Reina signs new five year Reds contract

LIVERPOOL’S Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina has become the latest player to commit his long term future to the club.

Reina, who has been away on international duty with his country this week, has now signed a new five year contract, following hot on the heels of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, who penned new four-year deals on Monday.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez returned from holiday yesterday and was at the club’s Melwood training ground to oversee the conclusion of the deal which was conducted by fax to Reina’s Spanish home.

Reina, along with club-mate Xavi Alonso, played in Spain’s Euro 2008 qualifying victory over Liechtenstein in Vaduz on Wednesday.

But while Benitez was delighted to secured the 25 year-old’s future at Anfield, his number one transfer target — Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o – was making it clear that he does not want to leave the Catalan club.

And Benitez will now turn his attention to securing Alonso on a new deal, despite the constant speculation that the midfielder is wanted by Barcelona.

Alonso’s only words about his own future after the international were: “Now I am going on holiday, returning to my house in San Sebastian. I am going to enjoy the beach, see friends of the family, and disconnect.”

Benitez has returned to Liverpool intent on tying up deals for his current stars and accelerating the chase for new players.

He has been frustrated by the lack of activity while he has been on his break, particularly over Lyon winger Florent Malouda, who he wants to spend £10m on.

But Malouda, despite saying he would be interested in a move to Merseyside, is now the subject of a late bid from Arsenal, and that could mean his French club being happy to allow an auction to take place.

The chase for Eto’o is equally clouded in uncertainty, with his agent Jose Maria Mesalles insisting that the Cameroon striker has no intention of quitting the Nou Camp, despite interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and AC Milan.

And Mesalles even had to deny claims that Eto’ o and Benitez had met for dinner earlier in the week.

Mesalles said: “Talk of a meeting is just a huge lie.

“Eto’o was in Belgium with the Cameroon squad on Monday night when the meeting was supposed to have taken place. We do not understand why these false stories keep appearing.

“The club knows all too well that he is very happy at Barcelona and wants to stay. He has a very good contract and wants to comply with that.”

So with so many of his transfer targets becoming difficult to tie down, Benitez will be delighted that Madrid-born Reina’s new deal has been concluded.

Reina joined from Villareal in 2005 and was described by Benitez then as “the best goalkeeper in Spain” a tag he has found hard to live up to as he failed to claim the number one shirt in the national side.

He also had a shaky start to his Anfield career, but has since set a club record of successive clean sheets, and has underlined his ability as a penalty save expert, producing outstanding shoot-out displays in the FA Cup final to beat West Ham two seasons ago, and in this term’s Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea. Benitez expressed his delight at Reina’s new contract, telling the club’s official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv: “We knew we needed to talk with a number of our players and Pepe was one of them.

“He has had two good years with us and, because of his age, we knew we had to sort out a long contract.

‘‘I am really pleased that he has signed and I think it sends out a message to everyone that we are preparing our team for both the present and for the future.’’