Benitez: Would quit if Torres is sold against his will
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Benitez: I'll quit if Reds sell Torres
Rafael Benitez is "confident" Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will never be sold against his will - but says he would resign if he was.
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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.
"I'm confident it will never happen," he said. "If it did, I'd resign."
The financial situation at Liverpool means they struggle to compete with their Premier League big-four rivals in the transfer market.
And Benitez admitted the situation had led him to make some mistakes.
"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 Alberto Aquilani, who was bought for £17million 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, £20million 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 £20-30million. 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 seventh in the table having lost five league games already this season, many are ruling them out of the title race, while some even feel they will struggle to qualify for the Champions League next term.
"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."
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Your Comments
zaki14 (Arsenal fan)
"fc_richie is right every one should abandoning liverpool nowadays i kno some that come over to the arsenal they kno liverpool is finnished if gerrard wants to win the league then he should to the emirates and play with fabregas in the middle"
flyb0y (Liverpool fan)
"The thing is Rafa, if you don't improve, soon Torres may ask to be sold..! So, you gota do something now!"
The_Panik (Manchester United fan)
"fc_richie (Liverpool fan) What! Horrendous comment, I'd still support Utd if we got relegated, thats the rule, you just have to, you cant just cherry pick your team when it suits you.
Powzer - Yeah that'd help wouldnt it!!
Ronaldo121 - 1 Typo I can understand but 3! Loose = not tight, Lose = to not win, if you're gonna use name calling at least get it right.
"
powzer (Liverpool fan)
"I will quit if we sell Torries. I do not think I will be alone. I think the Yanks may get it then if ticket sales start to fall and tv revenues dry up. NOT FOR SALE."
ronaldo121
"Do you think that Torres will stay to Looserfool all the time given the huge amount of titles you win(just JOKING). He want to go to another club afterwards when his career is nearing an end. I bet Gerrard will not win the league unless he goes to a champion team like Manchester United. Do you think Owen is a fool joining the Red Devils after playing for a rival team? I think he is one of the most intelligent players Looserpool has had.
I know Looserpool will not win the league until SAF retires... "
Velky Al (Liverpool fan)
"fc_richie why don't you just pack you bags now then? You have made it patently obviously that you are a big name glory supporter - plenty of space for your type down at the Old Toilet."
redG
"fc_richie
So basically you're a fan of Torres then, and not LFC?
that's sad. really. you're not a fan, we don't need fans like you around."
fc_richie (Liverpool fan)
"if they sell Torres then I would drop my allegiance to Liverpool, and I hope others would too, Torres inspired me to get back into football, if we sold him we wouldn't have any ambition, and if we had no ambition we wouldn't be Liverpool F.C. You'll Never Walk Alone"
threadonaspool (Liverpool fan)
"I dont like Rafa defending Babel. I really hope he is sold in the January transfer window."
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