........to chase 'the best of British' as he looks to bolster his squad this summer.
The boss has already snapped up England youth international Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton, while promising homegrown talents such as Raheem Sterling have joined the Academy in recent months.
It is a trend Benitez is keen to continue in the future.
He said: "It is something that we have always tried to do. We tried to sign Gareth Barry, we did the same with Glen Johnson. That was always the idea.
"We have tried to bring in British players with the right mentality and the passion for the club.
"We want them to know what it means to play for Liverpool Football Club."
Shelvey cost the Reds £1.7m, though this could increase depending on domestic and international appearances.
The 18-year-old arrived at Melwood last week to meet his new teammates and get used to the surroundings ahead of next season, when he is likely to be thrust straight into the first-team squad.
Benitez added: "Shelvey is an addition like that (British and with the right mentality). We are trying to do what is best for the club. We have a long-term plan in place and we try to follow that."
Meanwhile, the gaffer remains confident of the quality within his current crop of players.
"This team has good players and we have a good team," he said. "We just had too many problems, too many injuries. We also had some difficulty dealing with expectation that everyone was thinking about us at the beginning of the season."
Rafa eyes 'best of British' - Liverpool FC