Keane out of Liverpool FC !!

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez claims he had no option but to sell Robbie Keane back to Tottenham as it 'wasn't working' for him at Anfield.

The Spaniard has been criticised for not giving the Republic of Ireland striker enough chances to prove himself, and for not lining up a replacement when Keane returned to Spurs on transfer deadline day after a disappointing six months at Anfield.

But Benitez believes that if Liverpool had not "cut their losses" this week it could have be far worse for club and player at the end of the season.

By then, with Keane almost 29, Benitez believes that having moved to Liverpool for up to £20million, his transfer value could have plunged to below £10million.

Liverpool and Benitez contest the transfer fee figures that have been claimed from the London end of the deal, insisting that Spurs could end up paying more than £16million.

And they also claim that Spurs were so keen for the move to go through that they offered Gareth Bale, David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas in the negotiations - but not Aaron Lennon, which would have persuaded Benitez to sell earlier.

Benitez argued that Keane did have enough chances to prove himself, saying: "He has played a lot of games, people talk of the amount of substitutions but he started over 20 games for us this season.

"Clearly he was not playing at the level he can. You can keep talking and talking, but it is on the pitch that you have to show your quality.