Source: Daily_Mail
Liverpool debts mean that Rafa Benitez's spending days are over
Rafa Benitez's hopes of challenging Manchester United to end Liverpool's 19-year wait for a title seem to have been extinguishedalready after he was told last week that the remainder of his transferbudget for the summer would be £2million - a revelation which seems tohave prompted the highly-charged midweek atmosphere at Melwood and thereports that the manager was poised to quit. [LNB]Benitez, whose relationship with owners Tom Hicks and George Gilletthas been strained since they took over the club, denied that butadmitted yesterday that following the signing of AEK Athens defenderSotirios Krygiakos for a fee said to be close to £2m, that his spendinglooked to be over for now.[LNB] Empty-handed: Rafael Benitez is left with a small kitty[LNB] LIVERPOOL FC: All the latest news from across the webNew signing Kyrgiakos eyeing up late-career glory as Greek international completes Anfield switchRafa raps Babel: Liverpool boss issues warning to £11m winger'I don't think there will be more,' he said. [LNB]Given that the reported £18.5m fee for Glen Johnson amounted to little more than £10m, once money Portsmouth still owed for Peter Crouch had been taken into account, and the £20m fee for Roma's Alberto Aquliani was offset by the £30m received for Xabi Alonso, Benitez in effect has had no additional transfer funds. [LNB]It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that Hicks and Gillett's debt has scuppered any chance of building on last year's second-place finish.[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People:Glen Johnson, Rafa Benitez, George Gillett, Peter Crouch, Tom Hicks, Xabi Alonso, Rafael BenitezPlaces:Liverpool
