DIRK KUYT has been left scratching his head at reports linking him with a move to Juventus.
The Liverpool forward put pen-to-paper on a new contract only last April that will keep him at Anfield until 2012 and his agent, Robert Jansen, says Kuyt has every intention of honouring it.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, is said to head a wish-list being drawn up by the Italian club should they dismiss under-fire manager Ciro Ferrara as expected.
Despite Benitez’s agent Manuel Garcia Quilon moving quickly to dismiss the claims this week, it hasn’t prevented further speculation regarding which Liverpool players would follow the Spaniard to Turin.
This is why Kuyt’s name has come up, but the player’s representative insists there is no foundation to the stories.
“I know nothing of Juventus’ interest,” said Jansen.
“No-one has contacted us at the moment. He is now happy at Liverpool where he has two more years of his contract left.”
With Benitez actively seeking to bolster his attacking options during the transfer window, there is next to no chance of Kuyt being allowed to leave.
Fernando Torres’ knee injury has left Liverpool short up front and Kuyt has been charged with leading the line in the Spain international’s absence.
He struck a match-winning double against Tottenham last week but was isolated in the goalless draw at Molineux on Tuesday night, a game in which Liverpool created few opportunities.
Despite David Ngog being the only other back-up striker for Torres, it is increasingly unlikely that another forward will arrive at the club before the transfer window closes on Monday evening.
Liverpool have been linked with Standard Liege targetman Milan Jovanovic and Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh.
Both players can now sign pre-contract agreements but neither would move to Merseyside until the end of the season when their current deals expire and they are available on a Bosman.
Financial restrictions at Liverpool have forced Benitez to try and be innovative with his transfer dealings and ruled out a potential move for Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones once the Wearside club slapped a £12million price tag on the player.
Benitez has raised around half that amount this month with the sales of Andrea Dossena to Napoli and Andriy Voronin to Dinamo Moscow but was thought to be interested in a loan deal for Jones.
Although Liverpool say no approach has been made for the Trinidad and Tobago player, Black Cats manager Steve Bruce has blasted the Anfield club as ‘disrespectful’ and believes the 21-year-old has been unsettled by the attention.
“I know for a fact privately and publicly, they (Liverpool) have unsettled the boy,” said Bruce, who dropped Jones to the bench for Wednesday night’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.
“It’s quite plain to see and we’ve got to get him back on-side.
“There’s no doubt the boy has got wonderful talent.
“Over the last few weeks, with all the nonsense which has been written about him, maybe his focus and his attention has not been playing on a Saturday, it’s been elsewhere.
“We want to see Kenwyne play the way we know he can. He’s got to be 100%, otherwise, like everyone else in the Premier League, you get found out.”
Benitez will now turn his attention to bringing in a right-back as cover for the injured Glen Johnson.
