Not only has Sir Alex Ferguson served notice of his intent to retain the Premiership title, but the weight of his transfer money could now handicap Liverpool in the market. Nani, at 20, is a Portugal international with only five caps who has been lured to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon. Anderson, 19, is awaiting his chance on the bigger stage. Benítez would have been instinctively reluctant to have spent as much as £17m on Simao Sabrosa, a long-standing target who almost moved to Anfield two years ago, yet the more experienced winger has 48 caps. The Nani fee is likely to inflate Benfica's asking price for the 27-year-old. "We have some targets, top-class players, but if you spend two or three weeks waiting, then talking and talking, you either cannot sign the player or have to pay more money," said Benítez on the morning after the defeat to Milan.
The Liverpool hierarchy would argue steady progress is being made, with five players already secured and bids being prepared for the likes of Lyon's Florent Malouda. The Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, is a notoriously awkward negotiator. Given events in the past surrounding the departures of Michael Essien and Mahamadou Diarra, talks over a possible move are likely to prove protracted. But the Liverpool manager will be infuriated, if only privately, that he has yet to secure one of his principal targets.
Benítez decided towards the end of last season he needed to bolster his supply-line in a bid to fuel a more productive attack after his team scored 26 Premiership goals fewer than United last season. He wanted new wingers, with Malouda, Simao and David Silva of Valencia all under consideration. A centre-half, most likely Real Zaragoza's Gabriel Milito, would also be welcomed while, up front, there is interest in Samuel Eto'o at Barcelona, even if a likely £30m fee would be prohibitive.
Juventus are preparing to test Benítez's resolve to retain Mohamed Sissoko with a £10m offer while doubts persist over Xabi Alonso's future. The Basque has two years to run on his contract but has not yet agreed an extension. Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in the midfielder.
All of which will darken Benítez's mood as he returns to the training ground to plan this club's future. The manager had spoken of a "positive" conference call conducted with Hicks, Gillett and the chief executive Rick Parry just before his holiday though, not for the first time, he will want to see real evidence of urgency now. With the Americans absent and constant dialogue therefore awkward, the club cannot afford to wait until Foster Gillett, the joint owner's son, moves with his own family to Merseyside in August to take up a more hands-on role at the club.
The sense is that Liverpool are already slipping behind. Chelsea may not have spent a major fee, but they have secured the Bayern Munich forward Claudio Pizarro, Steven Sidwell from Reading, the Brazilian Alex who has spent time "parked" at PSV Eindhoven and the Oldham youngster Danny Philliskirk. But Benítez would consider his squad to lack the quality of Jose Mourinho's, and he would concede he is now well behind Manchester United. This week demands that Liverpool show their own true intent.
Anfield targets
Florent Malouda Lyon £8m
David Silva Valencia £15m
Simao Sabrosa Benfica £12m
Gabriel Milito R Zaragoza £8m
Samuel Eto'o Barcelona £30m*
Darren Bent Charlton £15m
(*or swap with Xabi Alonso)