José Reina has revealed the promise of significant investment at Liverpool this summer allayed his concerns over the direction of the club and convinced him to remain part of Kenny Dalglish's rebuilding plans.

The future of Liverpool's influential goalkeeper has been a genuine concern inside Anfield for several months, with the 28-year-old voicing reservations similar to those from Fernando Torres before his £50m departure to Chelsea.

Reina secured a £20m release clause when he renewed his Liverpool contract last summer, amid interest from Arsenal, but despite the absence of Champions League football at Anfield next season he has been hugely encouraged by the impact of Dalglish and Fenway Sports Group's decision to hand the Liverpool manager a three-year contract.

Crucial to Reina's decision to stay, however, was a conversation with Damien Comolli, in which Liverpool's director of football outlined FSG's spending plans to the Spain international.

Reina said: "Everything has changed. The situation of the club, recently I have talked with Comolli asking for the future and I believe in this club, in the project and I am happy here. My family was really desperate to stay, they are really happy here, but in December and January more or less most of the people, and not just the players, were doubting the future because we were not good enough.

"I never felt I had to leave, because I wanted to believe in the project, but the situation wasn't nice and the mood all over the place was not good. That is not the case any more and we are ready to take next step.

"That is where we have to look now, not about the past, about the future and the bright future we have in front of us." The Liverpool goalkeeper said details of his talk with Comolli would remain private but confirmed the promise of "a big summer" at Anfield had been a decisive factor.

"I believe we are in the right place and going in the right direction and we have to keep it like that. Next season will be more positive. The quicker we improve the better for the club, but you cannot change overnight. It will take a little while.

"We are optimistic, the owners are preparing a big summer and hopefully we are going to be right in the transfers we make and the players that come in will improve the squad."

Tom Werner, the Liverpool chairman, has echoed Reina's conviction that FSG intends to invest heavily this summer, with Aston Villa's £15m-rated forward Ashley Young a leading target and understood to favour a move to Anfield over Old Trafford, and the Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam expected to arrive. Liverpool tried to sign Adam in January.

"We certainly have the resources to improve the club and we're moving in the right direction," Werner said. "We are determined to improve and I know that Damien is already looking at a bunch of targets."

Reina conceded that Liverpool wasted the opportunity to secure Europa League qualification with their surprise 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but the Spaniard has not ruled out a final‑day twist in the race for fifth place.

"We had it there, in our hands, and we messed it up," Reina said. "But we have to finish well. It will be difficult for Spurs because they have to play Birmingham who are playing to avoid relegation and the main thing is to keep fighting and to win our game against Aston Villa, which will not be easy.

"We did not play well and they deserved to win. We want to be in Europe. Liverpool is about Europe and being in every competition with a chance to win them. When the fifth position looked closer than ever, we messed it up."