Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists Xabi Alonso is an indispensable part of a squad which he believes is within touching distance of greatness.
The Reds boss has named the Spain midfielder alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jose Reina and Fernando Torres as one of the key components of his future plans.
'We are working very hard to keep the spine of the team - that was always the idea,' Benitez told LFC Magazine.
'We have Pepe Reina as the number one goalkeeper with Diego Cavalieri behind him, another good goalkeeper. Then we have (Martin) Skrtel, (Jamie) Carragher and (Daniel) Agger - three good centre-backs.
'Then you go to the midfield with Alonso, (Javier) Mascherano, Lucas and Gerrard, with Torres up front and (David) Ngog, who is a very good prospect. We have a good squad that is still young, so hopefully we can improve further.
'We know we still need to improve in some specific areas. We will be working very hard to do that over the summer.'
