Benitez confident of a title challenge

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 to the club’s Swiss training camp and expects to field the £7million signing in Saturday’s friendly with Olympiakos in Liechtenstein and Tuesday’s Champions League second qualifying round first leg away to Lithuanian’s Kaunas.

The Anfield chief - with six new signings - now believes he has a squad capable of competing for the title.

He said: “We have more quality to work with 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 £20million-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 £10million 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’s Jorge Andrade.

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.

“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.

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.