Club insist US meeting is not about Benitez as defender prepares to sign

Jan 9 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL have reiterated Rafael Benitez’s Anfield future was not on the agenda of yesterday’s New York summit.

Club owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks met with chief executive Rick Parry to discuss the next step in their plans for a new stadium after scrapping an elaborate 76,000-seater scheme.

Dallas architects HKS and Manchester-based designers AFL have submitted fresh proposals, with Liverpool expected to this week announce which avenue they will pursue.

It was also anticipated that Benitez’s position would also come under discussion.

But sources in America said yesterday: “The all-day meeting today was to pick a stadium design. No other items were on the agenda.”

Nevertheless, speculation continues to build over Benitez’s future with the Anfield hierarchy refusing to publicly back the manager.

Jurgen Klinsmann has been mooted for some time in football circles as a possible replacement for the Spaniard at the end of the season.

The German, who is based in California, has forged a friendship with Gillett after his sports consultancy company did some work for the American.

And it is believed the emergence of those links contributed to Benitez’s manner during the infamous Press briefing at the end of November that lifted the lid on the discord behind the scenes at Anfield.

Klinsmann has been out of football since guiding Germany to the World Cup semi-finals 18 months ago, but has let it been known he is ready to return to the game with a first job in club management.

However, Liverpool’s American owners have backed Benitez with funds in this month’s transfer window, with Martin Skrtel expected to rubber-stamp his

£6million move from Zenit St Petersburg today and become the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history.

The formalities will be completed on the deal for the 23-year-old Slovakia international, who has passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

Skrtel is likely to go straight into the squad for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Middlesbrough, with Daniel Agger continuing his rehabilitation from a broken metatarsal.

However, Fabio Aurelio is still being troubled by a minor hamstring injury and has already been ruled out.

Meanwhile, Paul Anderson is desperate for Liverpool and Swansea City to come through their respective FA Cup replays and give him the chance to realise his ambition of running out in front of a packed Anfield crowd.

The 19-year-old Liverpool winger is on a season-long loan at the Welsh outfit and has impressed for the Coca-Cola League One leaders, scoring eight goals so far this campaign.

And Anderson is hopeful the two clubs meet in the fourth round later this month – and agree he can play.

“Liverpool was the only team I wanted to play against,” he said. “I was just jumping up and down in my room.

“I’m desperate to play at Anfield. I just hope there isn’t anything standing in the way of me playing.

“I’ve never played for the first team there, only in youth cup games. So I’ve played in front of the Kop before, but never in front of so many fans.”

Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has lambasted Liverpool for failing to take back on-loan misfit Besian Idrizaj.

“The deal is until the end of the season – but it is pointless him being here because he isn’t going to play for us,” said Warnock.

“I have asked them to take him back so he can go elsewhere. I am sure three or four clubs will have him, so it seems silly that he stays here. Nobody is returning our calls – it is ludicrous. They must really care about the player. We might send a pigeon up next.”