The Real Madrid and Holland midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart is desperate for first team football to ensure his place in the Holland team for next summers World Cup in South Africa, but he has turned down the chance to join the German giants Hamburg, who have been trying hard to persuade the talented playmaker to move to Germany.

Van Der Vaart is adamant that he can still play a part in the Galacticos team at Real Madrid. He said: “I am going to stay, I will not request a transfer,”

“It was not like it should have been in the past but now I am getting to play games and believe I can succeed at Real Madrid.

“This is nothing against Hamburg, the Hamburg fans or the club. They are still very much part of my heart.

“This is a decision in favour of Madrid and not against Hamburg,”

So if he has refused to move to Germany, it is now unlikely that he will accept a move to Liverpool either. He obviously believes that he can still become a regular with Madrid, so it seems that Benitez will have to look elsewhere in January.