No real budget for Benitez

RAFAEL BENITEZ is facing another financial balancing act in the January transfer window as he attempts to revive Liverpool’s floundering season with a budget unlikely to stretch beyond loan signings and player exchanges.

The manager is desperate for additions to improve the depth and morale of a squad languishing in eighth place in the Premier League and relegated from the Champions League to the Europa League.

He is particularly keen to increase his striking options in a campaign in which injury to Fernando Torres has brought an over-reliance on David Ngog. But his spending will again be restricted to what he can raise through sales.

Offloading unwanted players in January, when managers are often reluctant to spend, increases the complications for the Spaniard.

Benitez spent only what he brought in to Anfield from transfers in the summer, albeit with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and Yossi Benayoun signing new long-term contracts, as Liverpool began to reduce the €340 million debt loaded on to the club by owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

With their search for new investment yet to come to fruition, the manager will be in an identical predicament in the next transfer window unless the owners – who have either sold or are in the process of selling sporting franchises in the US – respond to the threat of failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League by reinvesting in the squad.

The Liverpool manager has received no indication that is the case, and therefore plans to raise funds for a forward by finding a buyer or an exchange for Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degen. All four are deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield, despite Dossena starting Saturday’s abysmal defeat at Portsmouth in place of Benayoun, and will be sold should the opportunity arise. Benitez could be restricted to loan deals if the four remain in situ. Babel represents the most saleable asset.

Arsenal will learn today whether referee Steve Bennett believes Samir Nasri deserves retrospective sanction for appearing to deliberately stamp on Hull City midfielder Richard Garcia.

The FA asked Bennett to review footage of the incident after the official confirmed in his match report he had not seen Nasri step on Garcia as the player attempted to delay Arsenal taking a free-kick.