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 19 - 38 of 58

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  1. Benitez, You are totally right... You have a top class­ athlets and they are all performing better than ever.­ with the injured guys back to form. You have more juice­ to supplement the team for the long run. It's­ almost said now that it's Liverpool year and matbe­ the next two years. MU are declining, Chelsea not­ feeling so good and arsenal with so much troubles.­ You'll be alone this year at the top...

    From mehdi y, on Wed 7 Jan 4:29AM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    And when they will drop to 3rd they will be crying why­ didn't they get players in Jan :-) Seen it before­ many times with Liverbull

    From Half A Brain, on Wed 7 Jan 4:07AM

  3. And as for comment 12 cokrowinoto, you need to be on­ another site instead of getting political over­ something you have absolutely no idea of. This is a­ football form so I suggest you either stick to the­ subject here or @#$% off.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:59AM

  4. rc_alcock, Hi there? How are things?

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:57AM

  5. Silent~screamz, wind that silly neck in you sad­ comedian. With that spelling and grammar you are­ displaying on here, you are just as bad if not worse.­ At least we are multi lingual, unlike your monolingual­ bunch.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:53AM

  6. Ops!!!!!!!!!! On the Robbie Keane comment, I meant­ £20m....lolololololol

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:45AM

  7. clofemi comment 9:
    Should in all unlikelihood, Michael­ Owen be allowed to return to Anfield, he is likely to­ spend a lot of time warming the bench up. Don't you­ realise that at the age of nearly 30, he is on the­ verge of aquiring his first Zimmerframe, in footballing­ terms. Like all the sad losers dreaming of the World­ Cup....you @#$% what.....in your 30s, how the hell are­ you going to contribute to the side if anything at all.­ His kind are dead wood.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:43AM

  8. Ahmad F, comment 30
    I shall back your statement up­ there mate. £20 for Keane was and is daylight robbery.­ How does a club justify such a price for an average­ player? Mr Benitez is being cautious not to wind the­ owners up too much.
    Somehow, I think that Manchester­ United shall get the honours in any case. Manchester­ United are almost unbeatable in every department and­ they shall not be a push over on any account. Enjoy the­ summit while you can Hombre and don't look down too­ much as you might lose your footing.

    From sappercommando25, on Wed 7 Jan 3:38AM

  9. benitez is probably afraid to spend or the owners got­ pissed coz he bought robbie keane for 20mil which i­ believe everyone agrees is a ripoff

    From Ahmad F, on Wed 7 Jan 1:42AM

  10. u will finish 4 th , i already put money on it,,,,,,,

    From mustaphachemaou, on Wed 7 Jan 1:22AM

  11. To all true football fans, I'm a Muslim and thank­ you. We should talk football rather than other things.­ This is the greatest game on earth and it brings unity­ to all races/religions. And as LFC fan, we should stick­ to the spirit of "You'll never walk­ alone"
    YNWA

    From c41ng0ku, on Wed 7 Jan 1:05AM

  12. Jee M was that too much Chilli on the Beef Kebab. Kind­ of wondering what it would be like to eat your own god.

    From starman_123, on Wed 7 Jan 12:48AM

  13. Rahul i think we should bomb you and then play­ football. By the way you are the worst type of bigot.

    From starman_123, on Wed 7 Jan 12:42AM

  14. Guys, lets use this forum to talk about our dear club­ Liverpool and what we feel will make the club grow from­ strength to strength and leave this whole talk about­ "killing" and urgly stuff. The fact remains­ that Rahul was thoughtless about his comment. If he has­ anything personal against the muslims, I dont think­ this is the best avenue to air his grieviances. Lets­ talk soccer and not nonrelivant issues. Fair-me

    From oluwafemi, on Wed 7 Jan 12:10AM

  15. ALAN A(7),Malachi(3),lyndsay_mike(11) ur all a piece of­ @#$% @#$%. liverpool will definetly win. 4 points ahead­ of chelsea next game stoke easy. if rafa put the­ players in. id love to see sergio ramos come in or maxi­ rodringuez. and rahul(6) m8 im an indian and christian.­ mostly christians fight over muslim. i agree with­ cokrowinoto(13). you wouldnt be laughing if muslims­ kill ur family and play football using dead bodies as­ goal posts and lines on the ground.

    From SHELWIN, on Tue 6 Jan 11:44PM

  16. you need no one but God surely can be of help

    From mh_lionel, on Tue 6 Jan 11:40PM

  17. In my opinion, the very insensitive comment of the soul­ call Rahul S, should be deleted from this site so as to­ avoid any negative reaction from the muslim community.­ I am not a muslim but I appreciate the fact that we are­ talking soccer here and sharing our defferent opinion­ about the club we support. If Rahul is interested in­ war, let him look for somewhere else. He has no­ business here. Fair-me 4rm Canada

    From oluwafemi, on Tue 6 Jan 11:36PM

  18. 1st, the owners must leave KOP..
    2nd, we need a­ flamboyant right winger and a pair of full-backs,
    what­ we have is still decent..
    open your eyes rafa...!!!!!!!

    From aki, on Tue 6 Jan 11:27PM

  19. 13 17 and 18 are right about 6. Far too much about­ killing and maiming on these sites lately when this is­ about FOOTBALL and fans' views about the game. Good­ solid honest banter. If you want to comment on the­ extremely sad and awful situation in the Middle East do­ it elsewhere please

    From taff, on Tue 6 Jan 11:22PM

  20. oh dear

    From nb, on Tue 6 Jan 11:08PM
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