Fernando Torres’ long- term loyalty for Liverpool is being stretched to its limit with the club battling to keep him beyond this season.
Rafa Benitez has already turned down a £70million bid from Manchester City for his star striker.
Chelsea also had an approach for Torres rebuffed last summer, with the player uninterested in leaving Anfield at the time.
But both City and the Blues are preparing renewed offers.
Torres has consistently committed himself to the Liverpool cause but that is conditional on the club proving they can fulfil his ambitions.
The Spaniard has become troubled by the shambolic events on and off the pitch in recent months and is seeking assurances the club will sort themselves out before the start of next season.
Torres left his boyhood team Atletico Madrid because they could not match his Champions League and trophy- winning dreams.
Liverpool's alarming slump is leading him to a similar situation where his heart is at his current club but he may be forced to move on.
Failure to finish in the top four and the continued presence of the current hierarchy would mean only blind faith could keep Torres at Anfield.
He recently signed a lucrative new deal but money is not his motivation.
Both Torres and skipper Steven Gerrard want to know if the club are likely to find the resources to undergo another major overhaul of the squad before next season.
Although Gerrard will also have no shortage of admirers this summer - especially if he enjoys a sparkling World Cup - the England midfielder is loathe to go through the same experience as he did during his on-off moves to Chelsea.
But that will not stop a mega-bid from Real Madrid, Barcelona or Inter Milan - even though all three have been rejected by Gerrard during the last two years.
If the Liverpool captain feels his club will continue to be in the same catastrophic mess when he returns from South Africa, he might decide he has had enough.
With guarantees of a brighter future in woefully short supply, the grimmest of campaigns is on the threshold of getting even worse without leadership from the top.
Benitez faces two pivotal fixtures over the next fortnight which will determine if his guarantee of a top-four finish is realistic and will ultimately decide his fate.
His side travel to Aston Villa on Tuesday and welcome Spurs on January 10.
If the deficit between Liverpool and their top four competitors has increased after that, Benitez's hopes of surviving beyond May will deteriorate.
The Kop boss accepts expectations have increased since last season's title challenge and he can only envy the levels of patience and understanding on offer to rival boss Martin O'Neill.
"When you are coming from a lower position, the motivation is high and it's easier," said Benitez.
"The expectations at this club are such that everyone thinks we should be in the top four. We know we have the quality to do it.
"When I joined the club, they were finding it very difficult to finish in the top four. Then we qualified for the Champions League five years in a row which was a really good achievement and it meant we were at a different level to other clubs.
"Now people expect we should stay there. But it's always difficult to make that last move to close the gap at the top. It depends on the structure of the club, money and everything.
"To control all these things is difficult and you can't make mistakes. This year, we have made mistakes. Now we have to do things properly to prepare for the next challenge. I'm not sure if Villa are the biggest threat as City and Spurs are also dangerous. But the main thing is to improve ourselves.
"By winning games in a row, we will be more confident."
Among those in the Villa ranks is full-back Stephen Warnock, who was released by Liverpool for £1.5m in 2007 but cost O'Neill £7m last summer.
Benitez is not surprised by the Scouse left-back's impressive form which earned him a recent England call-up.
But he defended his decision to sell the defender.
"He could have been a good player for us but he wanted to play every single game," said Benitez.
"We had Fabio Aurelio and, at the time, John Arne Riise who was a fantastic player for Liverpool. So we couldn't play him every game.
"When you have a player on the bench who has an opportunity to go, you can't stop this. He was always a good worker and very competitive and that's why he's at the level he is."
For all the frustration at Anfield, Benitez is increasingly helpless in trying to carry out the surgery which his squad need.
The Spaniard believes he will not get any extra funds in January and cannot anticipate any cash injection on the horizon beyond May - even if he survives the current crisis.
He will use the transfer window to try to generate his own resources.
That means Anfield flops Andriy Voronin, Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena will be offered to interested clubs.
"I won't talk about individual names but it's clear I need to manage my squad and some players will be thinking they need to move because they're thinking about the World Cup," said Benitez. "There has been some interest in players."
Babel has made it clear he wants out and favours a return to Ajax. He is also interesting Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who first enquired about the erratic Dutch winger last summer.
Hitman Voronin is likely to head back to the Bundesliga where Hertha Berlin have been long-time admirers.
Greek side Panathinaikos have also shown interest in the out-of-favour striker, who has been cast aside since appearing in the crunch Champions League clash with Lyon.
Left-back Dossena is desperate to return to Serie A with Napoli.
But these departures are unlikely to generate more than £7m for the cash-strapped Merseysiders.
The moves certainly will not appease the unsettled elements of the Liverpool squad who fear the club faces the prospect of falling further behind their top four rivals, never mind catching Chelsea.
A target man is Benitez's main priority in January. But although many at Anfield believe ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistlerooy could provide a short-term solution, Benitez still needs to be convinced because of the 33-year-old's injury record.
Rafa Benitez has already turned down a £70million bid from Manchester City for his star striker.
Chelsea also had an approach for Torres rebuffed last summer, with the player uninterested in leaving Anfield at the time.
But both City and the Blues are preparing renewed offers.
Torres has consistently committed himself to the Liverpool cause but that is conditional on the club proving they can fulfil his ambitions.
The Spaniard has become troubled by the shambolic events on and off the pitch in recent months and is seeking assurances the club will sort themselves out before the start of next season.
Torres left his boyhood team Atletico Madrid because they could not match his Champions League and trophy- winning dreams.
Liverpool's alarming slump is leading him to a similar situation where his heart is at his current club but he may be forced to move on.
Failure to finish in the top four and the continued presence of the current hierarchy would mean only blind faith could keep Torres at Anfield.
He recently signed a lucrative new deal but money is not his motivation.
Both Torres and skipper Steven Gerrard want to know if the club are likely to find the resources to undergo another major overhaul of the squad before next season.
Although Gerrard will also have no shortage of admirers this summer - especially if he enjoys a sparkling World Cup - the England midfielder is loathe to go through the same experience as he did during his on-off moves to Chelsea.
But that will not stop a mega-bid from Real Madrid, Barcelona or Inter Milan - even though all three have been rejected by Gerrard during the last two years.
If the Liverpool captain feels his club will continue to be in the same catastrophic mess when he returns from South Africa, he might decide he has had enough.
With guarantees of a brighter future in woefully short supply, the grimmest of campaigns is on the threshold of getting even worse without leadership from the top.
Benitez faces two pivotal fixtures over the next fortnight which will determine if his guarantee of a top-four finish is realistic and will ultimately decide his fate.
His side travel to Aston Villa on Tuesday and welcome Spurs on January 10.
If the deficit between Liverpool and their top four competitors has increased after that, Benitez's hopes of surviving beyond May will deteriorate.
The Kop boss accepts expectations have increased since last season's title challenge and he can only envy the levels of patience and understanding on offer to rival boss Martin O'Neill.
"When you are coming from a lower position, the motivation is high and it's easier," said Benitez.
"The expectations at this club are such that everyone thinks we should be in the top four. We know we have the quality to do it.
"When I joined the club, they were finding it very difficult to finish in the top four. Then we qualified for the Champions League five years in a row which was a really good achievement and it meant we were at a different level to other clubs.
"Now people expect we should stay there. But it's always difficult to make that last move to close the gap at the top. It depends on the structure of the club, money and everything.
"To control all these things is difficult and you can't make mistakes. This year, we have made mistakes. Now we have to do things properly to prepare for the next challenge. I'm not sure if Villa are the biggest threat as City and Spurs are also dangerous. But the main thing is to improve ourselves.
"By winning games in a row, we will be more confident."
Among those in the Villa ranks is full-back Stephen Warnock, who was released by Liverpool for £1.5m in 2007 but cost O'Neill £7m last summer.
Benitez is not surprised by the Scouse left-back's impressive form which earned him a recent England call-up.
But he defended his decision to sell the defender.
"He could have been a good player for us but he wanted to play every single game," said Benitez.
"We had Fabio Aurelio and, at the time, John Arne Riise who was a fantastic player for Liverpool. So we couldn't play him every game.
"When you have a player on the bench who has an opportunity to go, you can't stop this. He was always a good worker and very competitive and that's why he's at the level he is."
For all the frustration at Anfield, Benitez is increasingly helpless in trying to carry out the surgery which his squad need.
The Spaniard believes he will not get any extra funds in January and cannot anticipate any cash injection on the horizon beyond May - even if he survives the current crisis.
He will use the transfer window to try to generate his own resources.
That means Anfield flops Andriy Voronin, Ryan Babel and Andrea Dossena will be offered to interested clubs.
"I won't talk about individual names but it's clear I need to manage my squad and some players will be thinking they need to move because they're thinking about the World Cup," said Benitez. "There has been some interest in players."
Babel has made it clear he wants out and favours a return to Ajax. He is also interesting Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who first enquired about the erratic Dutch winger last summer.
Hitman Voronin is likely to head back to the Bundesliga where Hertha Berlin have been long-time admirers.
Greek side Panathinaikos have also shown interest in the out-of-favour striker, who has been cast aside since appearing in the crunch Champions League clash with Lyon.
Left-back Dossena is desperate to return to Serie A with Napoli.
But these departures are unlikely to generate more than £7m for the cash-strapped Merseysiders.
The moves certainly will not appease the unsettled elements of the Liverpool squad who fear the club faces the prospect of falling further behind their top four rivals, never mind catching Chelsea.
A target man is Benitez's main priority in January. But although many at Anfield believe ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistlerooy could provide a short-term solution, Benitez still needs to be convinced because of the 33-year-old's injury record.
The problem he faces is a growing belief his entire squad will need restructuring before the start of next season. At the moment, he has no option but to try and apply quick fixes.
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