Benitez confident of keeping Gerrard at Anfield
The 25-year-old England international has been linked with Real in recent weeks following Liverpool’s victory in the Champions League final.
However, Benitez told Spanish newspaper Diario AS that he was planning to keep Gerrard at Anfield.
He said: “We are preparing a special weightlifting plan for Gerrard’s shoulders because we want him to lift a lot of trophies for Liverpool in the next few years!
“I am not in favour of selling him and we are building a great team around him because we want him to be the skipper who wins the most titles in Liverpool’s history.
“I know he feels the same way because we have already talked about it.
“Gerrard is a vital player for us and that is why we have not considered selling him.”
Benitez revealed that last year that he had persuaded Gerrard to stay at Anfield - at the time it was reported Chelsea were interested in signing the player.
Benitez said: “He had important offers last year but I wanted him to stay with Liverpool and he stayed with us - that was rewarded with us winning a big competition and it’s our wish to carry on the same road with him.”
Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has revealed French winger Laurent Robert is only at Fratton Park on loan, despite the club announcing a permanent deal last week.
Reports of his arrival on the club’s official website stated Robert, 30, had signed a three-year deal, moving from Newcastle for “an undisclosed fee.”
But it now appears Alain Perrin has signed his mercurial countryman only temporarily until the end of next season, with an option to make the move permanent - which explains Newcastle’s announcement that the player will not be allowed to face them.
Mandaric said: “It’s a two-part deal. We have taken him now and if all goes well we will sign him permanently.”
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