from Mike Maguire, Goal.Com

It is believed that Klinsmann’s representatives contacted Liverpool in order to warn them that the ex-Germany striker had got wind of Benitez’s transfer schemes.

The Merseyside club were shocked when they discovered that someone had supposedly sought Klinsmann’s opinion regarding at least one possible target they had been tracking.

This information will surely infuriate Rafa Benitez, who has been alerting Hicks via private emails of his transfer plans as Liverpool prepare to launch into the summer market, and he will want an explanation as to why the former Tottenham star had been contacted at all.

Klinsmann was interviewed in November as a candidate to succeed Benitez, who was in the midst of a public dispute with Hicks and his policies at the time.

Now Klinsmann is in line to take the reigns from Ottmar Hitzfeld next season at Bayern Munich, and information of this sort being leaked to one of Liverpool’s stronger competitors in the transfer market could be very damaging to the Reds’ hopes of securing their preferred targets this summer.

It has been a turbulent week at Anfield, after Hicks asked Liverpool CEO Rick Parry to resign, sending shockwaves through Merseyside amid the celebrations of Tuesday’s thrilling Champions League victory over Arsenal.

This is just the latest development in Hicks’ attempt to secure sole executive control of the club, following his falling out with co-owner George Gillett and his deflections of Dubai Investment Capital’s efforts to mount a takeover bid.

Benitez refused to comment on the matter ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Blackburn Rovers at Anfield today.

Despite a substandard patch of league form that sees his side occupying fourth spot in the table, Benitez has won over many sceptical fans in recent months due to Liverpool’s continued dominance in Europe, as they prepare to face Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals in two weeks’ time.

Many of Rafa’s supporters are adamant that he should distance himself from Hicks’ regime, as most Liverpool fans seem to prefer the prospect of Gillett selling his majority stake in the club to DIC.