Rafael Benitez wants to continue as Liverpool's manager - but only if he is given some guarantees over how much he can spend on new players this summer, his agent confirmed today.
Manuel Garcia Quilon, Benitez's agent, confirmed that the Spaniard will sit down with the Reds' new chairman Martin Broughton this week to discuss his future at Anfield. And the promise of financial investment will be pivotal to whether or not he stays.
“He [Benitez] has a meeting with the chairman this week, and from what I can say Rafael Benitez wants to continue at Liverpool,” Quilon told Goal.com UK.
“Benitez needs to know what the plans are for the future. For the investment into players at the club. That is going to be important.”
Benitez has been strongly linked with a summer switch to Juventus in recent months, with some outlets even going so far as to claim that last week Quilon had travelled to meet with the Italian club's new chairman, Andrea Agnelli, and agree a four-year deal worth £16 million a year.
But the agent denies such reports, and insists that his client's future remains at Anfield.
“I have not made any agreement with Juventus," Quilon stated.
“He has four years left of his contract [with Liverpool]. If there is going to be any change then that is something you had better ask him directly.”
With Liverpool currently put up for sale by their unpopular American owners, it seems the outcome of the meeting between Benitez and Broughton — who has been brought in specifically to find a buyer — will prove very influential in deciding whether the manager stays or goes.
"It [the meeting] is to talk about the future," Benitez told reporters this week.
"Everyone is asking about my future but the future of the club is more important. Still I do not know what is going on in the club. I don't know if we will have any investors so there are a lot of questions - not just, for me, one question.
"For me the club has to answer a lot of questions.
"It is very clear: we have to wait and see what is going on. The future is maybe tomorrow or maybe one week; at this moment it is something we don't know."
The meeting comes amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of some of Liverpool's most valuable players, including star striker Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard.
Torres is wanted by Manchester City, who would be prepared to offer Liverpool up to £70 million for the 26-year-old forward.
Should he finally decide to quit Liverpool, Gerrard will attract interest from some of Europe's top clubs including Inter Milan and Real Madrid, whilst Javier Mascherano has long been coveted by Barcelona.
Should Liverpool allow any of these players to go, Benitez will seek a guarantee that he can invest all the proceeds on rebuilding his squad.
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