GWistooshort

From the Daily Mail today.......... Luisao will shore up City's shaky defence By JOHN EDWARDS 19 May 2009 Brazil defender Luisao, 28, looks like being the next big-name arrival at Manchester City, following a recommendation from Robinho. Benfica’s centre back hopes to complete a £15million move this summer. ‘Robinho is a good friend, and the prospect of playing alongside him at club level, as well as for Brazil, is very appealing,’ he said. Robinho said: ‘He is a great player and a good professional, and I know he will strengthen our team.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...ky-defence.html

Some snippets from today's papers regarding us or players who have been linked with us previously............ The Daily Mail reckons Liverpool are "favourites" to sign Stewart Downing, "valued at around £10m", if Middlesborough are relegated, although it says Spurs & Villa are also interested. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...sale-looms.html Sky Sports say reports from North Africa claim Liverpool, Man City, Blackburn & Sunderland are keen on signing striker Amr Zaki, whose loan move to Wigan will not be made permanent. Zaki says he will make a decision on his future in 6 weeks. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_5334762,00.html According to the BBC Gossip Column the Daily Star claims Xabi Alonso could be on his way to Real Madrid for £21m if Florentino Perez returns as club president. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/g...ers/8056873.stm Carlo Ancelotti "is set to be confirmed as Chelsea manager" according to the Daily Mail & he could make an approach for Carlos Tevez. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...s-new-boss.html The Daily Mirror says Man City want to sign Diego Forlan & could make an official offer for him shortly, although they will need to pay "around £20m". http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21370532/ The Daily Mail claims Wigan have agreed a £21.5m deal for Antonio Valencia with Real Madrid, made up of an £18m downpayment & a further £3.5m in add-ons. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...r-Valencia.html The Daily Mirror say Spurs are targeting Lazio striker Goran Pandev, according to the BBC Gossip Column. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/g...ers/8056873.stm

From Sky Sports................... Gourcuff in English clubs link Liverpool and Man City said to be interested in rising star By Patrick Haond Last updated: 18th May 2009 Reports in France suggest interest from Premier League clubs is mounting in gifted forward Yoann Gourcuff. AC Milan attacker Gourcuff is currently on loan at Bordeaux and he has shone in Ligue 1 this season, leading to rumours of interest in his services. Bordeaux are thought to be keen to extend his stay at Stade Chaban-Delmas but it is suggested Gourcuff's wage demands could prove a sticking point. It is now claimed that Liverpool and Manchester City have been monitoring the 22-year-old's situation, although neither club have commented on the speculation. Scouts from the Reds and City are said to have attended Bordeaux's 3-2 victory over Le Mans on Saturday as Gourcuff netted his side's second goal. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11800_5333411,00.html

Confirmed by Swansea............. "We have had a six-figure sum with Liverpool accepted,'' chairman Huw Jenkins told the club's official website. "But I must stress that Paul is one of a number of options we are pursuing. "Roberto has highlighted a number of players he is interested in and we have been pursuing them while he has been away scouting various players in various countries. "The offer has been accepted by Liverpool, but it is still subject to us agreeing personal terms and Roberto sitting down with the player for further talks. "Whoever we sign, we want players who want to play for Roberto and Swansea City. That attitude is vital - however good they are." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_5333934,00.html

From the Rumour Mill in the Liverpool Daily Post today.............. Kaladze link to Reds renewed AC Milan defender Kaka Kaladze has been linked with a move to Liverpool by an Italian football website. The Georgian defender has been out of favour in Milan this season and is believed to be available for around £6-8million, with Portsmouth and Bayer Leverkusen also interested. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverp...534-23652165/3/

Mourinho has said that "Inter are not too far from getting Milito from Genoa", who we have been linked with in the past. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_5332021,00.html

Luisao Man City are reportedly interested in him He's 28

Further comment from Carra............... "It was something in nothing. It happened in the heat of the moment. We have kissed and made up. It's just one of those things that goes on from time to time. It's forgotten." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...z-alex-ferguson

Sunday Mirror 17/05/2009 Liverpool will miss out on signing Carlos Tevez because they don't have the cash By Simon Mullock Liverpool have missed out on the chance to beat arch rivals Manchester United to the signature of Carlos Tevez - because they can't raise the cash. Kop boss Rafa Benitez made a tentative enquiry about the availability of the Argentine - who is a close friend of Anfield midfielder Javier Mascherano - when it became clear that United are unwilling to pay the £28million it will cost to make Tevez's two-year loan deal at Old Trafford permanent. But Benitez has been told by Liverpool's American owners that his transfer budget this summer has been set at £20m. The Spaniard will look to raise more funds with the sales of Xabi Alonso, Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin and Andrea Dossena. But he has already earmarked £10m to bring in long-term target Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. And Liverpool's need for further reinforcements means Benitez cannot afford to match the current asking price for Tevez. The Tevez camp know that there will be no shortage of takers for the striker at the current asking price, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Inter Milan all among the clubs who are monitoring the situation. Benitez has resigned himself to the fact that resources will be limited, but has been pacified by the fact that he now has full control of transfer negotiations at the club. He faces a similar problem with Valencia's David Silva, with the Spanish club's £20m valuation of the winger too rich for the Reds. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21366500/

A couple more snippets from the papers today............ Sunday Telegraph "Benitez is likely to add up to five players this summer, all of first- team quality, though he is likely to be priced out of a move for Carlos Tevez and reports of a clear-out of 11 players to fund his spree are thought to be wide of the mark." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ions-again.html Sunday Times (Oliver Kay) Tévez "will open formal contract negotiations with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as Real Madrid and the two Milan clubs, after the Champions League final against Barcelona next week". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6307775.ece

Another potential consideration when it comes to new signings in the summer............ The Observer Sunday 17 May Radical plan to cut squad sizes Jamie Jackson The number of footballers on the books of Premier League clubs will be drastically reduced if radical plans to overhaul squad sizes are approved. League rules could be dramatically redrawn early next month, with a new limit on the size of squads for a -season – perhaps as low as 25 players, but more likely around 30. If the new rule is agreed, clubs would have to stick with those players regardless of injuries and suspensions until, at least, the January transfer window. The news, welcomed by Uefa, comes following The Observer's recent report into the "Anfield 62", the number of players currently on the books at Liverpool. Arsenal have 59, Manchester United 51 and Chelsea 46. The new rule – which needs support from 14 of the 20 clubs to be passed – would mean the "big four" clubs picking from the same number of players as, say, Bolton, who have the -Premier League's smallest squad of 27. The average squad size is just over 40. The idea won immediate support from Bolton. Phil Gartside, the club's chairman, said he would be firmly behind the introduction of a squad-limit rule. "Yeah, we'd go for that," Gartside said of the plan, which has been proposed by the Premier League. "It's a good idea. And my manager thinks it's a good idea," he added, after discussing it directly with Gary Megson. Asked if there was a general feeling among some clubs that it would be a good change to the rules, Gartside said: "I've no idea, it's not been discussed." But he pledged to canvass support for the proposal from his fellow chairmen. The plan comes in tandem with the Premier League's promise to adopt, from the 2010-11 season, -quotas of "homegrown" players – those who have been brought through a club's youth system. Talks are ongoing on whether the quota should apply to a matchday squad or a first-team squad named for the whole season. David Taylor, chief executive of Uefa, the European governing body who have taken the lead in adopting limits on squad sizes for their own competitions, told Observer Sport that his organisation would back the plans. "I'm very pleased to hear that not only are -they -discussing these things, but the likelihood is they may well adopt one or two ideas. It would be beneficial for the -English game in general, so I'm very keen to see what happens." Uefa do not always enjoy smooth relations with the Premier League. The president, Michel Platini, has been a consistent critic of the level of debt accumulated by clubs. The Premier League confirmed that during their summer meeting in the first week of June a day will be spent discussing how best to implement the "home-grown" player quotas. Experts in the field have been invited to offer advice. Clubs might have to select as many as eight "home-grown" players – those who, under Uefa's definition, have trained with a club for three successive years between the ages of 15 and 21. Taylor said he would be happy to offer advice, though the Premier League have not invited any Uefa representation to next month's meeting. "They are big enough themselves to come to their own conclusions," said Taylor. "Richard Scudamore [the -Premier League's chief executive] is in touch from time to time, so we talk. It's up to them." A Premier League spokesperson said last night: "The 20 Premier League clubs will -discuss various home-grown player systems at their summer meeting and decisions will flow from that." If the clubs do adopt the squad limits the Premier League will, according to Taylor, become the first in Europe to do so. "I really do hope they do it, because I really think it's in the best interests of the game." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...imit-squad-size

Rafa's comments from his post-match interview........... "The disagreement between my two players was because we wanted another clean sheet, we wanted 21. "I don't like what I saw, but I am trying to see the positive side of things. "We were looking to hit targets, a record points tally for the club of 83 and we achieved that. We wanted 13 away league wins which is also a record. "And we wanted another clean sheet and runners-up position. You could see why Jamie Carragher was like he was with Alvaro Arbeloa. "For me that is a positive message about the mentality of the team. We wanted to show character and a desire to win and be second, and stay as close as we could to Manchester United. "Arbeloa was going forward and we had some problems in defence, so we wanted to protect Jose Reina better, he has 20 clean sheets and (Edwin) Van der Saar has 21. That was important." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...f-Sir-Alex.html

The Sunday People today reckons "Liverpool have dropped out of contention" to sign Tevez & Chelsea are now leading the race. "Liverpool had been looking into the possibility of snatching the striker away from arch-rivals United, but boss Rafa Benitez does not have the required funds. Benitez needs to sell before he can buy which will be too late to tempt Tevez to sign." http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_...-name_page.html

You can watch Jamie's post-match interview, where he gets asked about it, HERE

From the Sunday People........... 17 May 2009 Steven Gerrard: I've grown up and learned how to deal with my problems STEVEN GERRARD ON THE ANGUISH THAT MADE A NO-HOPER A COPER Steve Bates Steven Gerrard has opened his heart on a season of personal turmoil and glory - and confessed he couldn't have coped with his court case hell four years ago. Liverpool skipper Gerrard, named Football Writers' Footballer of the Year after an outstanding season pursuing Manchester United, has revealed vast reserves of mental strength in blocking out a probable July court appearance after an incident in a Southport bar. Many stars would have buckled under the pressure of having to perform at the highest level and maintain Liverpool's title dream. But Gerrard managed to sideline his personal anguish and deliver top class performances which helped keep the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's men until the end of the campaign. And now, in his first major interview, Gerrard reveals: * WHAT gave him the inner strength to survive his court case nightmare. * Why he will sign a new four-year deal in the coming weeks. * How he is consulted by Kop boss Rafa Benitez on transfer decisions. * Where he is happiest playing in the current Liverpool line-up. Speaking of his legal trauma, Gerrard said: "I've had to deal with a situation this season that's been difficult and if that had happened to me four or five years ago, it would have affected my form, I've no doubts about that. Professional "But with age, experience and maturity I have learned to park my problems or things on my mind until after a game. I have learned to deal with it in my own way and get on with life. "I am really pleased I'm at the age now where if there is a problem or something's not going right I can park it to one side and deal with it. "I have had to be professional and even more focussed and I have to thank my manager Rafa and my team-mates for helping me get through this season because it hasn't been easy. "And that's why I am really pleased with myself for the way I have dealt with it and how I haven't let it affect my football. "Four or five years ago I had a situation where my mum and dad split up and I wasn't enjoying training and it affected my form. "Certain other little things down the years have affected me too, and I am only human. "I've come into work and brought the problems with me - both to the training ground and on to the pitch. I've not been able to deal with it - but this time around, with age and maturity I've learned to cope." Gerrard's reward for a season which put Liverpool within touching distance of their first League title in 19 years will be a new four-year deal that he'll sign within days. The Liverpool captain said: "I am on the verge of signing it now, there are just a couple of minor details, so I am hoping I can sign it before I go off on my holidays. "This is a big contract for me and it's likely to be my final one. It takes me to 33 but I feel I'm in the prime of my footballing career at the moment. I feel confident and strong and I feel really good when I'm out on the pitch. The aim for me now is to stay fit for the next four years and try to play as many games as I can and win as many trophies as I can. I'm getting greedy when it comes to winning trophies because I know I have to win as many as I can before it's too late.'' Gerrard is always kept in the loop at Anfield on major team decisions - and he's excited at the prospect of Liverpool's summer transfer activity. He said: "The couple of signings the manager will make this summer are really key to us getting over that final hurdle, because we know that maybe with a couple of per cent more we could have won it this time. "This is the first time I've been involved in a title race that has lasted the distance and the buzz of running United really close has been so enjoyable that I want more of it. "I'll have certain regrets when the season ends but I don't normally like looking back, to be honest. This time I'm going to use the experience to drive me on and try to win the title over the next few years. We certainly have the ability, as we've shown this year. "It's a hard league to win and it's taught me that you do need the experience of being in title races to win them. I think because Chelsea and United both have that experience, maybe that's where we've come unstuck. "Sometimes you just have to go for it and take big risks to win the kind of games that we have drawn. But we've learned a lot and I think next year could be our year - I'm really confident about that." Gerrard's big aim is to stop United's trophy-winning juggernaut and he's confident now that Benitez has committed his future to Anfield that the pieces are falling into place. "Rafa signing has definitely had an impact, '' said Gerrard. "If you see our form and the way we have played since he signed the new deal, it has given everyone a big lift and that is what this club is all about - togetherness. "We don't like picking up the papers and reading about Liverpool involved in off-the-field stuff like contracts, owners and negotiations. Togetherness "I have been involved in that myself and it's not what we want here. We want togetherness, continuity - and that will bring out the best in the team.'' And will the Kop skipper continue in his second striker role next season? "I hope so because I've loved playing this role behind Fernando Torres this season,'' admitted Gerrard. "Credit must go to the manager because he's seen the strengths of my game and has utilised them to the benefit of the team. Fernando has also been key to that. "He stretches defenders, he's very direct and he runs in behind, which gives me a lot of space behind him. And with two holding midfielders behind me it gives me licence to do what I like doing, which is bursting forward and getting into attacking positions. I've had to work at certain roles and the manager has helped me not be selfish and only want to play in one position. "If I was to say 'no, I only want to play in this position' I could find myself on the bench for England and not playing the way I want to at Liverpool. Rafa has told me to learn to play in different positions. I'm benefiting from that now." Next Week: Stevie G on England http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_...-name_page.html

I think Tevez isn't unhappy at the amount his played, as much as the fact that he feels Berbatov has been picked ahead of him for the big matches this season - he made some comments about this when this saga first started & Ferguson responded by saying Tevez had played more minutes than Berbatov or Ronaldo this season

A few other snippets from the News of the World today............. Rafa has stalled at Boro's £12m asking price for Stewart Downing http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3089...oro-winger.html Chris Bascombe claims that "AC Milan, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United have tried to sign the Liverpool captain recently. All were privately rebuffed by the player before they could reach the speculation stage." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3086...ine-Zidane.html Robin Van Persie's talks over a new Arsenal deal remain deadlocked and if the situation is not resolved soon the club may cash in this summer & may be forced to accept around £8m. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3098...at-Arsenal.html

JAVI MARTINEZ IS KOP TARGET Rafa Benitez sends spies to watch Bilbao midfielder By ANDY DUNN, 16/05/2009 ATHLETIC BILBAO'S midfield sensation Javi Martinez is a summer target for Liverpool. The Spain Under-21 star, 20, has a £24million buy-out clause but the Basque club will do business for closer to £12m. Anfield boss Rafa Benitez has kept an eye on the rangy playmaker's meteoric rise to first-team regular and sent his spies to watch Martinez in Wednesday's 4-1 Spanish Cup final loss to Barcelona. Rafa is also looking to recruit Shrewsbury No 2 John McMahon for his coaching staff. He is the brother of Kop legend Steve and has impressed in developing young talent. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3096...midfielder.html

Buy, Buy Tevez Benitez to make Carlos top target By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 16/05/2009 LIVERPOOL are confident of gatecrashing Manchester United's title party by snatching Carlos Tevez in a stunning £22million raid. In what promises to be the biggest transfer coup of the summer, Kop boss Rafa Benitez has decided to make signing the Old Trafford idol his top priority. He will make the offer for the Argentine striker after this month's Champions League final. Benitez has already earmarked Liverpool's No 10 shirt for the South American and alerted the player's representatives of his determination to make a deal happen. Now Tevez is willing to snub overtures from across Europe - and a £135,000-a-week offer from Manchester City - to become the first player to make the sensational move direct from Old Trafford to Anfield in 45 years. Benitez's confidence he will land the striker grew after Tevez's announced his intention to quit United in last week's Sport of the World exclusive. Liverpool have put a transfer strategy in place which relies on the £18m sale of Xabi Alonso and the release of up to 10 other squad players, raising the necessary funds to pay for 25-year-old Tevez. Benitez wasn't originally in the market for a striker this summer, but the opportunity to steal Tevez from under the nose of Sir Alex Ferguson has been too much to resist. Rafa is still smarting from Fergie's refusal to allow Gabriel Heinze a Kop move two years and wants to ram the United boss's claim he'd never let a top player join Liverpool down his neck. Most importantly, he sees Tevez as a world class addition to his emerging squad, with Gareth Barry also joining from Aston Villa to add a formidable array of talent at Anfield. Concerns Although the frontline partnership between Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres has been an electrifying success for the Merseysiders, Rafa doesn't want to pay the price for more injury woes to his hitmen next season. He believes Torres' hamstring problems cost Liverpool the vital points which would have won the title. And there are concerns about the large amount of football the striker has missed recently. Benitez is currently headhunting a replacement physio to join his backroom team next season, with particular focus on protecting his Spanish superstar from further muscle problems. He sees an attacking trio of Tevez and Torres, with the versatile Gerrard rotating between forward and midfield roles, as the winning formula for a renewed title assault. The capture of Tevez will also reassure Kop fans disturbed by the prospect of losing the popular Alonso. Alonso has said he'd rather stay on Merseyside, but privately his relationship with manager has been strained since last summer. He's set to snub a mega-offer of his own from Manchester City in order to join Real Madrid. It was thought Alonso was being forced out to make way for Aston Villa's Barry, but it's now clear Benitez wants Tevez and Barry as he reshapes his side. Liverpool were hopeful of offloading former Real Sociedad star Alonso to Manchester City after learning that Mark Hughes was ready to pay £18m. But the midfielder, 27, whose wife gave birth to their first son just over a year ago, would need to have been persuaded to make the move and sacrifice Champions League football. A source close to Alonso said: "If he was given the choice he would join Real Madrid and they are definitely very interested in signing him." He has three years left on the five-year deal he signed in the summer of 2007 and Real would be willing to pay Liverpool around £15m. Benitez was willing to listen to offers for the player last summer but his failure to land Barry meant they had to turn down an enquiry from Arsenal. Alonso was also strongly linked with a move to Juventus. Tevez's desire to move to Liverpool will stun Fergie and the Old Trafford faithful, but the lure of joining his friend Javier Mascherano in a side where he'll be first choice will be hard to resist. Irony Liverpool fit the bill for the striker because he won't have to move home and is also assured Champions League football and a title challenge next season. The irony won't be lost on both United and Liverpool fans that it is Tevez's performances in the last month which have gone a long way to keeping the title at Old Trafford for another year. But that has not put off Benitez, who thinks Tevez has recently proved Fergie has made a mistake not securing the player on a permanent deal. The north-west rivals have notoriously refused to do business with each other over five decades of power-shifting success. Paul Ince played for both club's in the 1990s, but joined Liverpool after a stint at Inter Milan. The last player to move directly from United to Liverpool was Phil Chisnall, signed by Bill Shankly in 1964. Liverpool's pursuit of Tevez will see the battle lines between Rafa and Fergie drawn earlier than ever over the summer. On the day United equalled Liverpool's record of 18 titles, Benitez was preparing to fire the first bullets in next season's war of words between the managers. Tevez exclusively revealed he plans to quit Old Trafford but stay in England in the News of the World last week. He told us: "It's not true I want to leave England for Spain. My four-year-old daughter Florencia is learning English and my wife is very happy living in England. "We want to stay. I want to play in England because it is the best league in the world and it suits my style." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3100...top-target.html

From the News of the World............. LIVERPOOL £350M AMNESTY By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 16/05/2009 LIVERPOOL owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett will be granted a six-month amnesty on their massive £350million debt. The Royal Bank of Scotland is to make a re-finance offer to the Americans to ease their immediate cash worries. But the deal will demand the pair guarantee to pump millions of their own funds into Liverpool to retain control of the club. Gillett and Hicks are now finalising negotiations which will give them a temporarily reprieve from the threat of selling Liverpool on the cheap this summer. The current deadline expires in July but Sport of the World understands a new two-phase deal is on the agenda. The short extension will be followed by a second, longer-term loan providing Hicks or Gillett raise more cash before January, 2010. Hicks and Gillett may still need to raise as much as £150m between them to keep a grip on Anfield - but the duo are increasingly bullish they will meet deadlines. Amid hopes the worst of the economic crisis is easing, the club's owners are also desperate to revive their stalled stadium plans. Talks with Liverpool city planners to expand their £500m stadium scheme into a 73,000-capacity arena are continuing. Liverpool want to accommodate an extra 10,000 fans by developing transport links around Stanley Park. The Americans know a business plan which promises revenue from an additional 25,000 tickets per home game could reassure their bankers. A 73,000-seater stadium would raise over £70m a year in matchday revenue, double their current income from tickets. Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez will urge his side to do their bit to improve his transfer kitty by as much as £5m by securing a top-two finish. The difference between finishing second and third in the Premier League can make a huge financial difference - perhaps even enough for an extra signing http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/3089...nance-debt.html

From Sky Sports............. Tevez targets Premier stay Argentine planning for future as United deal nears conclusion By Patricio Figueroa Last updated: 16th May 2009 Carlos Tevez has revealed his priority is to stay in the Premier League as he prepares to leave Manchester United. The Argentine striker's two-year loan at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season and the champions-elect have yet to agree a permanent deal. Talks have taken place regarding an extension, but Tevez and his advisors are expecting to move on to another club in the summer. Manchester City have been heavily linked with a bid and Tevez confirmed his intention is to still be in England next season. "My priority is to remain in the Premier League because this is the most competitive league in the world, despite that I know that there is interest from Spain and Italy," Tevez told TyC Sports programme Indirecto. The 25-year-old reiterated his belief that there had been a lack of respect shown by United and acknowledged his sadness at having to leave the club. He added: "Things have happened and, when the league ends, I will see where I go. "I feel a lot of pain to have to leave Manchester United because of the fans. It's hard for me to accept this. "Each day that goes by is more difficult for me because I know that I am not going to play at the club anymore. "They say to people that I am about to sign a new contract, but that never happens. I have not been respected. "I have never asked (Sir Alex) Ferguson for an explanation, but a player notices when he is not part of a team anymore. "I am surprised, but I am calm. You notice when you have to leave a club." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5326352,00.html

From the Liverpool Echo today............ Liverpool FC's Xabi Alonso will stay at Anfield, says Rafa Benitez May 16 2009 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo RAFA BENITEZ insists Xabi Alonso will remain at Anfield beyond this summer. The 27-year-old’s future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks with Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid all linked with a move for the Spaniard. Alonso, who is fit to return to the squad for tomorrow’s clash at West Brom, has enjoyed an impressive campaign at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield. And the Reds boss has ruled out sacrificing him to fund any squad rebuilding. “Xabi has been doing really well this season,” Benitez said. “He’s a key player for us and with him being fit again it will give us a different option in midfield. “Xabi has been talking about how he wants to stay here and we certainly want to keep him so I don’t think there will be any problems.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-23635558/

A few snippets from today's papers........... Swansea admit their interest in James McCarthy Hangeland says he wants to stay at Fulham Portsmouth say they might have to sell their top players in the summer

The Times link has changed (they have edited/updated the article slightly) to http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6289937.ece - the text re Tévez now says Rafa "is considering a move to sign Carlos Tévez" The Guardian link works fine for me

According to the Scottish Herald "Liverpool have also asked to be contacted before any offers from elsewhere are accepted [for McCarthy]", while Swansea have made a £2m verbal offer for him. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines...or_McCarthy.php