YOSSI BENAYOUN has marked his transformation at Liverpool by agreeing terms on a new contract that will tie him to Anfield until 2012.
The Israel international has two years remaining on his current deal but, following an impressive ending to last season, has been rewarded with a pay rise and a 12-month extension by the manager, Rafael Benitez. An agreement is in place with the 29-year-old and the contract will be signed ahead of the new season, underlining the extent of the midfielder’s rapid recovery at Anfield.
“I am very happy that we have reached an agreement,” said Benayoun. “Of course, to be at a club like this is a dream come true and I want to keep playing here. Hopefully now I can concentrate on the hard work that needs to be done and try to play better and better and win some silverware.”
Benitez said: “You know that our idea was to extend the contracts of some players and Yossi was one of these players. He has been really good for us over the last year, scoring crucial goals and getting assists, so we wanted to keep him and I’m really pleased with the extension.”
Benayoun instigated talks on his Liverpool future with Benitez only in January amid concern over his lack of first-team opportunities. He responded to the manager’s assurances with the finest spell of his career on Merseyside, scoring seven goals in the final four months of the campaign, including the winner at Real Madrid in the Champions League, and playing an influential role in Liverpool’s pursuit of Manchester United for the Premier League title.
The midfielder is the fifth senior player to commit his future to Liverpool in recent months, following Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger, and Benitez admits stability in his squad – currently threatened by Real Madrid’s and Barcelona’s interest in Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano respectively – was a prerequisite for this summer.
“We had to guarantee the future of the club first and then afterwards if you can improve then you must try to do so,” the Liverpool manager said.
“This meant that the first thing we had to do this summer was to guarantee the futures of some of the players who are already here and we are happy we have been able to do this in so many cases.”
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, meanwhile, wants to make an “impact signing” this week in the 6ft 7in shape of Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch.
Bruce is understood to be prepared to pay up to €16m for the England forward and has made his pursuit the club’s priority. Crouch would become Sunderland’s record buy, eclipsing the €10.5m Roy Keane paid Hearts for Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Paulo da Silva, the Paraguay defender, is still expected to be Bruce’s first recruit. Tottenham, though, are thought to have entered the race for the 29-year-old centre half.
Bordeaux president, Jean-Louis Triaud, has claimed Manchester United are favourites to sign his club’s highly rated winger Gabriel Obertan. The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the finest prospects in France and has been linked in recent seasons with possible moves to Chelsea, Internazionale, Milan, United and Arsenal.
Ferguson is known to be interested in the winger and Triaud says the Premier League champions are close to completing a deal.
“It’s actually a great possibility,” he told French newspaper L’Equipe. “United want him and we would be delighted to see Gabriel develop in such a club. We will make it official when the moment comes.”
GuardianService
