Reina calls for player investment

17 March 2010 17:29

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina has echoed team-mate Fernando Torres' calls for significant investment in players to make the club title challengers again.

At the weekend, Torres said the club needed to sign four or five quality players in the summer and intimated a failure to do so could lead to him considering his long-term future. And, although Reina feels similarly about the need to progress, he has no qualms about committing his own long-term future to the club.

Asked how long it could be before Liverpool would have a realistic chance of winning the Barclays Premier League, he said: "It is not a question I can answer. I can talk about the players but not the investment - that is not in our hands. But I hope we can compete with these kinds of transfers (by Manchester United and Chelsea) and spend some more money in the market."

He added: "All I want and the team want is to be competitive as the others.

"There is nothing apart from winning the league with Liverpool once which makes me feel excited.

"That is a dream to get through and hopefully in a short period of time we will see it come true."

The search for outside investment took a positive turn at the weekend when global private equity firm the Rhone Group made a £100million-plus offer for a 40% share in the club.

Although, if accepted by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, that cash would be used to pay off a large chunk of Liverpool's £237million debt and not spent on players it would free up more credit options, almost halve the annual interest payments of £30million and encourage further investment.

There are a number of other parties interested in investing in the club and that all points to a brighter future - a future Reina is determined to play a significant part in.

He has already verbally agreed a new contract with the club and expects to complete the formalities next month.

Source: PA