Fernando Torres will be offered a huge new deal as Rafa Benitez flexes his muscle at Liverpool.
Boss Benitez has been promised more control over team matters at the club along with a £40million war chest to spend in the summer. He will use that money to bring in experienced English players to add depth to a squad that has a heavy foreign influence, with the likes of Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing and Hull’s Michael Turner top of his list.
However, the Liverpool boss made it clear his first task would be to ensure his top talents stay at the club, saying: “My priority now is to do the deals for my staff and for the players who will be important for this club in the future.”
Torres is central to that and will be offered an extension to his current contract stretching to 2015 to ward off interest from a host of top European clubs.The striker is currently on less than £70,000 a week, and he will be moved closer to skipper Steven Gerrard’s contract of £110,000 a week in line with his status as the world’s most-feared forward.
Benitez also wants to sort out other key players such as Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger and a one-year extension for veteran centre-back Sami Hyypia.
Boss Benitez has been promised more control over team matters at the club along with a £40million war chest to spend in the summer. He will use that money to bring in experienced English players to add depth to a squad that has a heavy foreign influence, with the likes of Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing and Hull’s Michael Turner top of his list.
However, the Liverpool boss made it clear his first task would be to ensure his top talents stay at the club, saying: “My priority now is to do the deals for my staff and for the players who will be important for this club in the future.”
Torres is central to that and will be offered an extension to his current contract stretching to 2015 to ward off interest from a host of top European clubs.The striker is currently on less than £70,000 a week, and he will be moved closer to skipper Steven Gerrard’s contract of £110,000 a week in line with his status as the world’s most-feared forward.
Benitez also wants to sort out other key players such as Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger and a one-year extension for veteran centre-back Sami Hyypia.
Telegraph
