Reds must sell to fund summer buys

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted he will have to sell players to help fund summer transfer targets.

Benitez will look to strengthen his squad in close season to keep pace with Manchester United and Chelsea and make another push for the Premier League title next term.

The Reds have been linked with a second attempt to sign Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, as well as Valencia striker David Villa and Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson, but in order to bring in that calibre of player he will have to trim his squad.

Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena have been unconvincing and could be sacrificed, and Sami Hyypia is reported to have been offered a deal to join the coaching staff.

“More or less I will have an idea of how much we will have to spend,” said Benitez.

“I think we’d have to sell players to increase the money we’ll need, but at the moment we’re not talking about names and money.

“We are working on targets and we will try to do things as quickly and cheaply as possible.

“Every year it is important to sign good players, the right players. We know we have better players than before and it will be difficult to find better players than we have now.

“But we are working very hard during the season, looking for and watching players. We will be ready.”