Real Madrid chief Jorge Valdano is confident a rift with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez won't affect talks over Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa. Valdano angered Benítez when he described the 2007 Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea as "s*** hanging from a stick" and criticised the Merseyside club's manager for mistrusting talent because of his own failure to make it as a leading player.

But Valdano said that he did not expect any ill feeling between the pair to hamper negotiations.

"What I'm sure about is that Liverpool and Real Madrid are above personal relationships," he said. "Benítez was here [at the Bernabéu as a coach] and has kept friendships with employees of the club. Personal disagreements matter little in this."