Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has today confirmed he is “really happy” at Anfield and hopes to sign a new deal with the club soon.
According to the Spanish keeper, the club’s new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are going to concentrate first of all on keeping the best players we already have, before moving onto bringing in new players this summer for other positions.
Reina was linked with a move back to Spain earlier this year, amidst rumours that his then-pregnant wife was homesick. All that seems unfounded now with Reina’s announcement he wants to stay: “We will be speaking to the new owners over the next few days, but I’ve said many times now I’m really happy at Liverpool and I want to extend my contract.”
New regulations involving contracts for professional players mean that clubs need to ensure no player’s contract runs down too far; otherwise the player can buy himself out of the rest of that deal at a fraction of his true value. Reina says the new owners are aware of this: “The key for any growing team is not only to improve with new players, but also to make sure the key players and the spine of the side stays together. Then you can build an even stronger team around this. That spine is here at Liverpool.
“The new owners have said before they make transfers they first of all want to prepare new deals. Then I’m sure they will think about the summer. The project will be to build a team which is massive and can win many things. At this moment, the future looks brilliant.”
Although Rafa Benítez has now met the new owners, the majority of the players haven’t so far, but Pepe doesn’t think it will be long: “I’ve not met the owners yet, but I’m sure it will happen soon.”