Fernando Torres, the Liverpool and Spain forward, believes that Rafael Benitez has made him a better player in the two seasons since he moved to Merseyside.

Torres was known as a player of immense potential when he arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2007 from Atletico Madrid, but not as a prolific goalscorer. He had scored only 91 goals in 244 matches for his hometown club before his £20million-plus transfer to Anfield - a rate of one goal every 2.65 games.

However, he rewarded Benitez with 33 goals in his first campaign in England, adding 17 more last season despite missing long periods through injury. That took him to 50 goals in only 84 matches - one goal every 1.68 games - and he credits Benitez for the improvement in his marksmanship.

"Rafa concentrates on the professional side of things," Torres said. "He tries to improve every minor detail and movement you carry out during the course of a game, and he also explains the reasons behind his decisions.

"He's obsessed that you understand what you are doing and why. He's not happy that you do things just because he tells you that something has to be done. He says: 'Do it like this. Do you understand why you are being told to do so? No? We'll go through it again then.'

"I remember when I signed for the club, people were questioning me as a goalscorer. I received criticism because I wasn't getting goals. The first thing he told me was that I was signed to score goals. Benitez is adamant that I live in the [penalty] area because that's where you get goals. That was the first thing he told me - the wing is for the wingers, and that the striker should be focused on the two rival centre-backs.

"The Spain team play very differently, we have to be constantly on the move. In England I have to draw the centre-back out of place so that Steve Gerrard can burst through."

Signing a new strike partner for Torres remains Benitez's priority this summer after he sold Robbie Keane back to Tottenham in January only six months after signing him.

However, the signing of Glen Johnson, the England defender, from Portsmouth ties the hands of the Liverpool manager, who has funds left for only one other transfer notwithstanding the sale of Sebastian Leto to Panathinaikos for a reported £3million and reserve team winger Paul Anderson to Nottingham Forest.

More exits are likely with Charles Itandje, the goalkeeper, Andriy Voronin, the Ukraine forward, and possibly Andrea Dossena, the Italy defender, all deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

Daily speculation about midfielders Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano continues, however, with Real Madrid and Barcelona ensuring their names are continually linked with the players.

Just a few hours after officially becoming a Madrid player yesterday, Kaka waded into the debate. "I've played against Xabi Alonso in two European Cup finals," the Brazil midfield player said. "He's an excellent player and also Spanish. He would be very welcome."

However, Juventus claim that they are not interested in Alonso.

"There are a lot of names for midfield but not that of Xabi Alonso," Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, the Juventus president, said. "I learnt from the press about our interest for the Spanish player. He's a great player but I think that to say that I have read his name in the papers says it all."