A look back at Liverpool’s recent failures in the transfer window
Liverpool’s transfers have been spot-on for the most part. However, certain instances in the past have irked fans and raised questions about Liverpool’s operations in the transfer market.
Failure at the top
FSG has no doubt alleviated Liverpool to their rightful place among the elite. What makes this feat remarkable is the sustainable model followed to achieve that. The Moneyball approach to make bargain buys and the hiring of Jurgen Klopp were masterstrokes.
However, Liverpool has grown out of the confines of the establishment it once was. We no longer need to convince players of the ‘project’. Liverpool are successful. Gone are the days when Liverpool had to scamper for not-so-world-class players. The Reds now attract world-class talent. We have world-class infrastructure, passionate fans, and a team of outstanding players & support staff.
Then why do we still lose out on transfers? The answer is simple, we aren’t willing to pay what even mid-table clubs dish out without a blink of an eye. Even clubs like West Ham had a £148m net spend & Forest £140m during the summer of 2022. The transfer of Neymar to PSG has opened a can of worms that just won’t go back. FSG has failed to realize that.
Shocking transfer decisions
The transfer of Coutinho (a direct consequence of the Neymar saga) is the first instance of a club failing to realize its own potential. Liverpool brought in Alisson and Virgil van Dijk but failed to find a replacement for the Brazilian. Liverpool were thus laid susceptible to an injury disaster. While one doesn’t need to recount the events in Cardiff.
Liverpool repeated the mistake in the 2018/19 season. No replacements/competition were brought in for our front three. We ended up losing the title by one point due to frustrating draws against fodder where Klopp didn’t have many options on the bench.
Jurgen Klopp is a miracle worker. He delivered us a Champions League on a shoestring (relatively speaking). FSG failed to invest again. Liverpool were made weaker due to the transfer of Simon Mignolet. We were made to pay for this blunder when Mignolet’s replacement (Adrian) made those fatal errors against Atletico.
In 2020, FSG repeated the mistake again. This time failing to replace the departing Lovren. Liverpool were made to pay for their sins in the transfer market again. Found a pattern yet?
Net spend summary under Klopp:
•2016/17 – £5m profit
•2017/18 – £10m profit
•2018/19 – £127m spend
•2019/20 – £31m profit
•2020/21 – £60m spend
•2021/22 – £52m spend
•2022/23 – £13m spend
(£206m total net spend in 7 seasons)
This problem has cropped up again. This time in midfield. FSG have failed so far to provide Klopp with adequate options.
What Anfield Home thinks
Perhaps FSG didn’t foresee the evolution of Liverpool or the success of Klopp or the development of Football these past 5 years. However, they are more guilty of being deaf to the cries of fans and not fulfilling promises. Furthermore, due to a limited budget, Klopp must be under pressure to only sign targets who are “absolutely perfect fits” because he does not have the luxury of spending again to correct any errors. As a result, a utopian mindset of focusing solely on Tchouameni and Bellingham has emerged.
