Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is confident the club will keep hold of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.
Reina's Spanish team-mate Xabi Alonso has been strongly linked with Real Madrid, while Barcelona are thought to be courting Mascherano.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez has rejected speculation linking the pair with moves out of Anfield and Reina believes his manager has no plans to sell the pair as he builds a side capable of challenging for the Premier League title.
"I believe that he [Benitez] has his mind very clear and his idea in these moments is to not sell," Reina told EFE.
"He wants to continue with a team he has known for a long time, with an already fundamented base and where we know almost everything.
"Whoever wants to touch this team or this structure [Liverpool] will have to pay a lot of money."
Blast
Meanwhile, Reina has hit out at Gareth Barryand Carlos Tevez for snubbing moves to Liverpool this summer.
Long-term transfer target Barry left Aston Villato join City earlier this summer and Tevez looks set to join him at Eastlands after ruling out a switch to Liverpool.
Reina believes the pair have made a mistake in shunning Liverpool feeling they money is the motivating factor in their decisions to spurn a switch to Anfield
"Apparently, they moved for the money. That is their decision but I also think it is their problem if they cannot see that Liverpool is a bigger club," Reina is quoted as saying in the News of the World.
"It's up to them what they do but let me tell them that I am very proud to play for Liverpool. We can offer European football and I think that should have been a consideration for them.
"Everybody knows what it is to play for Liverpool. It's a pleasure and a tremendous honour. I am surprised they didn't consider these things.
"Some things in a player's career should be more important than money."
I think the blast part is old and already posted in the transfer speculation thread. I also remember saying fuck all this talk and let's just start love threads on all our players we know are staying and love, like Pepe. The Torres one has already started.
__________________ 'I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it.' - Marilyn Monroe
I love Pepe, and I will probably get blasted for this, but I think that's a little harsh on Barry and Tevez. I'm not sure it was solely for the money, and think perhaps they believe City are in the process of building a decent side.
Also, they have to consider that they are more likely to play a lot more first-team football there than they are here, particularly Tevez.
I love Pepe, and I will probably get blasted for this, but I think that's a little harsh on Barry and Tevez. I'm not sure it was solely for the money, and think perhaps they believe City are in the process of building a decent side.
Also, they have to consider that they are more likely to play a lot more first-team football there than they are here, particularly Tevez.
(I'm sure the money didn't hurt, though...)
Doesn't make sense though - Villa are also in the process of building a team, slower than City but nevertheless building a team. Barry said he would only leave Villa at the end of the season for Champs league football.
I seen him in town when I was fucking wrecked after the derby the other season and he was with his 2 Spanish mates. I walked up to him and said the usual gobshite bevvied 'is right Pepe lad' must of been about 12 oclock on a Sunday night and he just picked me up and gave me a bear hug and nearly killed me. He was buzzing his tits off and so was I .
The End
I seen him in town when I was fucking wrecked after the derby the other season and he was with his 2 Spanish mates. I walked up to him and said the usual gobshite bevvied 'is right Pepe lad' must of been about 12 oclock on a Sunday night and he just picked me up and gave me a bear hug and nearly killed me. He was buzzing his tits off and so was I .
The End
If that's true then that is class, gotta love the guy.
While I agree with his sentiment, he shouldnt be saying this stuff in public. Its small time to do that and smacks of desparation tbh.
I'm afraid that criticising Pepe for speaking the truth is a neggable offence.
__________________ “Weird” itself, even in the dictionary, is just something that is different and unexplainable. A weirdo is someone who follows their heart. I’m definitely weird, ain’t nothing wrong with that.
I seen him in town when I was fucking wrecked after the derby the other season and he was with his 2 Spanish mates. I walked up to him and said the usual gobshite bevvied 'is right Pepe lad' must of been about 12 oclock on a Sunday night and he just picked me up and gave me a bear hug and nearly killed me. He was buzzing his tits off and so was I .
The End
Pepe. When you think that you've loved him all you can, he makes you love him a little bit more.
__________________
Bounce the Ball still
Softly round it on all sides
The Goal is in each Kit's eye
The Ball fixes each eye open
It rolls to each paws love
Bounced home, where it hides
Was anyone doubting that? The Barry thing, not your awesome correctness. I thought it was taken as fact that we were in for him again.
Yup. Fucking loads of people giving it "we don't know for a fact that Rafa even wanted to sign Barry again this year. You're just speculating / no direct quotes / name your source" blah blah fucking blah. "so he didn't want rid of Alonso this year, that was last year" yadda fucking yadda
If I was a virgin I'd be arsed digging them out. But I'm not, so I'm not.
Yup. Fucking loads of people giving it "we don't know for a fact that Rafa even wanted to sign Barry again this year. You're just speculating / no direct quotes / name your source" blah blah fucking blah. "so he didn't want rid of Alonso this year, that was last year" yadda fucking yadda
If I was a virgin I'd be arsed digging them out. But I'm not, so I'm not.
I never doubted that he was in for him again. Whether that proves he still wanted Alonso gone is another matter though and one doesn't necessarily mean that the other is true.
__________________
Everything should taste of bacon™
Was anyone doubting that? The Barry thing, not your awesome correctness. I thought it was taken as fact that we were in for him again.
i've seen a few posts along those lines matey, not to the extent Tom seems to think he has, but it has been said by a few.
There can be no doubts we were interested, how far it went who knows, but after last summer, we must have been sniffing about. But i think to augment the existing squad (ie replace Lucas, do a shift on the lhs from time to time) rather than shove Xabi out, but who knows eh !
__________________
I believe what I said yesterday. I don't know what I said, but I know what I think, and, well, I assume it's what I said - Donald Rumsfeld
It's not my ego, it's my responsibility. I need to take care of my team, my squad and club. -Rafa
