BENITEZ STOKES DEFOE FIRE

Friday 24th March 2006
ANFIELD ONLINE LFC NEWS

BENITEZ STOKES DEFOE FIRE

Rafael Benitez has stoked the fires surrounding the possible transfer of Jermaine Defoe from Tottenham, with Djibril Cisse moving in the opposite direction.

Earlier today, Rafa spoke about the media speculation surrounding Tottenham, Cisse and Defoe:

"I have a clear idea," he told Sky Sports News. "They are desperate for selling Defoe and are trying to sell Defoe.

"They always use Cisse in the middle, I don't know why. But It's not our problem.

"We are thinking about our players. I don't need to talk with him [Cisse]. He is our player, he is working hard, they always talk about him when they talk about Defoe.

"Maybe, I say before, they are desperate to sell Defoe and want to do something.

"At this moment, I am happy with my strikers."

This drew an angry response from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.

"I find the reported comments by Rafael Benitez beyond belief," read Levy's statement on Tottenham's official website.

"Not only are they completely untrue, but it is unprecedented that any manager should comment in this way on another team's player. It could in fact be interpreted as a direct and blatant attempt to unsettle Jermain.

"There is absolutely no basis, let alone any element of truth whatsoever, in Benitez's claim today that we are looking to sell Jermain.

"We have not had a single conversation on this point with Liverpool or any other club so I fail to see how he can make this statement.

"Additionally, for the avoidance of all doubt, we have previously said, and I repeat, we have absolutely no intention of making an offer for Cisse or (Louis) Saha.

"On all these issues, I resent having to put the record straight when it should never have been put into question.

"I should expect that Mr Benitez, on reflection, withdraws his wholly inappropriate, unprofessional and inaccurate comments. They do him no credit.

So that's clear then. Expect Defoe in a red shirt in a couple of months...

Discuss this news item with other fans in our forum