Benitez 'close' to Liverpool deal

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed he is close to signing a new deal at Anfield after agreeing the length and salary of a new contract.

Benitez, 48, revealed there are still some points that need discussing before he puts pen to paper.

"We have agreed the length of contract and we have agreed the salary.

"Now we have to discuss my role and my responsibilities as manager of the club," the Spaniard told the Liverpool Echo paper.

It had been reported that a potential stalling point for any new deal was that Benitez wanted complete control over transfers.

But the Liverpool manager denied there were any problems between him and the club's American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the remaining terms of the deal.

"I don't have any problems at all with the American owners. My agent only received the draft document of my contract on (Monday) evening," he said.

"My surprise is that some journalists can talk about there being problems before I have even read it properly and discussed it."

Details of the length of the contract and the salary offered to the Liverpool manager have not been announced.