The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fine campaign after a summer in which he was almost sold to Juventus while Benitez embarked on an ultimately futile pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.
However, the Anfield manager has now indicated Alonso is an integral part to his plans and wants his fellow Spaniard to remain at the club next season.
“The first year was really good and this year he is also playing really well,” said Benitez. “Xabi has been having a very good season; he has been playing well in a lot of games and is a key player for us.
“We have a lot of confidence in him because he is playing really well and he is a player we want to keep because he has the quality, and the game, that we need.”
