Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has warned the club's American owners they need to spend big to bridge the gap with Manchester United and Chelsea.

"The difference with United and Chelsea is top-class players - all of them," he said.

"When you talk about spending £20m on Torres, how many £20m players do United have? Four or five. Why do you pay £20m? Because they are players who can change games.

"If you have one or two and they have four or five, that could be the difference."