Benitez: Alonso going nowhere

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has ruled out any move to Real Madrid for star midfielder Xabi Alonso as he prepares for further signings to bolster his squad.

Benitez takes his squad to a Swiss training camp tomorrow, with three matches scheduled for the trip, and he has vowed to add new faces ahead of the Reds’ Champions League third qualifying round tie on August 9.

One of the first could be Jermaine Pennant, with sources close to the player expecting a bid for the Birmingham winger soon.

But first Benitez has been forced to quash speculation about Alonso, saying: “There has been no truth in stories about Xabi Alonso, we have had no official contact and for sure he is staying here, we do not want to sell him.”

The move for Pennant is expected later this week, with Liverpool still distancing themselves from claims they were on the brink of landing Damien Duff ahead of his move to Newcastle.

Liverpool sources claim they were “offered” the player but did not make a bid. Either way, the club will now certainly move on to Pennant.

Liverpool desperately need a right-sided midfielder — left winger Duff would hardly have fitted the bill — with the long-running saga involving Sevilla’s Daniel Alves seemingly having stalled.