Liverpool wanted to keep Meireles

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish wanted to keep Raul Meireles, but the player handed in a deadline day transfer request and Chelsea signed the Portugal international from their Premier League rivals.

Meireles swapped Liverpool for Chelsea as part of a 12m move, and reportedly told the press that he wanted to stay at Liverpool.

However, Liverpool's director of football Damien Comolli has rejected the claims.

The Frenchman said: "I think Raul said it himself with what I've seen recently in the press. Basically, he came to see me and said 'I want to leave, I want to play for another club'.

"Our intention was not to sell him but we were put in a corner a little bit when he put in a transfer request and said he wanted to go and that he didn't want to play for Liverpool anymore.

"I think the owners and Kenny (Dalglish) have said it, and we all have the same view. When someone doesn't want to be here it's difficult to say 'you are going to stay'.

"We've been through that process in January with Fernando Torres and this felt like the same situation. We've done it, we think it was the right thing to do for the club, because it's very, very difficult to have somebody here who doesn't want to be here.

"The job of the manager in the Premier League is already difficult having to manage 25 players and only having 11 to start on a match day, so you have to deal with all the others.

"On top of that if you have someone who is adamant they don't want to be here and wants to play for someone else, we took the view it's better if he goes and we get the best possible deal for the club. In the end I think we did well."