Liverpool’s on-loan goalkeeper Pepe Reina has once again expressed his desire to stay at Napoli beyond the end of his loan spell, but admitted he expects to return to Liverpool.
Reina has been at the Stadio San Paolo for the 2013/14 season, where he has kept five clean sheets in 17 Serie A appearances for Rafa Benitez’s side.
However, Reina is unsure of his future, with Barcelona reportedly having agreed a deal to replace Victor Valdes with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Andre-March ter Stegen, and Napoli linked with a move to Hannover 96 shot stopper Ron-Robert Zieler, according to Bild.
With Simon Mignolet firmly cemented as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper and Brad Jones playing the club’s FA Cup games this season, there doesn’t seem to be any room at the inn for highly paid Reina.
The 31-year-old Spaniard, speaking to Piuenne television, with quotes translated by ESPN, appears resigned that his future lies away from Napoli, but expects to be moved on quick when he returns to Merseyside.
“I’m very happy here and my family’s happy too,” he said. “I’ll be here right to the end, but not even I know what will happen after. I’m here now, but I’ve got to return to Liverpool, although it’s unlikely I’ll stay there.
“Benitez was the most important figure in me arriving here. He convinced me to join this ambitious project at a great club.
“Obviously I also wanted to get to know a different league while it was Liverpool who took the first step by not wanting me anymore because they were placing their faith in a younger goalkeeper.”
Reina was signed to Liverpool by Benitez as a replacement for Polish keeper Jerzy Dudek in 2005, where he spent eight seasons as the Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper.
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