Rafa Benitez hoping 'perfect' summer signings will take Liverpool above Manchester United

Rafa Benitez has admitted his summer buys will have to be "perfect" if he is to overhaul his bitter rival Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Liverpool manager knows that he is under massive pressure to get his transfer dealings right after the £20million Robbie Keane fiasco.

The Spaniard has demanded - and got - full control of transfer policy at Anfield, and seen off outgoing chief executive Rick Parry in the process.

But now there are no excuses for Benitez who believes that with Manchester United enjoying a massive financial advantage, only some brilliant buys can bring the title to Liverpool.

The Anfield manager argues that while United's financial strength allows Ferguson the odd mistake, he has no margin for error at Anfield.

"If we spend big money on one player and he's not successful for us, it's worse for us than it is for United," Benitez explained.

"If they make one or two mistakes, because of the difference in money between us, they can spend £40-50m on players. We know that we have to be almost perfect in everything we do.

"If you have more money you can sign players with more quality, like United have. It doesn't matter if they play Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez or Ronaldo.

"They can play with two and rest two but keep the same level, while we have been talking of what it would have been like if we'd had Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for the whole season.

"We have good players in the squad but the experience of fighting for titles and the quality of players makes a difference. Sometimes that means money, and it is easier if you have it."

Benitez has actually spent as much as Ferguson since arriving at Anfield five years ago, but has been forced to raise much more of that himself by constantly selling.

The Liverpool manager will again be given sizeable funds this summer to make new signings, with more than £25million earmarked by the club's American owners. But Benitez knows he needs to take the final step to title glory, especially given the buys United will inevitably make this summer.

So the additional funds will have to come from selling some of his current squad, with the likes of Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena and possibly even Xabi Alonso sacrificed.

That will give him almost £50million to spend, but he believes that will still mean him having to be perfect in his dealings.

Last summer he got the signing of Keane spectacularly wrong, and was forced to admit as much by offloading the Irishman for a £5million loss.

This time he would love to sign Valencia's tricky winger David Silva along with his colleague and Spanish centre half Raul Albiol, who between them would cost the best part of £30m.

Benitez is also committed to the purchase of Gareth Barry, who he is hoping to land for £10m, and is keen on bringing Portsmouth's Glen Johnson to Anfield for a similar fee.

That would be his kitty completely gone, yet Benitez would love the chance to take a swipe at Ferguson by also bidding to make Carlos Tevez the first player to move between Anfield and Old Trafford in more than 40 years.

It all means that the Spaniard is left under the massive pressure of having to deliver this summer, and he added: "Money is always the most important thing, which is why I am so proud of what our team has done this year.

"We have been closer before with the same problems and the same differences between the teams.

"If you don't have the money you have to work harder, and I do have a lot of confidence that we can improve."

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