Source: Daily_Mail
Anfield sale saga could force Rafael Benitez to quit Liverpool
Liverpool's ownership war could drag on through the summer, increasing the likelihood of manager Rafa Benitez walking out to join Juventus or Real Madrid.[LNB]Co-owner Tom Hicks, who put Liverpool up for sale on Friday, has claimed he and George Gillett expect close to £800million for the Anfield club - nearly four times what they paid for it in 2007.[LNB]His sky-high demands for a club independent analysts value at just over £300m indicate that he is going to use the full six-months' grace offered by the Royal Bank of Scotland to sell the club, leaving a power vacuum until then, despite the arrival of new chairman Martin Broughton.[LNB] Weighing up his options: The ongoing ownership dispute at Liverpool may force Rafa Benitez to head for Italy or Spain[LNB]The biggest casualty of Hicks' bullish stance could be Benitez, who has become increasingly impatient with the off-field uncertainty. Unless a new owner is found quickly, it is unlikely Benitez will be able to spend the £60m he said he needed to mount a title challenge next term.[LNB]He is being courted by Madrid and Juventus but is reluctant to leave Anfield without a pay-off worth up to £16m.[LNB] We'll give Rafa cash to splash, says new Liverpool chief Martin BroughtonLiverpool striker Fernando Torres' comeback hit by UK flight banLiverpool will not be forced into Torres and Gerrard sales, insists chairmanLIVERPOOL FC
