Soccer:Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is following a long-term plan at the club and is frustrated with constant rumours about his future.
The Spaniard has been heavily linked again with Juventus, who were reportedly sending a delegation to Merseyside this week to discuss a potential summer move.
That seemed an unlikely occurrence with Liverpool facing Atletico Madrid in tomorrow’s Europa League semi-final second leg trailing 1-0, and then hosting Chelsea on Sunday.
The club announced the signing of 18-year-old Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton today in a deal worth almost €2 million.
Having already signed QPR’s Raheem Sterling, aged 15, earlier this season Benitez said he has a number of other young players lined up to sign in the near future.
“I don’t like [the rumours],” said the Spaniard ahead of the Atletico clash at Anfield. “I would like to see news in the press about trophies, or goals or fantastic performances about players but you cannot control everything.
“My future is Atletico Madrid. We have to concentrate on this game and try to win because it is the best for the club. But we have been working for years; I was trying to sign Gareth Barry before and Glen Johnson was the same idea — we were trying to bring in British players with passion.
“Players who could feel what it means Liverpool means for them. Shelvey is one of these and we have two or three names ready so we will try to do the best for the club. We have this long-term plan in place and we will try to follow the plan.”