Benitez: We will not sell Torres

Rafael Benitez will quit as Liverpool boss if star striker Fernando Torres is sold against his will.

The club's well-publicised debts have led to questions about whether owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would be tempted should a big-money offer come in for the Spain striker.

But Benitez told The Times the 25-year-old would not be sold.

"I'm confident it will never happen," he said. "If it did, I'd resign."

The financial situation at Liverpool means they struggle to compete with their Barclays Premier League big-four rivals in the transfer market.

And Benitez admitted the situation had led him to make some mistakes.

"When we have spent big, normally it's been very good business," he said. "Torres, (Javier) Mascherano, (Pepe) Reina, (Xabi) Alonso.

"(Robbie) Keane is a good player but we had to sell him because he was not playing at the level we knew he could play.

"Ryan (Babel) was signed for the future and we are waiting for his improvement. He has to be more consistent.

"With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about."