Benitez has high hopes for strengthened Reds
Rafael Benitez insists his new-look Liverpool will put in a serious challenge for the Barclays Premiership title as he broadens his hunt for a new centre-back.
The Spaniard has welcomed giant new striker Peter Crouch into the ranks at the club’s Swiss training camp and expects to field the £7m (€10.1m) signing in Saturday’s friendly with Olympiacos in Liechtenstein and next Tuesday’s Champions League second qualifying round first leg away to Lithuanian champions Kaunas.
The Anfield chief – with six new signings – now believes he has a squad capable of contesting the title.
He said: “We have more quality to work with now and so I am sure we will do better in the league. That’s our idea.
“We have more options for different positions in the team and so the competition for places is going to be strong.”
But Benitez is still determined to add extra quality, having already spent £20m (€28.7m)-plus this summer, but continues to meet resistance from Real Zaragoza in his big to sign Argentinian defender Gabriel Milito.
That deal has become even more complicated with the Spanish club demanding £10m (€14.4m) while offering their centre-back a new deal to match the wages Liverpool were prepared to pay.
That has prompted Benitez to start looking elsewhere. He is believed to have made a move for Sevilla utility defender Daniel Alves, while also being linked with Real Madrid’s Walter Samuel and Deportivo La Coruna’s Jorge Andrade.
Andrade scored the own goal that gave Liverpool a 1-0 Champions Leaguevictory in the Estadio Riazor back in November in the group stages.
With a deal for Luis Figo still possible, Benitez added: “We probably still need to strengthen certain positions in the squad and that is something we are working on at the moment.
“We knew we needed to improve the quality of the squad and that is what we have done. We needed to strengthen different positions and we’re happy with the players we have managed to bring in.
“I have been here for a year now with my staff and we all have more experience of English football. I wanted to sign some players with experience of the Premiership and we’ve done that in [Boudewijn] Zenden and Crouch.”
Striker Milan Baros’ future could be decided next week when he and his agent are due to meet Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry.
Baros is now fourth-choice striker following Crouch’s arrival, and he said: “Of course it is not pleasant, but I am still a Liverpool player, I am working hard and I am trying to persuade the coach that I deserve my place in the team.
“We will sit together with the coach and talk about his intentions with me. If he says he does not need me, then we will start solving the problem but nothing is happening now and I am not letting it play on my mind.”
Before that, Benitez will want a top-line display in Lithuania.
He is more than aware that Kaunas will provide much stronger opposition than Welsh minnows TNS did in the first qualifying round.
He says: “We’ve had two good games against TNS and they should stand us in good stead for the start of the season.
“We’re not at our best yet but the more games we play and the more training we do then the better the physical condition of the players will become.
“The game in Lithuania next week is obviously a big one for us. I don’t know too much about them at the moment but we have a scout preparing the reports and we’re waiting for them.
“We know from our experience in the TNS games that it’s not going to be easy and we’ll need to be careful.”
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