Liverpool co-owner George Gillett insists he and Tom Hicks have bought the club to win trophies - and not to make money.

Gillett admits they can feel the pressure building as Rafa Benitez continues to wait to make his first significant signing of the summer.

"I sense that kind of pressure building from the media," Gillett told The Times. "I think the fans know that we have huge regard for Rafa. He has a number of initiatives and concepts and plans under way. We're not going to do something just to try to prove something. I can assure you that we are working on different things.

"What we've said and what Rafa has said was that we had a programme and he would share that with us and that we would support it. 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."

Already there have been rumours of disagreements with Hicks over the level of investment in the squad. Gillett does not confirm this directly but says: "We go through everything together and if one or other of us doesn't feel that it's something we're comfortable with, we're highly respectful of that.

"As partners, you don't always agree, but when you don't agree, that really gives you a reason to ask yourself why and look at the other side of the debate. I think we get strength from that. We've been partners in a number of businesses for a number of years. I think we work pretty well together."