Benayoun plays down Man City move rumours
LIVERPOOL midfielder Yossi Benayoun has distanced himself from reports he could leave Anfield for big-spending Manchester City in January.
The Israel captain has shone on occasion this season but remains outside of Rafael Benitez’s core of most trusted players.
City, meanwhile, are being tipped to launch another assault on the transfer market when the window reopens in the new year, with Benayoun among their targets. But the 29-year-old’s agent, Ronen Katsav, says his focus remains on Merseyside, where he has a deal until 2013.
“Naturally a player playing well at Liverpool will always have other teams interested in him,” said Katsav.
“It is a great compliment that there is interest from high level teams across Europe, but Yossi is very happy at Liverpool and only in the summer agreed a new four-year contract.”
Benayoun initially struggled to make an impact after joining Liverpool from West Ham in the summer of 2007. His form improved last year as his number of starts increased, and earlier this season he netted a hat-trick against Burnley.
Yet the prospect of automatic selection elsewhere could prove tempting to a player who is not considered in that bracket at Liverpool.