Source: PremierLeague.com
- BENITEZ BIDES HIS TIME
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists he is in no rush to conclude any business before the transfer window closes.
The European champions have been linked with a move for Aston Villa midfielder Nolberto Solano, while Reds striker Milan Baros has attracted interest from a number of clubs after having seemingly slipped down the pecking order at Anfield.
But Benitez is aiming to continue playing cat and mouse in the transfer market.
“I am in no hurry,” he said.
He said of Baros: “Lyon have made a good bid, Aston Villa another bid. We will analyse those bids and while we are doing that, Milan is our player and will play for us.
“As far as I am concerned we have made no bid for Solano and there are certainly no bids for (Djibril) Cisse. He is our player and, no, I do not expect us to have sold two strikers before the transfer deadline.”
Benitez was equally non-committal when asked about the possible return to Anfield of Real Madrid's England forward Michael Owen.
The Spaniard said: “My answer is always the same. We have six strikers, I don’t need seven. Michael is a good player and I know what he means to Liverpool and to England.
“But we have made no offer to Madrid and they have not offered him to us. I say again, I want a new centre-back and a winger before anything else.”
He added: “I cannot say Michael is a bad player, he is a good player. I want a centre-back, not someone up front.
“Sometimes we only play with one striker, so five or six strikers is enough. When there is talk of Owen I always want to make my strikers feel confident. They are working well, they have scored a lot of goals in pre-season and I am happy with them and the team.
“If we can improve we will try, but only in the defence. We know how important Michael was here so it is normal that people talk about him.
“We only have offers for Milan, anything else is hypothetical. As for centre-backs, we have several names and always it is difficult when people know it is Liverpool asking because the price always increases.
“But I have time for transfers, I am in no hurry to do anything, certainly selling.”
