Rafa begins Reds clearout
24 May 2007 - 09:48:33
Dutch midfielder Boudewijn Zenden and Chile winger Mark Gonzalez will head the clearout at Liverpool, following the 2-1 Champions League final defeat by AC Milan.
Gonzalez is poised to return to Spain to join Real Betis, while Zenden has been told he can talk to other clubs, with Reds boss Rafa Benitez seeking to move quickly in the transfer market.
He said: "We must not waste this moment. We must move quickly to sign our number-one targets.
"If we wait we will be chasing the players who are second and third on our list. We need to change the structure of the club on and off the pitch.
"We must make progress and make it now to take us up two or three levels straight away. There will be several players leaving.
"We have a deal nearly completed for Gonzalez and I have told Bolo that he can talk to other clubs.
"We have finished 21 points behind Manchester United and 15 behind Chelsea.
"They will both spend big money again and we will just be marking time. If we continue the way we are we will be fighting for fourth spot again at the end of the season and we cannot have that all the time.
"Two seasons ago we got 82 points, a club record, and we could not get into the top two. If we do not improve now we will always be fighting for fourth spot.
"It is obvious we do not have enough players for nine months competing in four competitions."