LIVERPOOL NEWS
Benitez: I will quit if Torres is sold
By Soccernet staff
November 17, 2009
Rafael Benitez has revealed he would be prepared to quit as Liverpool boss if star striker Fernando Torres is ever sold against his will.
The club's well-publicised debts have led to questions about whether owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would be tempted should a big-money offer come in for the Spain striker.
But Benitez told the Times the 25-year-old would not be sold at any cost.
"I'm confident it will never happen,'' he said. "If it did, I'd resign.''
Liverpool's £20 million man Alberto Aquilani was their only high profile arrival in the summer and Benitez has often bemoaned his inability to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the transfer market.
And while the Spanish boss admitted the situation had led him to make some mistakes, he was defiant about his transfer policy.
"When we have spent big, normally it's been very good business,'' he said. "Torres, [Javier] Mascherano, [Pepe] Reina, [Xabi] Alonso.
"[Robbie] Keane is a good player but we had to sell him because he was not playing at the level we knew he could play. "Ryan [Babel] was signed for the future and we are waiting for his improvement. He has to be more consistent.
"With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about.''
Benitez defended the signing of midfielder Aquilani, who was bought for from Roma to replace Alonso after the Spain international joined Real Madrid in the summer, but is only now reaching fitness after injury problems.
"We can only buy one or two big, £20 million players a year,'' Benitez said. "If we want to have money available then we have to sell some players. We have to sell expensive and buy as cheaply as possible.
"Aquilani fit would be £20-30 million. We checked with doctors and they said he would be out one, maybe two months. We have lost some time, but I signed the player for five years, not five weeks.''
With Liverpool struggling for form and lying seventh in the table having lost five league games already this season, many believe their title aspirations are already dead, while qualification for the knockout stage of this season's Champions League has also been cast into serious doubt.
"People are worried,'' Benitez said. "But the team will improve. When we have key players on the pitch we are as good as anyone. We have proved this in the past.''
