Gillett reassures Reds fans
Gillett has been a frequent visitor to Anfield
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Saturday, 16, Jun 2007 04:28
Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has moved to calm speculation that manager Rafael Benitez has joined the growing number of fans becoming restless over the club's lack of transfer activity.
Premiership champions Manchester United have already tied up deals from two of the most promising youngsters in Europe, Sporting Lisbon's Nani and Porto's Anderson, as well as sealing a £17 million switch for Bayern Munich's Owen Hargreaves.
Their early spending spree, which could be about to continue with the recruitment of Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen, has set nerves on edge on Merseyside.
So far the only confirmed additions to Benitez's first-team squad are Gremio's Lucas Leiva and Bayer Leverkusen's Andrey Voronin, with no sign of the Spanish tactician being allowed to open the club chequebook any time soon.
But Gillett insists his summer plans for his new acquisition are running to schedule.
"Rafa has a programme under way and, as that unfolds, that will be the time for us to be judged, not now," he told the Times.
"We're not going to do something just to try to prove something. I can assure you that we are working on different things.
"The first part was that we identified a number of our existing star players [José Manuel Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso] whom Rafa wanted to sign on long-term contracts. That was the first step and it has been done. Now we're moving on to phase two, which is bringing players in."
Darren Bent's decision to turn down a £17 million move to West Ham earlier this week reignited speculation that the striker could be holding out of a move to Anfield, but Tottenham still remain favourites to sign the former Ipswich hitman.
This weekend's conclusion of the domestic season in Spain, a favoured hunting ground for Benitez, could kick-start the Reds' rebuilding work.