With uncertainty continuing to surround his position as Liverpool manager and the future ownership of the club, Rafael Benítez could be forgiven for wishing he had jumped ship for Real Madrid when a second chance to join the Spanish giants arose earlier last year.
But as the manager reflected on a tumultuous season on and off the field yesterday, one that reached its nadir on Wednesday when Liverpool dropped to seventh in the Barclays Premier League after a last-gasp defeat away to West Ham United, Benítez insisted that he had never been more determined to stay at Anfield.
“I want to be here and I’m really proud to be here,” Benítez said. “I think it’s the best club because we have the best supporters. I want to win and improve and progress and my belief is that we can do it. If I thought it was impossible, then maybe I’d think about other options elsewhere, but I’m not because I think we can win the Premier League. Not this year, that will be almost impossible, but in the future.”
Javier Mascherano’s £17.1 million permanent move to Liverpool should be ratified in the next couple of days, while Dubai International Capital are preparing to step up their attempt to buy Liverpool from Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. Contrary to Hicks’s public protestations, informal talks have taken place.