Summer 2017 Transfer Thread

[Ne Moe Imya]

If we get £19m for Moreno and Stewart I fear that the end of the world is nigh. I mean, where do you go from there?

 

If that's your standard then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed - we already got 6 million for Brad Smith!

 

I'm still amazed every time I think of that happening.  Must be something dodgy going on there, absolutely no reason for it otherwise.  Although Kevin Stewart is not any better than Smith and for some reason the club has briefed the papers about a 10m valuation they've put on him, so maybe we'll top the Smith deal yet ...

[El Dangerous]

And yet we'll pull out of deals for highly rated players over a few million.

[Jenson]

And yet we'll pull out of deals for highly rated players over a few million.

 

Monitoring the shit out of them doesn't come cheap you know.

[G Richards]

I've scratched my head on the Brad Smith deal and concluded it was the £6M cross that he put in. League Cup against Southampton, black kit, lovely cross for Origi who nodded it into the back of the net to make it 6-1. Eddie Howe must have seen it and thought, "£6M? Not bad, not bad..."

[G Richards]

As for the wider point about fees, I agree that prices are going more and more insane by the minute. We might well recoup £100M this summer, largely getting rid of players who don't really play or we don't really want. In other words, not by selling a treasured player like a Coutinho.

 

Then I could see us spend something like £150M, or say £50M net, something like that.

 

Obviously if we are going by the last couple of windows, this is fanciful. But I think Klopp wants 5-6 decent players, and he has a lot of leverage such that the owners will back him. I don't know if the Saudi deal is anything more than announced, but it seemed odd to send a ranking person over to Anfield to sign a deal with New Balance. If that's all it was then arguably it was a gateway deal to subsequent investment. Who knows?!

[Trumo]

I think the Brad Smith sale was for £3m, with another £3m in add-ons, and we negotiated buy-back and sell-on clauses too.

[El Rojo]

I've scratched my head on the Brad Smith deal and concluded it was the £6M cross that he put in. League Cup against Southampton, black kit, lovely cross for Origi who nodded it into the back of the net to make it 6-1. Eddie Howe must have seen it and thought, "£6M? Not bad, not bad..."

 

And £15m on Ibe. I wonder would he have any interest in £28m Alberto Moreno?

[Russ Atmosphere]

Moreno was the only thing standing between Sevilla and success. Could we learn anything there?

[G Richards]

Brandt - £30M

Keita - £35M

Tah - £30M

Sessegnon - £10M

Striker - not sure who

 

Something like this would be good. Might depend on what happens with Sturridge as to how far we push the boat out for a striker. Could be the difference between a Lacazette and a Dolberg.

 

Getting that little triangle of Matip and Tah, with Keita in front, would give us the solidity we need to stop conceding so many goals while also retaining our attacking verve. We are very good going forward, just need a bit more depth so the quality doesn't drop off too much when someone is out.

[El Rojo]

If we get £19m for Moreno and Stewart I fear that the end of the world is nigh. I mean, where do you go from there?

 

£65m Connor Randall getting his own emoji?

[Denny Crane]

Liverpool remain a work-in-progress but the numbers just don't add up

 

 

If Liverpool have the resources of a top ten European club, why is the team’s performance on the field nowhere near that of a top ten European club

 

And so for Liverpool, Burnley at Anfield next Sunday becomes the acid test and that, it is fair to say, is a sign of the times.

 

Having defeated Arsenal, Jürgen Klopp was in a reflective mood. He thought back to Liverpool’s beating Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, and contrasted it with the wider feeling that followed two days later having played against a lesser opponent.

 

“We won 1-0, if this victory had given us as much confidence as the draw at Sunderland had given us a knock, then everything would be fine, but it was not like this,” he said. “Man City was: ‘We can do it sometimes’, Sunderland was, ‘Yeah. That is the usual face.

 

Klopp was emphasising a point he’d already made about society. “We let the bad things influence us more than the good things, otherwise we’d celebrate our birthday maybe longer than one day.”

 

Perhaps the most accurate assessment of where Liverpool really are at came next: "If we judge the players after the best game of the season, then we sign a contract for another six seasons,” he concluded. “If we do it after Leicester then you change the whole squad. But the truth is always in between.”

 

It was an admission, then, that right now Liverpool are a work-in-progress. “You say it is about quality, and sometimes probably yeah, we don't have the quality,” Klopp continued. “But with quality you have potential, and you make quality with work.”

 

The danger for Klopp is, for the last six years that has consistently been the line from his employers, Fenway Sports Group: the one that hints at a brighter future being ahead, albeit one that is never delivered because Liverpool’s better players get fed up with waiting for a collective potential to be realised and end up leaving before trophies and medals are achieved, leaving Liverpool back at square one. Supporters know about the unhealthy cycle, patience is becoming thinner and so, if Klopp is using the same message in a year’s time it is fair to assume he will not be as popular as he is presently.

 

Fenway remain convinced of their strategy which involves overpaying for young players before anyone else supposedly notices them and Klopp should be aware that while two other managers have been and gone, the strategy remains and so does Michael Edwards, who was officially appointed as the club’s sporting director in November when it seemed Liverpool would be in a title race. For the previous eighteen months, it had been Edwards’s responsibility to identify targets through his scouting network and extensive statistical data programme, before negotiating deals with clubs, players and their agents.

 

If Klopp’s future is influenced by FSG’s history, FSG’s beginning is linked to what went before them. Perhaps the most significant information coming out of Liverpool last week, indeed, related to its financial results, reflecting a long-term reality. ‘Liverpool is the only club in the top ten of the Deloitte football money league that didn’t play in the UEFA Champions League last season,’ a statement read. Liverpool interpreted this achievement as a demonstration of strength by its commercial operations to ‘support the reinvestment into the playing squad.’

 

Ian Ayre is gone now but since the arrival of FSG towards the end of 2010, one of his consistent claims has related to the determination of Fenway to capitalise on Liverpool’s global appeal in a way neither either of the previous owners were supposedly able to. Ayre perceived it as a failure the decision not to have Anfield’s merchandise store open the morning after all staff had been invited to Istanbul to witness what proved to be an improbable 2005 Champions League final victory over AC Milan.

 

And yet, if it is objective to analyse performance over a five-year period, which it surely is, it is worth remembering that on average Liverpool’s standing in the Deloitte league between 2004 and 2009 was one place higher than it is now, ignoring 2010 as a year for any sort of reasonable conclusion considering the mess Tom Hicks and George Gillett had left it in.

 

While Fenway might defend their record since by pointing out that new financial challenges across Europe have emerged - most notably from City and Paris Saint-Germain - this can be offset to some extent by the fall of major Italian clubs like AC Milan and Inter Milan in relation to the standings.

 

If the position in the Deloitte money league really is relevant, it reflects just how Liverpool are underperforming, especially when you compare it to UEFA’s rankings.

 

Between 2004 and 2009 Liverpool’s average place in the European game was fourth. In the last five years under FSG it has fallen to 27th. It means that back then – in the supposed bad old days when Anfield’s merchandise store was closed after arguably the most glorious night in the club’s history – Liverpool were punching four places above their weight financially and now, they are 18 places below roughly where they should be.

 

Domestically, Liverpool are the fifth English club in last year’s Deloitte findings – as they have been for the last five years and if finance counted for everything, that would have resulted in consistent appearances in the Europa League rather than the Champions League – affecting Liverpool’s UEFA ranking. And yet, this is a period where Liverpool’s average finishing position in the Premier League has been sixth anyway.

 

If the 2015/16 Deloitte table is to be taken as something to be proud of about then consider this: Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham were all below Liverpool in that table but finished above them in the Premier League last season: a season where Liverpool’s wage bill was confirmed at £208 million, which was bigger than City’s and Arsenal’s.

 

The most serious question Fenway should be asking themselves is this: if Liverpool have the resources of a top ten European club, why is the team’s performance on the field nowhere near that of a top ten European club?

 

Fenway can remind of the carcass they inherited but it seems unfair to have it both ways because they bought Liverpool on the cheap and if you compare any work to some of the worst months in the club’s history, then you are always going to be better. How many years of grace do they deserve? It seems unbalanced to claim credit for being in the top ten of the money league and always remind that they inherited problems - surely those problems have been solved to get them so high with Deloitte so consistently?

 

There can only be one conclusion: Liverpool have spent but they have not spent well under FSG and for that, the responsibility is layered between the owners themselves because they make the appointments and the people they have brought in or promoted: Damien Comolli, Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers, the old transfer committee members, Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter; Ayre, the former chief executive, Michael Edwards – and to a much lesser extent, the current manager.

 

On Friday Klopp revealed he is planning an overhaul at Liverpool and though he did not confirm numbers, Liverpool will need as many as six signings if the club return to Europe’s top table by dining in the Champions League.

 

In his public role – now that everyone knows what he’s supposed to be doing - it brings a sharper focus onto the work of Edwards. Again, Liverpool are facing another one of those defining summers.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool-arsenal-jurgen-klopp-work-in-progress-numbers-dont-add-up-a7612336.html

[Evil_Ways]

We could do worse than try and sign Forsberg from RB Leipzig. I was hesitant he would do this good in The Bundesliga but he's been class. I guess not really in a position we are desperate to strengthen, but we need more bodies there if anyone of Coutinho, Firminho and Mane is missing.

 

Other than that, GK, CB, LB and CM. If we could find quality players for those positions this summer it would really improve us.

[Gym Beglin]

Cyprien is a central midfielder. You should stop relying too much on this Youtube thingy.

Is he fuck, he's all over the shop.

 

Besides which, Southampton will sign him.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

If we are targeting anyone from RB Leipzig, I hope we've learnt our lesson and try to get a deal done early as they're sure to have a few players catching the eye of top clubs and will probably only let one key player go, much like with BMG last summer. If we are indeed after Keita then we need to meet the asking price early.

[Paulie Dangerously]

 

 

. If we are indeed after Keita then we need to meet the asking price early.

Haha nice one

[El Dangerous]

LFC: RBL, we appreciate that you're minted and on course to secure champions league football next season. Therefore we are willing to pay whatever you want to sign Keita.

 

RBL: We'll accept £40m and not a penny less!

 

LFC bids £15m plus Lucas.

[Red74]

LFC: RBL, we appreciate that you're minted and on course to secure champions league football next season. Therefore we are willing to pay whatever you want to sign Keita.

RBL: We'll accept £40m and not a penny less!

LFC bids £15m plus Lucas.

LFC: hello, hello, is there anybody there?

 

James Pearce: LFC have pulled out of a deal for Keita due to RBL continually moving the goalposts. Lucas Leiva will sign a 5 year contract this summer.

[ZonkoVille77]

We're fuckin shite at transfers

[Red74]

LB - Bertrand

CH - Van Dijk although I'll be surprised if he goes expensive on this position

CM - Keita

LW - Douglas Costa, been touting for a move recently so let's offer him a pay rise and he can come and play with his 2 mates

FW - Brandt, cos it seems like it's done according to the itk's

ST - Morata

 

Wtf are we paying that Michael Edwards money for, piece of piss this.

 

Oh, and if Stevie gets asked to text any players out there, get him to tempt xabi out of retirement for 12 months. He'd still be able to do a job for us. Especially with seeing a game out

[aRdja]

LB - Bertrand

CH - Van Dijk although I'll be surprised if he goes expensive on this position

CM - Keita

LW - Douglas Costa, been touting for a move recently so let's offer him a pay rise and he can come and play with his 2 mates

FW - Brandt, cos it seems like it's done according to the itk's

ST - Morata

Wtf are we paying that Michael Edwards money for, piece of piss this.

Oh, and if Stevie gets asked to text any players out there, get him to tempt xabi out of retirement for 12 months. He'd still be able to do a job for us. Especially with seeing a game out

Haha. Who are these ITKs?

[Red74]

Klopp

[RazorBack]

LB - Bertrand

CH - Van Dijk although I'll be surprised if he goes expensive on this position

CM - Keita

LW - Douglas Costa, been touting for a move recently so let's offer him a pay rise and he can come and play with his 2 mates

FW - Brandt, cos it seems like it's done according to the itk's

ST - Morata

 

Wtf are we paying that Michael Edwards money for, piece of piss this.

 

Oh, and if Stevie gets asked to text any players out there, get him to tempt xabi out of retirement for 12 months. He'd still be able to do a job for us. Especially with seeing a game out

If we sign 3 of those I'll be thrilled. I like Costa too. Would fit perfectly. But he's playing more and more.. But then I realised we are Liverpool in 2017..

[Red74]

If we sign 3 of those I'll be thrilled. I like Costa too. Would fit perfectly. But he's playing more and more.. But then I realised we are Liverpool in 2017..

Unless either of the mancs for for costa and Chelsea for morata, we should be able to compete with who Evers in the market for all of them. Madrid, Barca & Bayern don't need any of them so let's have a go.

 

Sell a fucking dream to them rather than acting like teenage lads asking the hottie to go out with them. They're all within our range so let's grow a moustache and get our chests out and man the fuck up.

[Bjornebye]

Unless either of the mancs for for costa and Chelsea for morata, we should be able to compete with who Evers in the market for all of them. Madrid, Barca & Bayern don't need any of them so let's have a go.

 

Sell a fucking dream to them rather than acting like teenage lads asking the hottie to go out with them. They're all within our range so let's grow a moustache and get our chests out and man the fuck up.

Hang on.... Are you suggesting we sign Louis Spence?

[Red74]

Hang on.... Are you suggesting we sign Louis Spence?

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