Rafael Benitez has dropped the strongest possible hint that Liverpool may have to consider selling star players such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (Liverpool 66/1 Premier League – Outright).

Anfield skipper Gerrard almost left his hometown club in 2005 when Liverpool accepted a £30m offer from Premier League rivals Chelsea, while super-rich Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Spain striker Torres (3/1 Premier League – Top Goalscorer).

Benitez has admitted he would quit Liverpool if countryman Torres was sold against his wishes, but failure to deliver on his promise of Champions League football next season could mean he has to balance the books.

Tottenham, Aston Villa and City have reignited the race for the top four this season and Benitez has given his first public indication that he may reluctantly have to consider offers for his star assets if the five-time European champions miss out.

He said: “I’ve said before I want to keep the best players here because that means we can be closer to the top four. They are the most important.

“We gave extensions to players because we want to keep the squad together.”

He added: “If you ask any manager in the world they will tell you they want more money and want to spend but at this moment we have to do what’s best for the club. That means managing the situation for each player and see what happens.”

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