Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina pledged Wednesday to sign a new
contract, while urging the financially troubled club to start
spending heavily on new players.
After Liverpool finished second in the Premier League last
season, Reina's team has failed to challenge for the title this
year and is fifth in the standings.
The 27-year-old Reina wants co-owners Tom Hicks and George
Gillett Jr. to spend in the offseason to try to help Liverpool win
its first English league title since 1990.
"I hope we can compete with these kinds of transfers (by
Manchester United and Chelsea) and spend some more money in the
market, maybe go toe-to-toe with them," Reina said. "All I want and
the team want is to be competitive as the others. There is nothing
apart from winning the league with Liverpool once which makes me
feel excited.
"That is a dream to get through and hopefully in a short
period of time we will see it come true."
The Spain international says he has verbally agreed to a new
contract with the club and expects to complete the formalities next
month.
"It is really close and it (signing a new contract) is
because they were good to me and I am grateful," said Reina, who
joined Liverpool from Villarreal in 2005. "You will see something
in a month or so. I am happy here and the club is happy with me, so
I have no problem at all.
"Talking to my family, we believe there is no better place to
be and that is why we will be here a bit longer, much longer."
Liverpool will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit to Lille in the
home return leg of its last-16 match of the Europa League on
Thursday.
