According to The Guardian...
"Club officials met in the Spanish capital before Liverpool's Europa League semi‑final against Atlético Madrid on Thursday, with Real taking the opportunity to try to offload several players deemed surplus to requirements by the club president, Florentino Perez. Liverpool were interested in Van der Vaart, who was offered despite forcing his way into Manuel Pellegrini's plans this season, in a deal that would see Real recoup much of the €13m they paid Hamburg in 2008.
Whether Rafael Benítez envisages a role for the 27-year-old midfielder in his plans is not clear and there are several issues for the club to address before pursuing a deal for the former Ajax favourite. Liverpool's interest, however, has been registered."
A less-reliable rumour, being spread around the net, suggests that Rafael Benitez has also opened talks with Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has failed to settle at the Bernabeu and looks likely to be on his way out in the summer.