by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
JUVENTUS are considering a £15million bid to prise Xabi Alonso away from Liverpool – as Rafael Benitez slapped a similar price tag on Peter Crouch.
The Anfield manager, who has urged the club’s board to “work quickly” in the transfer market, anticipates a summer of change with a number of high-profile departures.
While Benitez has no immediate plans to include Alonso in that group, Liverpool’s interest in Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry has cast doubt over the midfielder’s long-term future.
And Juventus, having already taken Momo Sissoko from Anfield this season, are preparing to test Liverpool’s resolve by launching an official bid for the Spain international.
Barcelona are also contemplating a move for Alonso, with new coach Josep Guardiola – who will replace the departing Frank Rijkaard in the summer – a boyhood idol of the 26-year-old.
Benitez, though, said yesterday: “Xabi is our player, he has a contract. Barry can play in three different positions, so I don’t think we need to worry about this.”
The Liverpool manager also responded to criticism from Martin O’Neill over the offer for Barry, claiming to have been in talks with his Villa counterpart for almost three weeks.
“I was surprised with part of his comments,” said Benitez. “I had a private conversation with him, he knew my idea and needed to talk with his owners. In the end, we needed to make an official movement. I don’t have any problem waiting, we must respect his decision, and then talk again with him. I was talking with him 20 days ago more or less, and he knew everything. He knew my idea and I knew his idea.”
Definitely leaving Anfield in the summer is Harry Kewell, while Crouch and John Arne Riise, who both have a year remaining on their current contracts, have been told they can speak with other clubs.
Crouch’s decision to not yet take up the offer of a new deal at Anfield has already prompted interest from potential suitors, with Portsmouth ready to offer £8m. But Benitez believes Crouch is worth almost twice that figure and claims to have no problem keeping the England international at Anfield next season – despite the striker able to leave for nothing in 12 months’ time.
“Peter is a different player now to the one we bought from Southampton,” said Benitez. “He is a big name, an international player and everybody talks really well about him.
“Peter said in December that he wanted to talk about a new contract, but then his representatives said they wanted to wait, so now we will see the situation.
“If we receive a very good offer, and by that I mean £15m, we will consider it. I’m reading about £8m, but if we only receive that then I’d rather keep the player. And don’t forget he is an English player, which is really important when you consider the market.
“Peter is a player with an agent who will be working to do the best for him, and we will be working to do the best for us.
“If that means I need to keep the player, I will keep the player. We’ve offered him a new contract, we like the player and we want him to stay. But we cannot offer him a guarantee he will start every game every week. We need to resolve this situation, and that won’t be with an £8m offer.”
Benitez also underlined the situation regarding Kewell and Riise, with the latter being tracked by a clutch of clubs including Newcastle United and Villa.
“Riise has one year left on his contract and we know there are some clubs interested in him, and we will wait until the end of the season and try and do the best for him and the best for us,” said Benitez.
“I was talking with Harry’s agent, we didn’t have any agreement and we decided to release him at the end of the season.
“Everyone knows Harry is a very good player. The question is whether we could do something with him, and in the end we couldn’t so we had to forget about it and think about the future.”
As he presses ahead with his transfer plans, Benitez has been reassured by an improvement in communication with the club’s owners.
But having been frustrated in the past by perceived hesitancy in the market, the Spaniard is eager to wrap up the majority of his summer dealings as soon as possible.
“I’ve been in contact with the owners and Rick Parry, so they know our idea and the things that we want to do” said Benitez. “Now we must wait to see if they approve or not. The situation now is much better than before, because I can talk with them. I want transfer business to be done as quickly as possible. If you sign a player at the end of July you do not have much time, it is better to sign players as quickly as possible.
“But the plan is not just to buy. It’s also to sell. But because we don’t have any concrete offer on the table for any player, we will just have to wait a little bit.”
JUVENTUS are considering a £15million bid to prise Xabi Alonso away from Liverpool – as Rafael Benitez slapped a similar price tag on Peter Crouch.
The Anfield manager, who has urged the club’s board to “work quickly” in the transfer market, anticipates a summer of change with a number of high-profile departures.
While Benitez has no immediate plans to include Alonso in that group, Liverpool’s interest in Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry has cast doubt over the midfielder’s long-term future.
And Juventus, having already taken Momo Sissoko from Anfield this season, are preparing to test Liverpool’s resolve by launching an official bid for the Spain international.
Barcelona are also contemplating a move for Alonso, with new coach Josep Guardiola – who will replace the departing Frank Rijkaard in the summer – a boyhood idol of the 26-year-old.
Benitez, though, said yesterday: “Xabi is our player, he has a contract. Barry can play in three different positions, so I don’t think we need to worry about this.”
The Liverpool manager also responded to criticism from Martin O’Neill over the offer for Barry, claiming to have been in talks with his Villa counterpart for almost three weeks.
“I was surprised with part of his comments,” said Benitez. “I had a private conversation with him, he knew my idea and needed to talk with his owners. In the end, we needed to make an official movement. I don’t have any problem waiting, we must respect his decision, and then talk again with him. I was talking with him 20 days ago more or less, and he knew everything. He knew my idea and I knew his idea.”
Definitely leaving Anfield in the summer is Harry Kewell, while Crouch and John Arne Riise, who both have a year remaining on their current contracts, have been told they can speak with other clubs.
Crouch’s decision to not yet take up the offer of a new deal at Anfield has already prompted interest from potential suitors, with Portsmouth ready to offer £8m. But Benitez believes Crouch is worth almost twice that figure and claims to have no problem keeping the England international at Anfield next season – despite the striker able to leave for nothing in 12 months’ time.
“Peter is a different player now to the one we bought from Southampton,” said Benitez. “He is a big name, an international player and everybody talks really well about him.
“Peter said in December that he wanted to talk about a new contract, but then his representatives said they wanted to wait, so now we will see the situation.
“If we receive a very good offer, and by that I mean £15m, we will consider it. I’m reading about £8m, but if we only receive that then I’d rather keep the player. And don’t forget he is an English player, which is really important when you consider the market.
“Peter is a player with an agent who will be working to do the best for him, and we will be working to do the best for us.
“If that means I need to keep the player, I will keep the player. We’ve offered him a new contract, we like the player and we want him to stay. But we cannot offer him a guarantee he will start every game every week. We need to resolve this situation, and that won’t be with an £8m offer.”
Benitez also underlined the situation regarding Kewell and Riise, with the latter being tracked by a clutch of clubs including Newcastle United and Villa.
“Riise has one year left on his contract and we know there are some clubs interested in him, and we will wait until the end of the season and try and do the best for him and the best for us,” said Benitez.
“I was talking with Harry’s agent, we didn’t have any agreement and we decided to release him at the end of the season.
“Everyone knows Harry is a very good player. The question is whether we could do something with him, and in the end we couldn’t so we had to forget about it and think about the future.”
As he presses ahead with his transfer plans, Benitez has been reassured by an improvement in communication with the club’s owners.
But having been frustrated in the past by perceived hesitancy in the market, the Spaniard is eager to wrap up the majority of his summer dealings as soon as possible.
“I’ve been in contact with the owners and Rick Parry, so they know our idea and the things that we want to do” said Benitez. “Now we must wait to see if they approve or not. The situation now is much better than before, because I can talk with them. I want transfer business to be done as quickly as possible. If you sign a player at the end of July you do not have much time, it is better to sign players as quickly as possible.
“But the plan is not just to buy. It’s also to sell. But because we don’t have any concrete offer on the table for any player, we will just have to wait a little bit.”
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