Hyypia set to pen new deal :thumbsup:
Sami Hyypia looks set to sign a new contract this weekend to keep him at Anfield beyond the summer.
The veteran defender's current deal runs out at the end of the season, but Rafa Benitez today spoke of his confidence that talks on an extension would be concluded this week.
He said: "Rick Parry is due to talk to Sami's agent this weekend and hopefully everything will then be finished."
The extension means Hyypia will join a select band of Reds who've spent more than a decade at the club, with the Finn arriving under Gerard Houllier back in 1999.
The 34-year-old has made no secret of his desire to remain on Merseyside.
Earlier this year, he said: "It would be very nice to get to 10 years at the club but I'm just concentrating on playing well.
"Whether I stay wouldn't depend on how many games I play. I'm not like that. I'm not interested in somebody promising me something.
"If we have four centre backs then everyone fights for their place and performances should determine who plays.
"If I keep playing well then it'll be difficult for the manager to change things."
Hyypia was a key part of the 2001 treble-winning campaign, proving to be a rock at the back alongside Stephane Henchoz.
He was one of the stand-out performers on the road to Champions League glory in Istanbul, scoring a cool volley which proved crucial in the quarter-final defeat of Juventus.
The defender has already notched up 37 appearances this season despite turning 34 last October, and is considered by many a contender for Liverpool's player of the season.
