Benitez rules out player exits

Wed, 19 Aug 16:38:08 2009

Rafael Benitez is unlikely to approve any further sales of Liverpool players as his team struggles to cope with a growing injury list.

The Anfield chief has dismissed speculation winger Albert Riera and striker Andriy Voronin could be leaving, with Barcelona and Hertha Berlin, respectively, showing interest.

Benitez said: "Nobody will be sold because we need all our players. We can't afford to lose anyone else. The Premier League is very difficult and we have to keep everyone we have at the moment."

Riera was left out of the squad that lost 2-1 at Tottenham last Sunday, but Benitez maintains that was purely because of his lack of training last week due to a minor injury.

Voronin, who came on as substitute at White Hart Lane, was on loan to Hertha last season and there have been suggestions the German club are preparing a £3million bid, but Benitez's current squad is hit by injuries and it has been revealed he has not been able to spend the transfer budget this summer he was expecting.

Liverpool are, however, closing in on a deal to sign AEK Athens centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Benitez has been denied the funds needed to compete for the likes of Hull's Michael Turner and Stoke's Ryan Shawcross as well as Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Amorebieta, but Liverpool can table a £1.5m bid for former Rangers defender Kyrgiakos and are hopeful of landing the 30-year-old Greek international.

Kyrgiakos began his career at Panathinaikos before joining Rangers on loan in January 2004.

The 6ft 4in defender's switch to Scotland was made permanent but he was released after his contract expired in July 2006.

Two seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt followed before he signed a five-year contract with AEK Athens last year.

 

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  1. Are you really sure that real Liverpool fans can't­ wait to see Benitez go? I think you're supporting­ the wrong team dude. If he goes, who do you think in­ his right mind would be able to take over this team and­ manage it on a bare minimum show string budget for a­ top 4 team? Wenger, who's taken years to build a­ team. Fergie who's taken even longer and with more­ money? 'Moan'rinho who before the latest Mancs­ and Madrid spending was the EPL galatico master. Hey­ this Greek dude might be the only choice available to­ Rafa. Too much spent on Glen? In 2 games he's won­ us a penalty and scored. that's from a right back.­ his forays down the flanks will become a thing of­ legend. Too much would be Carrick. Anyway the price was­ subsidised by the sale of Crouchie. Maybe we should­ have gone for Selgado on a free but he must have his­ reasons. We're REDS dude. We support regardless.­ With King Kenny back at Anfield wht else could we ask­ for, David Villa or Ribbery I suppose but believe we­ have that in the kitty? You smokin' the wrong­ stuff. YNWA since 1968 too.

    From Ron, on Thu 20 Aug 8:54AM
  2. Well said Andy,we need to oust the planks (yanks).they­ are Indian givers.promises.promises,promises.Why cant­ they put something in writing.then Rafa can get on with­ things...

    From Marge Simpson., on Thu 20 Aug 8:13AM
  3. Don't put negative thinking on Rafa's decision­ to get Kyrgiakos. I think with limited (or none at all)­ budget, he is doing the right thing. We definitely need­ a centre back. This guy is 30years old. Maybe he is a­ short term solution. We already started the season and­ since no more budget to buy, we must quickly close the­ gap. Simple enough. In Rafa we trust. YNWA

    From c41ng0ku, on Thu 20 Aug 1:47AM
  4. If babbel is that bad why is he playing for Holland?­ People on here just haven't got a clue!!!

    From steven, on Thu 20 Aug 12:32AM
  5. Mitchmarshall, you are eating you words tonight. Glen­ Johnson is worth every penny you muppet!!!

    From steven, on Thu 20 Aug 12:29AM
  6. Why do we still get Koppites claiming that Benitez is­ useless, he should go, and all the rest of it? My son­ is a red-hot Manc with a footballing brain who hates­ everything to do with Anfield, but he would happily cut­ off an arm and a leg to see Benitez go. He knows­ he's worth more than Gerrard or Torres.

    From john roberts, on Wed 19 Aug 11:12PM
  7. (cont) Do some reading about the issues and the­ financial situation (and not in the tabloids, read some­ proper analysis) and you'll see that I'm right.­ Without those two carpetbaggers being forced out of­ our great club, we have no chance of progressing,­ blaming Benitez is short-sighted in the extreme.

    YNWA.

    From Andy Jones, on Wed 19 Aug 9:18PM
  8. mitchmarshall - joke of a comment.

    The issue is that­ Benitez was promised £20m from the TV money, the £16m­ fee we were due for Keane and any money he raised from­ sales to spend this summer. He raised £39m from sales­ which, with the TV money and Keane fee, gives a total­ of £75m. He's spent £37m of that on two players­ and then the owners tell him that they've changed­ their minds and he can't have the rest.

    How is he­ supposed to work and to plan his signings with that­ kind of thing going on?

    Also, who the hell is the wing­ back that he sold for £5m that's better than Glen­ Johnson? Please don't say John Arne Riise because­ if that's who you mean, your already scant­ credibility will disappear completely. If you mean­ Arbeloa, he wasn't a wing back and was a squad­ player through and through, also he waas sold for £4m­ not £5m.

    Wake up and smell the coffee - there's no­ way in hell that Benitez would have blown his entire­ transfer kitty on two players if he didn't think he­ had the remainder of the money promised by the owners­ available - we know we needed a CB to replace Sami and­ we also need some quality cover for Nando.

    You might­ have been a fan since 1968 lad, but it's not 1968­ any more. You need money to improve the squad, plain­ and simple. We needed to spend money on a couple of­ key positions and Benitez was given his budget in May. ­ He signed players in accordance with that and now, yet­ again, he's had the rug pulled from under his feet­ by the canncer that is killing our club -m the two­ parasites in the boradroom that are bleeding us dry to­ support the crippling debt they have put on­ us.

    Torres, Mascherano, all signed out of money the­ owners borrowed against the club. Over £80m spent on­ fantasy island designs for the new ground and still no­ spade has been put in the ground. They'll carry on­ getting an easy ride as long as people refuse to­ recognise the way the manager has been hamstrung by­ them. Do

    From Andy Jones, on Wed 19 Aug 9:15PM
  9. its all a load of rubbish

    From lollytom, on Wed 19 Aug 8:05PM
  10. I am a Liverpool Fan and already this year is a mess­ with one game gone,if the two from America Laural and­ hardy don't want to give no more funds then why­ should we pay at the gate just to pay of there depth.As­ they are making a laughing stock of one of the worlds­ most famous clubs Listen to me if you stop going to the­ games we will see JUST HOW LONG THAT LAURAL AND HARDY­ WILL STAY WITHOUT THE MONEY FROM THE SUPPORTERS WHAT­ JOKE GET OUT TOM AND HICK:

    From shane.oneill3, on Wed 19 Aug 7:56PM
  11. get ruud van nistelrooy to be torres partner.

    From alfiean, on Wed 19 Aug 7:50PM
  12. why do liverpool supporters keep backing Benitez, he is­ rubbish, we will never win anything with his­ leadership. 17 mil for a joke of a wing back,not as­ good as the one he sold for 5 mil. Everyone knows­ Torres needs another forward to help out. Any true Red­ could manage our great club better than this Spanish­ clown. If we dont win to nite he will come out with the­ same lame excuse. I have know money to buy players.
    Im­ with the American owners all the way, no more money to­ waste on second rate players.
    from Mitch supporter­ since 1968

    From mitchmarshall, on Wed 19 Aug 7:42PM
  13. You have no one else to sell !

    From , on Wed 19 Aug 7:24PM
  14. True Rafa too many injuries,but lads like Lucas is­ 'injured' even if not being injured

    From Michael, on Wed 19 Aug 6:31PM
  15. liverpool had a bad game i thick babel should not been­ on the pitch he has not done a lot for liverpool we­ have better players on the bench that could do a lot­ better then him

    From Debbie Sue, on Wed 19 Aug 6:11PM
  16. best be a better game than spurs wot a load of rubbish­ that was if we lose 2nite we wont be winning the­ premier league we only lost 2 last season and were­ still 4 points behind. we need another striker we would­ have alot more options then

    From peter.mcaloon, on Wed 19 Aug 5:51PM
  17. what a joke. we can only bid 1.5 million for a player­ because theres no more money.

    shame the arabs from man­ city didn't buy out the planks, sorry yanks, and­ then we'd have got kaka, no probs.

    From CARL, on Wed 19 Aug 5:24PM
  18. half the chelsea team are 30 or over. Give the guy a­ chance. I think it is more about ability than age, but­ the guy could be a bargain. We will wait and see.

    From j1999, on Wed 19 Aug 4:36PM
  19. 30yr old experienced defender is better than a­ midfielder trying to play in that position when the­ current lot of blind men are all sidelined due to­ injuries caused by team mates. Boy, am I pissed or­ what! What a lousy showing at Tottenham.

    From GI Joe 323, on Wed 19 Aug 4:08PM
  20. 3 million for 30 yr old voronin snap their hands off,­ as for buying a 30 yr old defender what an idiot, why­ have squad players if they are not good enough -­ negative benitas needs to go as does abel his head is­ too slow for professional football and his close­ control doesn't exist.

    From Ian, on Wed 19 Aug 2:56PM
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