Big spending Benitez still unsure about title chances

The Liverpool coach was speaking at the unveiling of new signings Ryan Babel, 20, and Yossi Benayoun, 27, the latest arrivals at Anfield following record signing Fernando Torres who joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for a club record fee of £24million last week.

Babel has joined from Ajax Amsterdam in an £11.5million deal with Israeli international Benayoun joining from West Ham United for an estimated £5million.

But Benitez, hoping to bring the championship back to Liverpool for the first time since 1990, told reporters: "I don't know if it will be enough to win the title.

"Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, all of them are spending money and signing players.

"You never know what will happen but we needed to go one step or maybe two steps at time and we are going faster than that. It is easy to analyse the problem for us though.

"Manchester United have won the title and have spent more money than anyone else. We are now in a better situation. The other teams are also in a similar situation but at least we can compete with them in the transfer market."

Dutch striker Babel, who has won 14 caps for his country, has signed a five-year contract and hopes to make a similar impact in the Premier League as his hero, former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.

"It is a good target for me to work hard and try hard and maybe one day be on the same level as him or maybe better," he said. "We will see as I get older."

Babel insisted he could cope with the increased intensity of the English game - despite scepticism in his homeland.

"They say in Holland I may have trouble because every game here is like playing against PSV, but I like that and it will be good for me because I seem to play better against big teams like PSV."

Benayoun, who has played 50 times for Israel since making his debut in 1998, says he believes he is now good enough to make a mark at Liverpool.

"For me this is a big step forward and is the biggest move in my career. I have never had a chance to play in a team that fights every season for trophies and play regular Champions League football," he said.

"I had two beautiful years at West Ham and I'm grateful for them letting me go, but I have proved that I can play in the Premier League."

Liverpool have also signed striker Andriy Voronin this summer and he will make his debut in a friendly at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, although the three other new signings will not play.