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Hodgson takes swipe at Benitez

26 Aug 2010 - 08:43:57

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Roy Hodgson has accused predecessor Rafael Benitez of back-tracking on an agreement not to sign any Liverpool players.

Hodgson, who replaced Benitez in the Anfield hot-seat at the beginning of July, is upset at what he believes is the unsettling effect that talk of joining Internazionale is having on Dirk Kuyt.

Benitez took the reins at the Italian side shortly after leaving the Reds and signed an agreement not to raid Anfield for new signings.

Hodgson, himself an ex-Inter coach, also held talks with the Italian club's president, Massimo Moratti, in which he promised that Benitez would not return to his former club to sign players.

However, Hodgson is unhappy at claims from Kuyt's agent that he has held talks with Inter over a potential move to Serie A.

Meanwhile, Inter are also believed to have made an official approach for unsettled midfielder Javier Mascherano.

"We have not received an offer and Dirk hasn't told me he'd want to leave if an offer comes in," he said.

"When Benitez left the club he signed an agreement that he would not poach players from Liverpool and I think that still applies.

"And as far as I'm concerned, the agreement with Moratti still stands.

"But this is obviously something going on behind the scenes with the agent talking to possibly the manager of Inter.

"Two things: one, we don't welcome an offer and two, we haven't received an offer.

"At this very late stage in the transfer window it would be remarkably unusual for us to accept an offer for a player we don't want to leave for money we don't need. I need the player, not the money."