The 20-year-old has insisted that both the club and coach Carlo Ancelotti want to keep him and that he has received no offers

Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has moved to distance himself from speculation that he could leave the club this summer.

The young forward made inroads into the Blancos first team last term, having come through the ranks at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, recent speculation has linked him with a move to Liverpool, but Morata insists that he only wants to play for the capital club.

“I’m training well and want to stay in Madrid,” Morata said.

“The club and coach want me to stay. I do not have to turn down any offers because I have not received any. I just want to play here.

“It is important to receive minutes and to score goals, and the more minutes you get, the more chances you will score.”

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain stand between Morata and a regular first-team spot and while the 20-year-old believes the Argentine could leave, he is certain the Portuguese will stay put.

“Higuain? It is up to the club, but I see him with the same enthusiasm as always,” he added.

“Cristiano? I do not imagine that he will leave. He is the best in the world and has to be on the best team in the world. I am a fan of his.”

The midfielder has endured a torrid time with injury problems at Anfield, but claims he is back to his best after a positive start to pre-season

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is delighted with his pre-season progress and claims to be feeling around 50 per cent fitter than he did last campaign.

After missing the majority of 2011-12 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the Brazilian picked up a thigh problem at the beginning of last campaign that ruled him out for three months and claims he is only now returning to full fitness.

“I’m feeling 50-60% better than I was last season,” he told the club’s official website.

“The last six months I played were really important for me. I needed to get games and sessions, and this season now I’m feeling strong and feeling that I’m in the shape I was before the injury.

“Now I’ve got to improve the fitness and build confidence, but I’m really happy with the way pre-season has started.”

The 26-year-old was voted the Reds’ Player of the Season after his previous injury-free campaign in 2011, but has made just 38 Premier League appearances in the two years since then.

The Reds boss, who celebrated a year in charge at Anfield in June, is upbeat about his side’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League in 2013-14

Brendan Rodgers is confident Liverpool can fight for a top four spot in the Premier League this season.

The 40-year-old has been busy early on in the transfer window, signing Kolo Toure, Simon Mignolet, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto, while Steven Gerrard has extended his contract.

The Reds boss is happy with what he has seen so far during pre-season and is confident of a successful upcoming season for the Merseyside club.

“The Champions League is a competition we’re fighting to get in,” Rodgers told reporters at a press conference in Jakarta.

“The great name of Liverpool as a club and the history of the club dictate that we should be in that competition. There’s no other measure for us.

“The challenge is very, very difficult because of the competitors now in England. We have to continue to fight – and I believe we can put up a great fight this year.

“It was very difficult for us last season with a new infrastructure and a new way of working and playing, but I believe this season we can put up a great fight. Let’s hope we can get back to where the club belongs.”

Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League last season, but Rodgers admits stability and building a foundation was the key for the club to push on this term.

He added: “I’ve looked at how we’ve started our pre-season and that start base and foundation is already in place.

“Last year at the club, it was really about putting together the infrastructure of the club again, looking to rebuild and put lots of facets in place that will really help us going forward. From what I have seen this summer so far, even in pre-season, I really believe there is a real stability there.

“In England, it has shown over the years that the teams that have went on and done well have had that stability. I’m very sure we can really challenge this year and the stability is important for that.”

“We really want to have a greater fight for the Champions League spots right from the very first whistle.

“That’s our prime aim and we would like to do well in the cup competitions. Our squad was a little bit thin last year, but this year we’re going into those [cup competitions] as well as the league and look to make the steps we want to make.

“The four new players have settled in really well and all looked very, very good in their first two weeks of training. I’m really happy with them.”