We will work tirelessly to bring in the right players says Benitez

Rafa Benitez has insisted that Liverpool will keep the spine of the team intact whilst trying to improve specific areas through the purchase of players this summer. Rejecting any claims by the press that Alonso and Mascherano are about to be sold, Rafa asserts that his midfield will not be split up. Speaking to the official site he said: "We are working very hard to keep the spine of the team - that was always the idea. We have Pepe Reina as the number one goalkeeper with Diego Cavalieri behind him, another good goalkeeper. Then we have Skrtel, Carragher and Agger - three good centre-backs. Then you go to the midfield with Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas and Gerrard, with Torres up front and Ngog, who is a very good prospect. We have a good squad that is still young, so hopefully we can improve further.”

He insists he will work tirelessly to bring in the right players this summer, with a £20m plus budget speculated in the press, he said: "We know we still need to improve in some specific areas. We will be working very hard to do that over the summer."

"Now we know these things we can be more precise, sign players in a better way, approach games and different competitions in a better way. We know the rules and the style of the game in England much better now."

"Maybe sometimes you don't need as long to start challenging as it has taken us. But when the other teams are so strong it becomes much more difficult. You can try to move fast, but if they go as fast as you, you have to go faster. The only way to do that is to try to sign the right players every single time.”