Fernando Torres has warned Liverpool that he could leave the club if owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett do not produce the funds to strengthen Rafael Benitez' squad with "four or five" top-class signings this summer.

Even more worryingly for Reds' fans, the Spanish hitman left open the possibility of a move to hated rivals Manchester United. Defeat at Wigan last Monday left Liverpool's hopes of finishing fourth hanging by a thread.

The club face a must-win tie tonight (tomorrow morning, Singapore time) against Portsmouth at Anfield if they want to keep their Champions League hopes for next season alive. Torres insisted he would be prepared to stay even if the club finish outside the top four, as long as they show their ambition matches his.

"Being in the Champions League is not so important for me," said Torres, in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS. "What is really important is that the club makes an effort and brings in important players to improve the quality of the squad. We need four or five top class players to compete, players better than the ones we have."