From Times Online August 18, 2009
Rafael BenÃtez options limited in search for defensive reinforcements
Tony Barrett
Rafael BenÃtez, the Liverpool manager, will step up his pursuit of much-needed central-defensive reinforcements in the coming days, armed with a budget of no more than £2 million.
Despite having recouped at least as much as he has spent in the transfer market this summer, BenÃtez has been told that there are no significant funds available to supplement his first-team squad and is scouring the bargain basement for a potential recruit.
Liverpool scouts were at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday to watch the highly rated Ryan Shawcross score in Stoke City’s 2-0 win over Burnley, but with the 21-year-old valued in the region of £8 million, any player move would only be made possible if at least one member of BenÃtez’s squad was sold first.
Given his paucity of options in central defence, BenÃtez knew that he had to recruit in that position before Sunday’s 2-1 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur. That he was forced to send on Daniel Ayala, the 18-year-old, for his Barclays Premier League debut when Martin Skrtel suffered a jaw injury, reinforced this belief.
The situation is even more grave given that Daniel Agger’s back injury shows no signs of clearing up and, with the Denmark defender unavailable for the visit of Stoke to Anfield tomorrow, BenÃtez will have only two senior centre backs available if, as expected, Skrtel is passed fit.
Unless Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool owners, release the purse strings then BenÃtez will have to trim his squad to bring in the funds he needs or sign a cheaper centre back, even if he does not meet the Spaniard’s standards.
It is all a long way removed from the day, a little more than two years ago, when Gillett gave an interview after Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat by AC Milan in which he said: “If Rafa said he wanted to buy ‘Snoogy Doogy’ we would back him.â€
BenÃtez has wheeled and dealed this summer but has made only two significant signings, Glen Johnson, the right back, and Alberto Aquilani, the injured midfield player, for a combined total of about £36 million.
This outlay has been more than matched by the proceeds from the sales of Xabi Alonso, Ãlvaro Arbeloa and Sebastián Leto, as well as Adam Hammill, Jack Hobbs and Paul Anderson, the squad players, for an estimated £38 million.
The Liverpool owners argue that the club must be run as a business and made it clear that pay increases handed out to Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Agger would be subtracted from the money made available to BenÃtez.