Liverpool cannot afford to show Rafa Benitez the door. The Daily Mail says not even the prospect of missing out on Champions League football next season would persuade the owners to dismiss him.

While failure to reach Europe's premier competition would cost Liverpool around £20million, the bill for ditching Benitez and his staff would be even more.

The Spaniard has four-and-a-half years to run on the £4.5m-a-season contract he signed in March. Sacking Benitez alone would cost in the region of £20m, while getting rid of the staff he brought in after sacking 16 members of the back-room team in the summer would add considerably to the overall cost.

Chelsea paid more than £23m in compensation when they dismissed first Jose Mourinho and then Avram Grant - plus members of their back-room teams.