SOCCER NEWS: RAFAEL BENITEZ is prepared to extend his Liverpool career as soon as contract talks begin next week providing the deal on offer reflects the faith the club's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have professed in his management.
Liverpool's American co-chairmen yesterday revealed they would offer Benitez a new contract 10 months after Hicks first proposed the reward for the Champions League and FA Cup-winning manager. Hicks's original intention was to extend by 12 months the Spaniard's €4.3 million deal, which has 18 months to run, but lacked the support of Gillett.
However, after leading Liverpool to their best start to a Premier League season and finally receiving the backing of both employers, Benitez wants a long-term deal before agreeing to commit. With the Americans hoping to secure the manager's services as part of their ongoing efforts to sell the club, it is expected such on offer will be on the table when they open talks with Benitez' agent next week.
"The conversation was very positive and he (Hicks) said he wanted to talk as soon as possible," Benitez said. "We have been in contact with them and they gave their word that there would be another contact next week with my advisers. To me the length of the contract is important. It has to be done this month. I don't want to be talking about it every week.
"I don't know how long the contract will be for, but it's important to be here in the future. We have a new stadium on the way, so I want to be part of the future of the club. (Hicks and Gillett) have come forward and said they are happy with the job we are doing, so we have to sort it quickly . . . and the players that are thinking about signing new contracts."
The Americans' move does not reflect a change in their strategy for Liverpool, with the manager's contract part of a plan to present a more stable concern to prospective buyers rather than a sign that they intend to remain at the helm. Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger head the list of key players approaching the final 18 months of their contracts, with the Dane opening talks on an extension on Thursday.
Meanwhile, new Argentina boss Diego Maradona held "helpful and positive" talks yesterday Benitez and his captain-elect Javier Mascherano. Maradona travelled from his meetings at Manchester United's training ground earlier in the day to bring Liverpool's Melwood HQ to a standstill. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Keane headed the line of players wanting to meet the 1986 World Cup winner. Mascherano was the last player to leave the training ground, but refused to discuss details of his meeting with Argentina's new coach.
Everton's manager, David Moyes, has rekindled the prospect of a move for the Brazil striker Vagner Love in January after watching the CSKA Moscow player score twice in a Uefa Cup win at Feyenoord on Thursday. Everton missed out on a €14.8 million deal for Love in the summer.
• Guardian Service
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