Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has confirmed the club will not sell the naming rights to Anfield should plans to redevelop the stadium go ahead.

The Merseyside outfit announced their desire to increase the stadium’s existing capacity to around 60,000 on Monday – ruling out the possibility of moving to a new ground.

Speculation had suggested the naming rights could be sold as a way of helping the club finance the £150million costs but, while Ayre admitted the Reds had considered it a possibility had they moved to a new ground, he insisted it would not happen at Anfield.

“There won’t be a naming rights deal for Anfield,” Ayre told the Liverpool Echo. “It was only something we looked at when we were assessing the option of a new stadium.

“Naming rights was a difficult process but we weren’t without our suitors. We have had and still have interest around it.

“A new stadium would never have happened without it but that was only one part of it.

“We had to balance the two possible options. It was about finding the best solution for the club and we feel very strongly that this is the right one.

“Our preference was always to stay at Anfield and this is a major step forward.”