Fenway Sports Group has a major task of reinforcing the Liverpool squad for the upcoming season. There are a lot of talks on Liverpool’s transfer policy after they lifted the EPL title recently, ending the wait of 30 years in the Merseyside. Liverpool FC have finally clinched their 19th league title this season by an emphatic 18 points lead.
But, as the season comes to an end, the Reds will finally concentrate on next season to win more silverware. The first thing that needs to be done, is to invest wisely in the transfer market and increase the squad’s bench strength. In this article, we will try to have a look at the Liverpool FC Transfer Policy. The departures and the possible incomings will be the topic or discussion.
The Departures: Done Deals and Potential ones
Liverpool’s transfer policy includes offloading of a lot of players in this transfer window with a few squad players being sold and some leaving the club to get some game time elsewhere. So let’s see who have left the club and the potential ones that are leaving the squad.
Dejan Lovren
: The Croatian centre back leaves the club after a successful stint at Liverpool FC where he has won the Champions League and the Premier League. Mohammed Salah will surely miss his best mate. In a deal of reportedly 11 Million Euros, he moved on from Merseyside to the Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.
Adam Lallana : After spending 6 years at Red half of Merseyside, 32 years old Adam Lallana bid farewell to the club as he joined Brighton and Hove Albion on a free transfer. He was reduced to a squad player but his presence in the dressing room added a calmness. He will now join Graham Potter to embark on a new adventure after an emotional goodbye to his previous club.
Ones that may opt out of the club
Both Grujic and Harry Wilson are likely to be offloaded this summer. Wilson, 23, has previously been valued at £20 million whilst Grujic , 24, is considered to be at an price of £25 million. Loris Karius , Nathaniel Clyne , Sheyi Ojo can also leave the club this summer.
Squad Overview: How does the current squad look like?
Liverpool FC’s current roster gives us an insight to the spots where reinforcements are needed. Players marked yellow are on-loan as of now.
Goalkeeper(s)
- Alisson
- Adrian
- Kelleher
- Grabara
- Karius
Right-Back(s)
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Neco Williams
- Hoever
Centre-back(s)
- Van Dijk
- Gomez
- Matip
- Sepp Van der Berg
- Phillips
Left-back
- Andy Robertson
Midfielder(s)
- Henderson
- Milner
- Wijnaldum
- Chamberlain
- Keita
- Curtis Jones
- Minamino (Can also play as a winger)
- Grujic
- Ojo
- Woodburn
- Wilson
Left-winger
- Sadio Mane
Centre Forward(s)
- Firmino
- Origi
- Brewster
- Awoniyi
Right-winger(s)
- Salah
- Shaqiri
- Harvey Elliot
This is the current status of the squad which the club possesses. We can see that the first team is filled with a lot of quality players. Liverpool’s transfer policy should keep in mind that a strong reserve bench is the need of the hour for the club to successfully defend the Premier League title as well as push for the European title.
Liverpool’s transfer policy: Gaps to be filled up
Liverpool has one of the most star-studded lineups in European Football. The club is an example of executing business effectively in the transfer window. Right now, there are certain holes which can be visible in the squad. Certain positions need backup as an injury could derail Klopp’s hope of defending their Premier League crown.
One such position is the
Left back
position which needs a backup. Robertson has been injury-free throughout the season and whenever he was out, Milner played as a Left Back. This gives a clear picture of why a back-up is needed on an emergency basis. An injury can strike at any moment and the club might not have a proper backup to that position, vulnerabilities are closely looked by the other clubs and it looks like a spot of bother.
With Lovren leaving the club, a
Centre Back
must be brought to the club. Though Sepp Van Berg and Hoever are there in the club, they are too young to fill in the spot of Lovren and might need some time in the youth team before breaking into the squad. A Centre Back becomes a priority for Liverpool FC in the summer transfer window.
A
creative midfielder
can add some spice to Liverpool’s midfield, as they can use some creativity. Liverpool depends a lot on their fullbacks for creativity. This is becoming quite evident, so a playmaker will be a much-needed relief for the Liverpool midfield.
A
left-winger
can also be an option as a backup to the reliable Sadio Mane. But, with the outbreak of Coronavirus throughout Europe, The transfer market looks gloomy for proper deals to execute.
The rumoured arrivals
Thiago Alacantara
Thiago Alcantara
to Liverpool is the hot topic at Merseyside as Sports Bild’s Christian Falk and Pearce have both confirmed that Thiago wants to make a move to England. With one year left in his contract,
Bayern
doesn’t want him to go for free in the next summer. If this deal happens, Liverpool will get hold of one of the best midfielders in world football. It was evident that Liverpool were missing creativity in the centre of the park. With Thiago’s transfer, that problem might be solved. It will be interesting to see if he can adjust to Klopp’s system if the deal goes through.
Bayern wants
£35 million
for the Spaniard’s services, but Liverpool aren’t agreeing to give more than 20 million. According to different tabloids, talks are ongoing between the two clubs to settle for the fee. It is rumoured that personal terms have been agreed between the player and the club. Now we will have to see what happens in this transfer saga.
Aissa Mandi
Liverpool are targeting Algerian international Aissa Mandi from Real Betis as he is seen as a backup for Van Dijk and Matip. The Betis side wants £10.8 million as Liverpool’s offer of £9 million has been rejected. With Mandi, Liverpool will have a proper replacement for Lovren. Mandi has the pace and distribution which makes him an ideal centre back in Klopp’s system. Now we have to see if the Reds can pull off this deal.
Lloyd Kelly
Liverpool are looking to take Bournemouth by surprise by signing up England player Lloyd Kelly , the Cherries player can play in as both left-back and centre-back position, which will give Liverpool a much-needed backup for Robertson . Robertson is Liverpool’s only player in the Left Back position with Milner acting as a stopgap. With age on his side, Lloyd can prove himself to be a good business deal for the Reds to seal. The interest is imminent, but talks have not yet started. We will have to follow this story to find out what follows.
Final thoughts
It is safe to say, Liverpool aren’t planning to spend a lot in this window. Fenway Sports Group have always tied their hands while signing new players. Liverpool’s transfer policy does lie in getting the team improved salaries to tie them to new contracts. Getting the most out of Van Dijk or Mane is absolutely necessary. Though a champion club needs to reinforce the squad with all guns blazing to shun down the challenge of immediate contenders. They should try to fill up the gaps and increase their bench strength. Thiago may turn out to be a head-spinning buy and the fans would love to see it happen. Mandi and Kelly are also in the club’s radar for a while. Let’s see where Liverpool’s transfer policy would guide them at the end of the window?
Mention your thoughts about the Liverpool’s transfer policy in this transfer policy. Which players should they look out for?
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