Rafa Benitez's position will remain unclear whoever owns club

Jan 22 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ will have to prove he should stay as Liverpool manager if the rumoured takeover of the club takes place.

The Dubai International Capital (DIC) – the investment arm of the Dubai government – is thought to be readying a £350million offer to buy out American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Benitez’s position has come under intense scrutiny since the duo assumed control of the club last February, particularly after confirmation last week from Hicks that Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached with a view to taking over from the Spaniard.

There were protests at Anfield last night during Liverpool’s Premier League game with Aston Villa in support of Benitez and a possible DIC takeover.

But while DIC chairman Sameer al-Ansari is a keen Liverpool supporter, the business will demand the best possible man for the manager’s role.

And that would mean Benitez having to convince the prospective new owners he remains the ideal choice to end a championship drought that stretches back to 1990.

Hicks and Gillett are currently looking to refinance the club’s debt and are hopeful that a deal could be struck in the next few days, with the announcement of designs for the new stadium revealed next week.

However, it is feared the package could compromise Benitez’s summer spending plans.