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Rafael Benítez's shopping list is constrained by shrunken budget
• Liverpool manager uncertain about spending limits
• Transfer budget may not exceed player sales

Rafael Benitez is in the market for good bargains. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/EPA

Rafael Benítez has given an ominous indication of Liverpool's financial state by admitting his transfer budget may not exceed what he has recouped through player sales. Ahead of a Premier League campaign of high expectations at Anfield, the Spaniard claims he is looking to existing players such as Lucas, David Ngog and Nabil El Zhar to improve last season's second place finish and win the club's first league title since 1990.

Doubts have been cast over Liverpool's spending power since American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett agreed a refinancing package last month that involves repaying £60m of £290m debt over the next 12 months. Last week Benítez made a £6m approach for the Hull City defender Michael Turner but balked at Phil Brown's £10m valuation of the 25-year-old and may now turn his attention towards Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross.

Under the terms of the five-year contract Benítez signed with Liverpool in March, £20m was to be allocated for new players this summer plus whatever he raised through sales. It now appears, however, that the Liverpool manager's budget could only amount to what he has received for Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Sebastian Leto as he attempts to overhaul Manchester United in the title race.

Benítez has so far spent a headline figure of £37m on Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani, although the £17m fee for the former Portsmouth defender has been recouped by selling Leto, Arbeloa, Jack Hobbs, Paul Anderson plus money from Robbie Keane's return to Tottenham Hotspur in January. He now has to ask the club's owners whether the £10m profit he made on the £30m sale of Alonso to Real Madrid and the £20m signing of Aquilani from Roma will be reinvested this summer, a situation that casts serious doubt on his ability to add the likes of Valencia's David Silva to his search for defensive cover.

"We have to work with the players we have at this moment and keep working with the scouting department," said Benítez , who saw his team lose their final pre-season friendly 2-1 to Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Saturday. "We had some money but I will not talk about figures. When you talk about the figures I think it is clear. I will not say anything. I don't have the answer. We are working hard with the players we have and the money we have. Always it is difficult to compete in the Premier League with clubs who have more money."

The Liverpool manager refused to confirm that Hicks and Gillett have revised his transfer budget but admitted he is uncertain as to what he has left to spend. "We will see," he said. "We are talking about these things. We are working always. We try to be ready just in case [we can sign someone], but you never know. It depends on the prices. It is something I have to talk with the club about. We have some ideas and we have to discuss these ideas."

Benítez revealed he is seeking improvement within the Liverpool ranks for this season's title challenge, and believes the acquisition of Aquilani will provide greater penetration at home. He explained: "To sign better players than we have now is not easy. If you analyse it you have to spend big, big money to sign these players. We have to manage with the players we have and I am pleased with them and hopefully with the experience of last season they will be better.

"I think we have some young players who need to improve, [Mikel] San Jose, [Daniel] Ayala, but also Ngog, Nabil, [Ryan] Babel and Lucas; young players with quality. The priority [this summer] was to extend the contract of the senior players to make sure we kept the spine of the team. Alonso decided he wanted to go. He told me in May he wanted to leave. We had to keep working and I think the price at the end was good. With this money we have brought in Aquilani. We knew he had an operation, but we wanted to change a little bit the games at home when the opposition is deep and it is not easy to give the final pass. Aquilani will be good there. The other players we have to wait and see how they progress in the season."

Aquilani made only 14 appearances for Roma last season because of an ankle injury that required surgery in May and will delay the Italian midfielder's Liverpool debut until at least a month into the new season. The 25-year-old was also sidelined two seasons ago with a serious thigh strain, but Benítez denied the £20m deal represents a gamble.

"We couldn't change the situation of Alonso. He decided to go, we had to progress. You have to manage in the best way you can," the Liverpool manager said. "If Aquilani was in a normal market he could cost £25m-£30m but because of his operation he was a bit cheaper. We have to wait but he is a player we are signing for five years, not for five matches. I was talking with a lot of people in Italy and people are saying it is a fantastic signing. He is now under the control of our medical staff because he had been going to different people. I think it will be better and he has the quality to settle down in England."

Benítez has an added headache ahead of Sunday's opener at Tottenham with all three of his established central defenders - Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel – injury doubts. Carragher is awaiting results of a scan on an ankle injury sustained against Atletico on Saturday, while Agger has a back problem and Skrtel is recovering from a hamstring strain but has now returned to light training. "I am 80% sure we will have two available for the next game," he said.

looks like Rafa is doomed to having to make silk purses out of sows ears under these goddamn owners!

he's having to fight against the chavs and mancs with both arms tied behind his back, as always...

this is why comments which state that Rafa is useless and needs to go are SO unfounded and blinkered!

See Benitez is getting his excuses in very early, very clever and manipulative man is the Spaniard, he knows there are stupid, daft fans out there who actualy believe the rubbish he spouts and they are the the fans who give him the power when he goes in against the Owners and also the ones who backed him over Parry. Why is the Spaniard making all this no money thing so public, whatever happend to the Liverpool way of business in keeping everything behind the scenes and not washing the clubs dirty lundry in public, I will tell you what, it's called Rafa Benitez, he washed the clubs dirty lundry in public with the famous am Coaching my team rant aimed at the owners, there public spat with Parry and now this, the man is an embarrassment and is doing the same things to put pressure on the owners like he did at Valencia. Why is Benitez any different from Wenger, Moyes, Redknap, O'Neill or anyone else, dont you think they all want more money to spend as well but you dont hear of them as often as the Spaniard moaning and holding out the begging bowl. Get a life Benitez and thank your lucky stars that you get more money than everyone else to spend other than Man City, Chelsea and United and also give thanks that you have such stupid, daft fans who will still sing your name and not put any pressure on you even though you have spend shed loads of money and notwon a trophy for three seasons.

isnt he speakin the truth

All he is doing is moaning about not having enough money but as I said every manager in the league is in the same boat apart from City, United and Chelsea, so why not just make do with what you have and just get on with it. All thats going to happen is he is going to cause more in house fighting with the owners who are not going to be best pleased about the Spaniard making comments in the press about how we are paupers and how thay are not giving him enough money to spend. Why has'nt David Moyes been in the press about Bill Kenwright or Martin O'Neill about Randy Learner because they understand the situation at there clubs and they cut there cloth accordingly. Liverpool's way before this Spaniard came was never to publicise any of our shortcomings in the public domain it was all kept behind closed doors and this shows what type of manager we have in place, one with no class. We have spent 40 million pounds this summer on bringing in new players and only Man City have spent more, the Spaniard would do well to remember this before holding out his begging bowl in front of the worlds press.

Such crap.

Successful teams need investment, if you dont invest, you dont win, that is surely the lesson of history of modern football.

I take it Ged wants us to perform like Everton, Villa or Arsenal... if thats his wish fine, but I dont recall any of them winning the league recently...

No what I am saying is the game has changed now, years ago there was a big five and now there is a big two United and Chelsea,the Everton's, Villa,s, Spurs, Arsenal's and Liverpool's have fell to the way side, Villa won Leagues and European Cups 30 years ago, Everton won leagues 25 years ago and we won Leagues and Champions leagues on a regular basis 20 years ago it's a long time ago and things change unfortunately. My point is that Liverpool have been spending money for the last 20 years which has been beyond there means, we have broke transfer records for players like Collymore, Babb, Scales, Ruddock and club records for players like Reina, Cisse, Mascherano and now Johnson, to spend such an outlay you have to be able to set it off against real success like winning leagues or Champions leagues which we have never done apart from a one of miracle in Istanbul, thats why United and Chelsea can buy the games most expensive players because they have had real success over recent seasons. Liverpool are in similar stature nowadays as probably Arsenal in a two team group behind the big two of Chelsea and United, thats why I cant understand fans saying we should be spending more money, thats how teams like Leeds ( Ferdinand and Keanes ) and Newcastle ( Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Asprilla and Alan Shearer ) got into so much trouble by spending money beyond there means and bringing nothing back in terms of major trophies.

sure didnt he raise the money for these player through sales? if your going to rant and slag of the manager at least have something solid behind them. you sound more and more like the scum fans i meet down the pub

lemon i agree with you, most of the fans, just look at the players he buys, they dont take in to account, what he earns by selling, which is not fair....

and the stories circulating ard suggest he was promised a transfer kitty, which seems no longer availabl...

and if i was in rafa's shoes i wud have done the same....

so i really dont care what this so called fans say about.....i believe benitez will deliver, being a fan, i can only tink good of my team...and thts not my heart, i know we can do it

well, i must say..
we are getting closer and closer..
we kinda "fall asleep" in the 90s(Evans era) only a few youngers managed to get into the team eg , mickey owen , carra, gerrard"
our scouting department was "MIA" there is only a few talented youth in the team compare to SCUM .. who have nevilles bros , butt, beckham,scholes, ... during evans era , we have been focusing alot on UK . Until euro 96 .. berger came...
after which Houllier come in .. he introduce players like westerveld , hyppia, titi camara, that was the starting point ..when Liverpool started to buy more foreign players


for that i really respect Wenger and his scouts
they always managed to find unpolish gems and polish them into gems