Source: Daily_Mail
Rafa Benitez's £229m spending spree: The 76 players signed during the Liverpool manager's reign
Those leaping to the defence of under-fire Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez have pointed to his lack of muscle in transfer market.
But the records show that the Spaniard has spent £228,600,000 since arriving at Anfield in 2004.
Sportsmail brings you the full rundown of Benitez's extraordinary shopping basket. Let us know what you think of his purchases by leaving your comments below.
Fernando Torres
Star signing: Rafa Benitez parades Spanish striker Fernando Torres
2004
Josemi
Cost: £2m (Malaga, July 2004)
Where is he now? Benitez's first signing at Liverpool made a decent start to his Anfield career, but suspension saw Steve Finnan establish himself as first-choice right-back. Signed for Villarreal in a straight-swap deal with Jan Kromkamp. Now playing for Mallorca.
Xabi Alonso
Cost: £10.5m (Real Sociedad, August 2004)
Where is he now? Joined Real Madrid in the summer for £30m, after five season at the club winning three major honours at the club.
Antonio Nunez
Cost: £1.5m - part of the Michael Owen deal (Real Madrid, August 2004)
Where is he now? Became the first player in Liverpool history to score his only goal in a major final in the Carling Cup defeat to Chelsea. After leaving Anfield, the Spanish midfielder spent some time in the La Liga before signing for current club Apollon Limassol in Greece.
Luis Garcia
Cost: £6m (Barcelona, August 2004)
Where is he now? Had three season at Anfield before moving to Atletico Madrid in the deal that brought Torres to the club.
Luis Garcia
Energy: Luis Garcia impressed the fans during his stint with Liverpool
2005
Fernando Morientes
Cost: £6.3m (Real Madrid, January 2005)
Where is he now? Failed to live up to his reputation as a goalscorer and is now at Marseille after a spell at Valencia.
Scott Carson
Cost: £1m (Leeds United, January 2005)
Where is he now? Another in the long line of future England No 1s, Carson spent most of his Liverpool career on loan. Suffered a torrid 2007, which ended with him fumbling a shot from Niko Kranjcar leading to England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Currently enjoying life at West Bromwich Albion.
Mauricio Pellegrino
Cost: Free (Valencia, January 2005)
Where is he now? The first Argentinian to play for the club, the defender followed Benitez to Anfield from Valencia on a six-month deal. At the end of the stint, Pellegrino signed for Alaves before retiring a year later.
Peter Crouch
Cost: £7m (Southampton, June 2005)
Where is he now? After three seasons at the club, Crouch made a surprise move to Portsmouth, and is now at Tottenham with former boss Harry Redknapp.
Pepe Reina
Cost: £6m (Villarreal, June 2005)
Where is he now? Reina has been a consistent performer for Liverpool and is one of the leading goalkeepers in Europe
Mohamed Sissoko
Cost: £5.6m (Auxerre, June 2005)
Where is he now? A surprise departure to Juventus in 2008 after two-and-a-half year stint at Anfield.
Antonio Barragan
Cost: Free (Sevilla, July 2005)
Where is he now? After just one first team appearance in his 12 months at Anfield, the Spanish full-back signed for Deportivo La Coruna in a £1m deal.
Bolo Zenden
Cost: Free (Middlesbrough, July 2005)
Where is he now? The Dutch midfielder had an injury-plagued time at Anfield and left for Marseille after two years at the club. After claiming he wanted to end his career in England, Zenden was snapped up by Sunderland where he made his debut against his former club in the famous beach ball match.
Godwin Antwi
Cost: Free (Real Zaragoza, August 2005)
Where is he now? After guiding Liverpool to the 2006 FA Youth Cup, the Ghanaian defender was shipped out on loan to Accrington, Hartlepool, Tranmere and Hereford before being released by Benitez.
Besian Idrizaj
Cost: Free (LASK Linz, August 2005)
Where is he now? Journeyman has had loan spells at Luton, Crytal Palace and Wacker Innsbruck before signing for Eilenburg and then Blackburn Rovers. Currently at Championship side Swansea City.
Jack Hobbs
Cost: £750,000 (Lincoln City, August 2005)
Where is he now? The young defender had a sticky start to life at Anfield before being loaned out to Leicester City, who have now signed him on a permanent deal.
Miki Roque
Cost: Free (Lleida, August 2005)
Where is he now? After four years and no first-team appearances, the Spanish defender left for Real Betis.
Paul Anderson
Cost: Swap deal with John Welsh (Hull City, November 2005)
Where is he now? The young striker failed to live up to his tag as the 'next Michael Owen' and signed for Nottingham Forest after spending a year on loan at the City Ground.
Scott Carson
Glove affair: Scott Carson failed to make the breakthough
2006
Robbie Fowler
Cost: Free (Manchester City, January 2006)
Where is he now? Often referred to as the Premier League's 'most natual goalscorer', Fowler returned to Anfield after five years away. But as they say, you should never go back, and Fowler was shipped out to Cardiff after just one season. A short stint at Blackburn followed and Fowler is now rediscovering his old form at North Queensland Fury.
Jan Kromkamp
Cost: Swap deal with Josemi (Villarreal, January 2006)
Where is he now? Unable to displace Irish international Steve Finnan in the starting line-up, the Dutch defender moved to PSV Eindhoven after just eight months and 14 appearances.
Ryan Crowther
Cost: Free (Stockport County, January 2006)
Where is he now? After coming through the youth ranks at Edgeley Park, the 21-year-old winger was snapped up by Benitez. Currently a free agent after being released in August.
Daniel Agger
Cost: £5.8m (Brondby, January 2006)
Where is he now? Agger has been plagued by injuries of late and is battling it out with Martin Skrtel to partner Jamie Carragher in the heart of the defence.
David Martin
Cost: £250,000 (MK Dons, January 2006)
Where is he now? Another one for the future, the Essex-born goalkeeper has spent his Anfield career out on loan with Accrington Stanley, Leicester and Tranmere Rovers.
Craig Bellamy
Cost: £6m (Blackburn, June 2006)
Where is he now? Sold to West Ham after one season after an argument with a team-mate and lack of goals, Bellamy is now at Man City.
Mark Gonzalez
Cost: £1.5m (Albacete, July 2006)
Where is he now? Scored just three minutes into his debut in a 2-1 Champions League win over Maccabi Haifa and enjoyed an impressive season before being Benitez announced the club had agreed a £5m fee with Spanish side Real Betis. After Betis' relegation, Gonzalez signed for CSKA Moscow in a £6m deal.
Gabriel Palletta
Cost: £2m (Banfield, July 2006)
Where is he now? The Argentinian signed for Liverpool only to return to his home country to join Boca Juniors in a swap deal involving Insua.
Fabio Aurelio
Cost: Free (Valencia, July 2006)
Where is he now? The first Brazilian to ever play for Liverpool, the left back has become a fan favourite at Anfield, despite persistant injury problems causing him to lose his place to Insua.
Martin Hansen
Cost: Free (Brondby, August 2006)
Where is he now? The Danish goalkeeper is currently enjoying life in Liverpool's reserve side.
Dirk Kuyt
Cost: £9m (Feyenoord, August 2006)
Where is he now? Selfless and energetic Kuyt is a fans' favourite at Anfield.
Nabil El Zhar
Cost: Free (Saint-Etienne, October 2006)
Where is he now? The French-born Moroccan winger is highly regarded by Benitez, who has singled him out as one for the future.
Astrit Ajdarevic
Cost: Free (Falkensberg, December 2006)
Where is he now? After failing to make the grade Ajdarevic moved to Leicester last January.
Craig Bellamy
Short stay: Craig Bellamy spent just one season with his boyhood club
2007
Alvaro Arbeloa
Cost: £3m (Deportivo La Coruna, January 2007)
Where is he now? The Spanish international's good form in a red shirt led to Real Madrid - the club with whom he started his career - to splash £4m on him in the summer.
Alex Cooper
Cost: £100,000 (Ross County, January 2007)
Where is he now? Currently in the youth setup.
Jordy Brouwer
Cost: Undisclosed (Ajax, January 2007)
Where is he now? Spent last season at Dutch side RKC the striker is currently in the reserves.
Francisco Duran
Cost: Undisclosed (Malaga, January 2007)
Where is he now? Spanish starlet is currently in the reserve side.
Ronaldo Huth
Cost: Undisclosed (Tacuary, January 2007)
Where is he now? Now at Italian side Vicenza
Daniele Padelli
Cost: Loan (Sampdoria, January 2007)
Where is he now? The Italian Under 21 signed on loan with a view to a permanent deal. But after appearing once in a disappointing 2-2 draw with already-relegated Charlton Athletic, the goalkeeper was sent back to Italy.
Javier Mascherano
Cost: £18m (Unattached, February 2007)
Where is he now? Despite taking a while to settle in England, the Argentine captain is now one of Europe's leading holding midfielders.
Jermaine Pennant
Cost: £6.7m (Birmingham, June 2007)
Where is he now? In three years at the club, Pennant's form was inconsistent and he spent the last six months of last season on loan at Portsmouth before joining Real Zaragoza on a free in June.
Yossi Benayoun
Cost: £5m (West Ham, June 2007)
Where is he now? Biggest victim of Benitez' rotational policy, Benayoun is always reliable and has added goals to his game
Lucas
Cost: £6m (Gremio, June 2007)
Where is he now? Still trying to win over the Anfield faithful.
Andras Simon
Cost: Undisclosed (MTK Hungeria, June 2007)
Where is he now? Currently on a season long loan at Spanish club Cordoba.
Dean Bouzanis
Cost: Undisclosed (New South Wales, June 2007)
Where is he now? Australian-born Greek Goalkeeper is currently in the reserves team.
Krisztian Nemeth
Cost: Undisclosed (MTK Hungeria, June 2007)
Where is he now? Prolific at youth and reserve level Hungarian Nemeth is pushing for an place in the full squad.
Ryan Babel
Cost: £11.5m (Ajax, July 2007)
Where is he now? Dubbed the new Thierry Henry by the Dutch media, Babel has failed to make an impression on the Premier League.
Daniel Pacheco
Cost: Undisclosed (Barcelona, June 2007)
Where is he now? Regular at reserve level, Pacheco is a small skilful striker.
Fernando Torres
Cost: £20m (Atletico Madrid, July 2007)
Where is he now? Liverpool's only goalscoring striker Torres has scored 58 time in 94 appearances.
Andriy Voronin
Cost: Free (Bayer Leverkusen, July 2007)
Where is he now? The Ukrainian striker started life very well at Anfield, but an ankle injury kept him out of the side for a while. He was loaned out to Hertha Berlin where he scored 11 goals in 20 games, prompting Benitez to bring him back to Merseyside.
Sebastian Leto
Cost: £1.85m (Lanus, August 2007)
Where is he now? The Argentinian suffered passport problems and was restricted to very few first team appearances. Leto was loaned out to Olympiacos last season and his impressive displays led to rivals Panathanaikos forking out £3m for his services.
Gary Stevens
Cost: Free (Ross County, August 2007)
Where is he now? Part of Liverpool's youth setup.
Mikel San Jose Dominguez
Cost: Undisclosed (Athletic Bilbao, August 2007)
Where is he now: Spanish defender is currently in the reserves
Daniel Sanchez Ayala
Cost: Free (Sevilla Atletico, August 2007)
Where is he now? 18-year-old defender made his senior debut in the opening day defeat at Tottenham but hasn't featured since.
Gerardo Bruna
Cost: Free (Real Madrid, August 2007)
Where is he now? The 18-year-old Argentinian playmaker is currently making a name for himself in the reserves.
David Amoo
Cost: Free (Millwall, August 2007)
Where is he now? The London-born striker is currently part of Liverpool's youth setup.
Damien Plessis
Cost: Free (Lyon, August 2007)
Where is he now? The French midfielder has struggled to crack into the first team at Anfield, being restricted to mainly Carling Cup appearances.
Emiliano Insua
Cost: Swap deal with Palletta (Boca Juniors, August 2007)
Where is he now? The Argentinian has established himself as first-choice left back this season, following the sale of Arbeloa.
Charles Itandje
Cost: Free (RC Lens, August 2007)
Where is he now? Having failed to force Pepe Reina from the number 1 spot, Itandje was forced out of the club after behaving inappropriately at the 20-year memorial service for the Hillsborough disaster. Currently on loan at Greek side Kavala.
Lauri Dalla Valle
Cost: Free (JIPPO, November 2007)
Where is he now? Enjoyed a good spell with the youth team before being promoted to the senior squad where he competes for a reserve team spot.
Jermaine Pennant
Flyer: Jermaine Pennant blew hot and cold at Anfield
2008
Martin Skrtel
Cost: £6m (Zenit St Petersburg January, 2008)
Where is he now? After a bright start Skrtel has looked shaky in recent weeks.
Andrea Dossena
Cost: £7m (Udiense, June 2008)
Where is he now? Dossena has failed to make an impression and is currently third choice left-back.
Vincent Weijl
Cost: Free (AZ Alkmaar, June 2008)
Where is he now? The young Dutch striker is part of Liverpool's youth development setup.
Vitor Coutinho Flora
Cost: Free (June, 2008)
Where is he now? Young Brazilian striker is currently in the reserve side.
Robbie Keane
Cost: £19m (Tottenham, July 2008)
Where is he now? Back at Tottenham after disastrous six month spell at Liverpool making 28 appearances scoring 7 times.
Diego Cavalieri
Cost: £3m (Palmeiras, July 2008)
Where is he now? Handed Liverpool's No 1 jersey, the Brazilian stopper has been kept out by the form of Pepe Reina and has only played a handful of games for the first team.
Nikola Saric
Cost: £500,000 (Herfolge, July 2008)
Where is he now? The Yugoslavian-born refugee fled war-torn Bosnia for Denmark, who he has represented at numerous age levels. Currently playing for Liverpool reserves.
Emmanuel Mendy
Cost: Free (Murcia, July 2008)
Where is he now? Spanish left-back is currently in the reserves.
David Ngog
Cost: £1.5m (Paris St Germain, July 2008)
Where is he now? The French striker has featured regularly since Torres' injury, scoring twice in the process.
Philipp Degen
Cost: Free (Borussia Dortmund, July 2008)
Where is he now? Still at Liverpool. Degan suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung in his competitive debut, then broke his metatarsal on his comeback.
Peter Gulacsi
Cost: Free (MTK Hungaria, August 2008)
Where is he now? The 19-year-old goalkeeper is currently on loan at Hereford United.
Zsolt Poloskei
Cost: Loan (MTK Hungaria, August 2008)
Where is he now? The midfielder is currently fighting for his place in the reserve side.
Albert Riera
Cost: £8m (Espanyol, August 2008)
Where is he now? Steady but has failed to impress against the bigger teams.
Christopher Buchtmann
Cost: Free (Borussia Dortmund, August 2008)
Where is he now? Played a pivotal part of Liverpool's youth team success of the past few seasons, now competing for a reserve team spot.
Robbie Keane
Hard times: Robbie Keane lasted just six months
2009
Victor Palsson
Cost: £250,000 (Aarhus, January 2009)
Where is he now? In the reserves.
Glen Johnson
Cost: £18m (Portsmouth, June 2009)
Where is he now? Johnson has made an impressive start to his Liverpool career.
Chris Mavinga
Cost: Undisclosed (Paris St Germain, July 2009)
Where is he now? Left back will compete for a place in the reserves this year.
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Cost: £2m (AEK Athens, August 2009)
Where is he now? The experienced Greek defender joined Liverpool in the summer to replace the departing Sami Hyppia, but injuries have restricted him to just one appearance.
Alberto Aquilani
Cost: £20m (Roma, August 2009)
Where is he now? Yet to make an appearance for the club the Italian international will look to fill the void left by the departure of Xabi Alonso.
