Rafa Benitez Set To Sign New Liverpool Deal - Report

Various press sources claim that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is finally ready to pen a new contract following months of staggered negotiations.

The Spaniard had hoped to seal a deal by the end of November last year, but the infrequency of the discussions scuppered any chance of that deadline being met.

When Benitez was eventually offered a contract last month, he turned it down as there was no specification as to how much control he would have over transfers.

The former Valencia coach is determined to take sole charge of player sales and purchases, especially after the debacle concerning Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso last summer.

But now, after several rejected drafts, Benitez and the Anfield club's co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have settled on terms that suit both parties.

According to The Daily Mail, the Reds boss will still have to discuss transfers with the board but will no longer report to chief executive Rick Parry, the thorn in so many of his proposals.

It is understood that Hicks and Gillett bowed to this stipulation only after meeting with Randy Lerner, Aston Villa's American owner, and discovering that Martin O'Neill is granted similar freedom.

The News of the World claims that Benitez's new contract will run until 2013 and see him rake in €18 million.