Premier League - Benitez: We need no-one

Eurosport - Tue, 06 Jan 21:17:00 2009

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has insisted that he does not need to sign any new players in this January's transfer window.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Liverpool Rafa Benitez - 0

It has become clear that the Anfield chief is highly unlikely to delve into the transfer market this month, with very little prospect of any of his first-team squad stars leaving the club.

There is a very obvious desire at the club not to rock the boat at any level with Liverpool top of the table and aiming for their first title in 19 years.

Sources at the club confirm that Benitez has made no move to re-sign Emile Heskey, despite constant speculation that the England international was on his way back to Merseyside.

And Liverpool have Fernando Torres, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa all back from injury to boost the side in the final 18 league games of the season.

"We finished 2008 very well, we played with style and have scored a lot of goals," said Benitez.

"I am very pleased and happy with the situation and hope it will be the same in the new year.

"We have other players apart from Torres coming back from injury. There is Skrtel, Aurelio and Arbeloa all fit now. It will be like signing three new players.

"We do not need to go into the transfer market, we are certainly not desperate to do so.

"If we find we need something we will try, but it is always hard in this window and very expensive.

"But we are in a good position and I am happy to use the players we have now plus the ones returning from injury."

The only departure is likely to be out-of-favour Jermaine Pennant, whose contract expires at the end of the season. And if a deal cannot be secured, Benitez will send the winger out on loan.

Benitez will rebuff any attempts by AC Milan to sign defender Daniel Agger, while Andreas Dossena, who would have been a possible departure, is now needed as back-up for Aurelio at left-back.

That is because Liverpool will lose impressive Argentinian youngster Emiliano Insua until February 8 due to the South American Under-20 Championships.

Insua has made a big impact in recent weeks, and the international call-up could not have come at a worse time for him.

He has recently broken into Benitez's first team and done well in four successive matches. But his enforced international departure has been offset by the return from injury of Aurelio.

One player, 17-year-old striker Marvin Pourie, is leaving the club in a £50,000 switch to Schalke. Pourie joined Liverpool's academy 18 months ago from Borussia Dortmund but has not made the breakthrough expected.

With things going well on the pitch, the club's controversial American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have opted for a low profile to maintain the club's concentration on their title bid.

The widely-touted six-month extension to their £350m of loans has also been confirmed.

That move was always expected, with the club more than capable of meeting the interest payments. And the last thing Liverpool need now, after their experiences of last season, is a high-profile battle for control of the club.

The Americans will have to repay the £350m or sell up in the summer, and by then they hope for an easing of the credit crunch which will encourage potential buyers.

If Liverpool are champions, that will further help their cause.

Champions League qualification for next season should also by then have been assured. With a 10-point lead over fifth-placed Arsenal at present, it is a decent bet that Liverpool will finish in the top four again, and maintain the flow of UEFA cash into the Anfield coffers.

Team Talk / Eurosport

Comment 39 - 58 of 58

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  1. The punctuation mistakes,"AND" awful­ grammar,in both comments 48.and 49,prove one thing­ alone.
    If i was indeed a "scouser" as you so­ eloquently put it,i'm better eductaed than­ you.
    Sappercommando.?
    To what are you reffering to,?­ "Grilling"?.
    Is this a homosexual activity­ you share with al_c0ck,and Mr Brainless?,do tell all­ tyvm.
    You should know your place in life.
    And if i have­ to constantly put you there ,then so be it.
    Any idiot­ given enough time,can correct his spelling and­ grammar,BEFORE posting his comment.
    I guess even this­ is beyond you...... it's you're....not you­ are.
    ..........Chelsea will cream­ united.............like you cream your panties­ everytime al_c0ck whispers your name lovingly and­ forlornly and longingly, he gazes into your eyes­ seeking affection he no longer recieves from his­ wife.
    Brainless must be getting jealous.....i await­ your idiotic reply.

    From !, on Wed 7 Jan 2:11PM

  2. bOoooOOO gunners!!!!!hahahahahaha

    From Zack M, on Wed 7 Jan 12:44PM

  3. Go guunnnnneeeeerrrrrsssssss you are the best­ gunnnneeeerrrss 4 live

    From ancolink1, on Wed 7 Jan 12:38PM

  4. liverpool is perfect..... just try to bring some youth­ player to train....thats good enuf....

    From Zack M, on Wed 7 Jan 12:37PM

  5. lfc has gud squad..and i dnt find any reasons to fiddle­ with this team..heskey's return..i dnt find the­ need for it.. torres and co are doing an excellent­ job.. rafa rotates the squad enuf so everybdy has some­ match time under his belt..and can play wen asked­ to..as for wthr this is lfc yr..time can nly tell..if­ they go the same way as of now..itz a done deal..bt any­ loss of points on the way will mount pressure..EPL has­ been awesome this season..and i assume the title race­ will last till the very last week..itz a 3 horse­ race..itz even difficult to say who will be­ relegated..as the point diff btw teams are very­ minimum..

    manu4lifE

    From stanley, on Wed 7 Jan 9:12AM

  6. Doubt it!!

    From doubt.it.man, on Wed 7 Jan 9:02AM

  7. I just wonder why the likes of Emil Heskey would want­ to return to the club, only to be warming up the bench.­ Apart from that there are far too many much better­ players at Liverpool anyway.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 7:22AM

  8. brainless, right there about that dcik Silent~screamz.­ You can tell he is from Scouseland

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 7:13AM

  9. hmmm...so no new player for the red n­ blues(maybe)...good luck from MU fans :)....

    From Addy N, on Wed 7 Jan 7:12AM

  10. Silent~screamz. After the grilling you got the last­ time, one would have thought that you'd have the­ good grace to wind the neck in.
    "BTW Manchester­ united have no chance to win the league,sane people­ know this already."
    This is a clear indicator that­ you have absolutely no idea of what you are typing­ about. Are YOU sane at all, or just plain thick as you­ look?

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 6:57AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Silent~screamz, and the point is? Oh. Sorry, Forgot you­ are a liverpoo supporter, therefore you are clueless,­ brainless, and Premierleague-less :-D

    From Half A Brain, on Wed 7 Jan 6:56AM

  12. Silent~screamz­ lololololololololololololololololololololol at you.­ Goodness, you really believe your own nonsense.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 6:52AM

  13. lfc forever

    From sly fox, on Wed 7 Jan 6:41AM

  14. Comment 37[brainless]by name brainless by nature.!
    You­ make sappercommando seem positively enlightend.

    From !, on Wed 7 Jan 6:19AM

  15. "sighs".

    From !, on Wed 7 Jan 6:17AM

  16. Is sappercommando eastern European.?
    English appears­ to be his second language.
    Though fluent in­ bull@#$%,his grammar is as laughable as the piffle he­ spouts here on a daily basis.
    Only his online lover­ al_c0ck seems to cater to his advances.
    A civil marrige­ looms in the near future........
    BTW Manchester united­ have no chance to win the league,sane people know this­ already.
    It's liverpools to lose, chelsea's to­ win.
    Fergie will leave this years or get the chop.
    Next­ season mid table mediocraty for the manc's

    From !, on Wed 7 Jan 6:05AM

  17. Comment 36. That is exactly what I meant for comment no­ 6 which unfortunately or fortunately is no longer­ there. You may not have read it and its not worth­ repeating here. Thank goodness Yahoo has the sense of­ pulling it out of the forum. And now let's stick to­ the soccer.

    From cokrowinoto, on Wed 7 Jan 5:56AM

  18. mehdi y nonsense you type here

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 5:56AM

  19. trust me mehdi its not liverpool's year lmao.
    man U­ have won there last 5 games n are still in it to win­ it.
    wit no injuries n bench full reserves to take over­ lol.
    plus the the fact they only played 18 games to­ liverpool's 20.
    equalising it all up if man U­ played the 2 games should put man U on 44 point n 2nd­ place.
    i sense a damn tight race to the finish n Man U­ always finish strong. liverpool will fall wen the­ pressure is on lol.

    From acm_shevcenko, on Wed 7 Jan 5:56AM

  20. @#$% every thing els the only thing that count here is­ that liverpool is the best club from dr.h south africa

    From hendrikroets, on Wed 7 Jan 5:51AM
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