The Tom Hicks camp are adamant Rafa Benitez will not be allowed to leave Liverpool.

The Times says sources close to Hicks, the Liverpool co-owner, have responded with dismay to suggestions that Benitez is on the brink of leaving the club.

Leading bookmakers suspended all bets on his future at the club, however the Hicks camp has moved swiftly to play down the reports, with sources claiming that despite the antagonism between the owners and Benitez, they will not allow the manager to walk away.

Benitez has been locked in talks over a new contract in recent months and surprised the club's hierarchy by rejecting a fifth draft of the deal over the weekend. The Liverpool manager has less than 18 months left on his contract at Anfield and believes that if he reaches the end of the season without a commitment from Hicks and George Gillett, he would be forced to look for a new job.