carson (West Brom - £3.25m)

Exclusive Rafa Benitez Interview: This Is Best Liverpool Squad Ever

It is almost a cliche, but as the season approaches the question must once again be asked of Liverpool: is this finally their year?

Kop boss Rafa Benitez greets the inquiry with a grin. It is the same question he has fielded every year in what is now his fifth at Anfield.

He replied: "A big year for me, no? Another 'big year'!".

Yet he answers with a more relaxed air than in previous seasons.

That is because after four years of wheeling and dealing, he has a squad he believes is ready to challenge for the Prem crown.

The title has eluded Liverpool for two decades, and during that time they have barely made a challenge to the elite of Manchester United, Arsenal and latterly Chelsea.

For all his talk in previous seasons, Benitez knew that he did not have the personnel to make a sustained challenge. Now he feels he does.

And yet he is at pains to stop well short of any predictions about winning the Premier League.

He said: "I am confident about my squad, and I am happy that we have the best squad since I arrived at Anfield. But the key is not to say we will win the title, because the Premier League is now the best - and most difficult - in Europe.

"The standard has gone up so much since I arrived here.

"Back then, there were good players in the league, but Spain, Italy and Germany all signed some of the best players in the world.

"Now, everybody wants to come here, and that quality is amazing.

"Just look at the Champions League. Three of the last four were from England, and Arsenal played really well in the competition too.

"So you have to get past the three best teams in Europe to win the Premier League.

"That will not be easy, but it makes for an incredible league. We have improved and progressed every year since I arrived, but look at the history of the league.

"We got 82 points which was a record for Liverpool, and that has allowed us only to finish third. The standard has risen massively, and we have had to work to keep up."

Benitez was faced with a similar situation at Valencia, when he took on the financial might of Real Madrid and Barcelona and won, despite never matching them in the transfer market.

This challenge though, he argues, is even harder, because United, Chelsea and Arsenal are even better.

He said: "They are the best in Europe. They can spend £20million on players just for the bench. But my belief is unshakeable that we can compete with them.

"We are not the richest club, and we have had a lot of work to do, but I have kept my desire and my confidence that it is possible to win."

Despite European success, the Spanish coach is loathe raising expectations, but has lost none of his drive for the title.

Every season he has crept closer to the sort of squad he wants in a masterplan that has taken five years. But despite his caution, Rafa is happy and quietly confident.

"When I arrived maybe I didn't realise exactly how big a job it would be, but once inside you learn little by little the things about your club that nobody knows.

"It has been slower than we like because the others are so strong, but last season was the best squad we have had, and this year could be better.

"It has not been ideal, because we have had to bring in maybe seven or eight players a year, and that can't help you win things.

"The squad we had at the start did not have a very high value, and this squad is the equal in value of the other top teams. We have been spending big, but selling big, and the net is less than the other big clubs.

"They were spending to add to very strong squads already, where we have created a totally new squad.

"There are only three or four players now from when we arrived, but they are very, very good players, and we have a very, very good squad. Maybe our European success hasn't helped us, because it made people believe we were ready to challenge for the league when we were not.

"Now though, we are in the position we always wanted to be. You can say it's the starting point in a way, but we have the benefit of learning from the mistakes of recent seasons, and we are at another level now."

Benitez also wants to repay the faith of the supporters who stuck with him through his darkest hour last season, when it looked like he would be forced out of Anfield.

He said: "I always had confidence I would be here, because I went through a similar thing in Spain.

"The only thing you can do is work harder, and keep confidence in yourself.

"I had fantastic support from the staff, and I think we learned a lot from it.

"The fans were amazing too, and I feel a responsibility to them, because they give so much. It would be nice to give them something back."

YEAR ONE: THE NEW BOY
Benitez laughs about his side that won the Champions League in this season. Biscan, Baros, Nunez, Josemi, Smicer, Hamann and Morientes were also regulars, but Alonso arrived.

YEAR TWO: STOP GAP
Reina was key, along with Crouch, as a procession of players were bought and sold, heralding the brief Anfield careers of Kromkamp, Gonzalez, Paletta and Zenden.

YEAR THREE: GOING DUTCH
More recognizable as Benitez's team, Mascherano was the key signing, along with Agger, to give more quality to the team that reached the Champions League final.

YEAR FOUR: TORRE DE FORCE
The record signing of Torres transformed Liverpool and suggested they could go further, but Babel, Lucas and Skrtel were also key signings.

YEAR FIVE: MISSING LINK
Keane is already secured, and if Barry follows Liverpool will have a completely new look again. With Babel, Kuyt, Alonso, Degen in reserve, this may be Rafa's strongest squad yet.

Gareth Barry Transfer Hits New Snag As Liverpool Run Out Of Money

Gareth Barry's move to Liverpool is in fresh doubt as the club's owners have failed to put the money in place to complete the deal.

American tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks had confirmed they would underwrite the £18million transfer for the Aston Villa skipper, allowing manager Rafael Benitez to sign Barry by the end of this week without first selling players.

But the money has not arrived, prompting fresh speculation about their commitment to the club.

Benitez is still keen to do the deal because he wants Barry at Anfield in time for the start of the season, and will not give up hope of securing the money needed.

He is hoping Villa will agree a deal to take Steve Finnan in part-exchange for Barry, meaning he will need to raise around £6.5m from the sale of players.

Hamburg Not To Match Liverpool's Valuation Of Dirk Kuyt - Report

Bundesliga outfit Hamburg are reportedly unwilling to match £16m valuation of Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt.

With captain Steven Gerrard injured, the Reds, who have earlier failed in four separate bids for Aston Villa’s £18m-rated experienced centre-midfielder Gareth Barry, are looking keen to raise funds to make a successful move for the England international, but their effort to sell the Holland international, Kuyt has reportedly come to naught.

Hamburg boss Martin Jol is looking to fill in the void as Rafael van der Vaart joined Real Madrid, and according to the Telegraph, enquiries have been made about Kuyt, who has been preferred by Reds boss Rafa Benitez in wide roles.

Nevertheless, Benitez, who had earlier priced out Juventus in Xabi Alonso pursuit, has some more options up his sleeve as reports have suggested that any players including Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Pennant, could be sold to raise the funds.

Gareth Barry Unhappy At Delay Over Liverpool Switch

Gareth Barry would consider pulling the plug on his prospective move to Liverpool from Aston Villa if the transfer is not resolved come the start of the Barclays Premier League season in eight days' time.

Barry is eager to join Liverpool, but the England midfield player is becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of time the deal is taking, after Villa paved the way for the move last weekend, and he is not willing to wait much longer.

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, has been waiting patiently for Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. to produce the cash promised to him last week, but that has yet to materialise amid rumours that the club's American owners have run into more financial difficulties, claims that were strenuously denied yesterday.

If the Americans do not stump up the money, Benítez's hopes of landing Barry will be dependent on him offloading Jermaine Pennant, the winger, and Andriy Voronin, the striker, given that he already has about £10 million in the coffers. However, Liverpool have yet to receive an offer for either player.

Benítez is insistent that Yossi Benayoun, the midfield player, and Dirk Kuyt, the striker, will not be sold.

Boro Eye Finnan As Young Joins Villa

Aston Villa have signed England right-back Luke Young from Middlesbrough, who reportedly want Liverpool's Steve Finnan as his replacement.

Young, 29, completed a medical on Thursday evening before becoming the second new full-back to arrive at Villa Park following the capture of Nicky Shorey from Reading earlier in the day.

"I'm really pleased to be here at Villa. It's happened quite quickly. One minute I was training up at Boro and the next I'm down here for a medical," he told Villa's official website.

"Obviously I'm glad to be here now, but it could have been a year earlier. There was interest last summer, but it didn't quite happen for whatever reason. I'm just glad to find myself here now.

"I think this is a great opportunity for me to try and win something. I think at the minute Villa are a notch above Boro, and there's a great opportunity for me to play European football as well."

Boro boss Gareth Southgate reportedly sees Finnan as the ideal replacement for Young, and Rafael Benitez is likely to be open to a transfer as he has Philipp Degen and Alvaro Arbeloa fighting for the right-back spot at Anfield.

Young has seven England caps but has not featured for the national team since a friendly against Argentina in November 2005.

He could make his first competitive appearance for the Villans in next week's UEFA Cup qualifier against FH Hafnarfjordur, and Young admits the promise of European football was a major element in his decision to leave the Riverside Stadium.

"The chance of European football was definitely an important factor in my decision. You always want to test yourself at the highest level," he added.

"I had a brief stint playing European football at Tottenham. But that was almost 10 years ago, and it will be great to get another chance this season.

"It's definitely a case that Villa's ambitions match my own. I've worked hard over the last 10 years to perhaps get this chance to show what I can do on a little bit of a higher stage."

Young spent just a season at Boro after his cut-price £2.5million move from Charlton, following the Addicks' relegation.

He will finally provide Villa with a first-choice right-back after the departure of last year's incumbent Olof Mellberg, who has since left the club for Juventus.

O'Neill added: "The right-back position caused a few problems for us last season, in terms of us not having a natural right-back.

"Luke is a natural right-back and played for England not so long ago. He did very well for Boro last season, and this is a great opportunity for him."

Young is Villa's fifth summer signing after Shorey, Steve Sidwell and goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan.

Kuyt and Benayoun stay - Benitez

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insists that Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun will not leave the club this summer.

Dutch forward Kuyt, 28, is a target for German club Hamburg while Benitez admits Roma are interested in midfielder Benayoun, also 28.

But Benitez, after meeting with both players on Thursday, said: "Neither of them will be leaving.

"I have no more news about Yossi - he will be staying. [And] I am really pleased with Kuyt. He will be staying."

It had been suggested that the Anfield boss would let both go in order to finance a deal for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.

Liverpool have had a number of bids rejected for the England international, the latest of which was believed to be just short of Villa's £18m valuation.

But Benitez has made it clear he still considers Kuyt and Benayoun part of his plans.

"I have talked to Yossi and told him I want to keep him. He is a player with quality and has shown that during pre-season," he said.

"I also talked with Dirk Kuyt this morning. I am really pleased with him."

Liverpool signed Dutch international Kuyt from Feyenoord in August 2006 in a £10m deal while Israel's national captain Benayoun joined from West Ham in July 2007 for £5m.

At present Benitez seems no nearer to concluding a deal to bring Barry to Anfield, though Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill gave the green light to the deal - if the terms are right for Villa - at the weekend.

Fenerbahce Release Statement On Liverpool's Alonso

Turkish club Fenerbahce have issued a statement on reports linking Spanish International Xabi Alonso with a move to the Sari Kanaryalar from Liverpool.

26-year-old Alonso had been linked with a move to Juventus all summer, but La Vecchia Signora’s valuation of the EURO 2008 winner did not meet that of the Merseyside club. With Juve opting to sign Christian Poulsen from La Liga side Sevilla instead.

Alonso was then linked with a move to Fenerbahce, who are now coached by former Spain boss Luis Aragones, but the Turkish club have now moved to dismiss the reports as press speculation.

The statement said: “For a while now, there are reports in the press saying our club is after Xabi Alonso and that even a deal has been reached upon his transfer.

“Today, a lot of newspapers published news that we were negotiating with Liverpool and that we had a tactical strategy of bargaining. “

“These reports are not true. Our club has no intention on transferring Xabi Alonso.”

This would seem to end any link with Alonso, with Anfield boss Rafa Benitez deciding on if he will keep Alonso at the Reds in light of the recent injury to captain Steven Gerrard.