Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has suggested to the rival clubs that no amount of money can help them buy Fernando Torres as he is ‘priceless’ to the Reds.

Manchester City, now the richest club in the world, have recently been reported to be planning a £50 million January bid for the Spanish international striker, who was said to be interesting Chelsea in the summer with reports suggesting a bid of £49m was made to lure El Nino to Stamford Bridge.

“I do not want to put a price on him because people will want to think I want to sell him and that is not the case, so I will not say any price,” Benitez said in The News of the World.

“I’m sure all the players have a value but not Torres. He is priceless to us. He is unbuyable.

“I would not want to swap Fernando with anyone else in the world because he is my player and I’m very pleased with him.

“There are good players in Europe and all the way around the world, but better than Torres? No.”

“Torres is very clever, but he is still young – he will get better,” he added.

“When he was at Atletico Madrid he was on his own up front. He was going to the wide areas too much.

“I felt he had to be closer to the box and he has worked on that. It makes him more dangerous.”