Wanted man: Yossi Benayoun (right) has received a
number of offers
Rafa Benitez is facing a fight to hang on to Yossi
Benayoun after the Liverpool
midfielder claimed he had received approaches from clubs in
England and Spain.
Benayoun established himself as an increasingly integral part of
Benitez's squad last season, scoring crucial late winners at Real
Madrid and
Fulham to keep alive Liverpool's Champions' League and
Barclays Premier League hopes. He also bagged a double in the 4-4
draw with
Arsenal at Anfield.
But his future looks to be in the balance after he admitted: 'I
have had some offers, so maybe I need to do some talking with
Liverpool.'
Manchester City and Benayoun's former club
West Ham have been monitoring his impact on Liverpool's
hunt for honours over the past few months, while Atletico Madrid
have been tracking him ever since his header stunned their city
rivals at the Bernabeu at the end of February.
It is understood that, after just turning 29, he feels there is
one more big pay day to come and that an offer of contract talks at
Anfield would be enough to banish any thoughts of moving on.
Fight: Rafa Benitez
Benayoun is halfway through a four-year deal, and
Benitez must decide whether to reward his improved form, and end
uncertainty over his future, by presenting him with the long-term
deal he is looking for.
Speaking on Israeli radio, Benayoun said: 'This has been the
best season of my career. I have played a lot of games and scored
some important goals, and I am very happy with that.
'At the moment, I am a Liverpool player, and unless something
surprising happens, I will remain one. But after such a good
season, I have had some offers from England and Spain. You have to
give that some consideration, so there will probably be some
discussions with Liverpool.
'I have had a great two years at Anfield and enjoyed every
minute. I have long since accepted that, with one or two notable
exceptions, there is no such thing as an automatic choice at
Liverpool.
'Unless you are Steven Gerrard, you are going to sit out one or
two games, but that is no problem. Stevie is exceptional, and the
rest of us accept that.
'The good thing is, I have been playing more, and I hope it
continues that way. To be honest, it could be Real Madrid knocking
on my door, and I would still rather stay at Liverpool four more
years.'