De Boer prepared for Suarez departure

Soccer: Ajax boss Frank de Boer insists any deal with Liverpool for Luis Suarez must happen sooner than later.

The Reds are understood to have been in contact with Ajax regarding the Uruguay international, but the two sides' valuation of the striker remain some way apart.

De Boer told De Telegraafthe club will not let Suarez go at the end of the transfer window as he needs time to bring in a replacement.

He said: "We won't let Luis go on January 31st, at 11.55pm. It logical and a deal which I made with Rik van den Boog (general director of Ajax). To replace Suarez will be difficult, but we are ready. We have a Plan B, we know what we want if he leaves."

The Dutch side are being linked to Eidur Gudjohnsen of Stoke City and SC Heerenveen's Bas Dost if Suarez does move on.

Meanwhile, Rafael Benitez has rejected suggestions Liverpool's struggles are partly down to his management, insisting: "It's not my fault, sorry".

The Reds endured a poor season last year as they finished a lowly seventh under Benitez, before the Spaniard departed and was replaced by Roy Hodgson.

Liverpool's fortunes have plummeted even further since then, however, with Hodgson gone and replaced by Kenny Dalglish with the team currently four points above the relegation zone.

Benitez, who joined Inter Milan in the summer but left before Christmas, told Five Live Sport he acknowledges not all of his moves in the transfer market were successful.

"I agree, so we know we made some mistakes," he said. "Sometimes, maybe one player is a good player and after he doesn't settle down, but if you see, we have a net spending of between 10, 12 million.

"So I think that this, for a top side...it's not big money. And still I would say to you that we are not happy with some of the signings but we are really pleased with the majority of them.

"In the team now, Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio, Lucas Leiva, Fernando Torres, Maxi Rodriquez, Dirk Kuyt, so it's a massive, massive team.

"I am not taking all the credit, I think the team is good, the problem may be the mentality. So I think Kenny can change these things and will hopefully be good for the team. But the other thing is that Christian Purslow (former managing director) and Hodgson, they signed seven players.

"Seven players is enough to change a squad, so you can take responsibility for signings in the past but seven players can change a squad. So you cannot continue with this story about the legacy.

"It's not my fault, sorry."

Benitez believes Dalglish can turn around the club's fortunes.

"They will be much better with Kenny because he knows the club, knows the fans and what they want," he said. "He can talk with the players and they will feel and understand what it means to be Liverpool football players. I feel that Kenny has been a very good appointment and hopefully will be successful."