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Liverpool is taking a cautious approach to transfers in the face of extreme financial uncertainty. So Liverpool are poised for a quiet summer window for the second year in a row. Liverpool, it seems, doesn’t really have much money available to spend on new recruits.
That has been the predominant message for the past three months. While it was frustrating on one level, it was at least partially understandable given the broader circumstances that have affected football and the world at large during these very tumultuous times.
And then, out of nowhere … BOOM! Liverpool lands not just one, but two important signings in the space of 24 hours. One of them is the culmination of an epic (or tedious, depending on how these things look) saga that has dragged on since the beginning of July, the other sneaking through the back door without the slightest whisper of a particular bond before yesterday afternoon.
Is it because they have decided to put caution aside? Are you now sure of recovering a significant part of the sales? Is it because they now have a much clearer picture of their financial situation than several months ago? Were they always waiting for the right moment to assess the terrain before making their move?
Whatever the reason, it’s a transfer bonanza like no other, and one that absolutely no one saw coming. Thus the relatively small (but very vocal) minority of FSG-out the conspirators are suddenly left retreating in their masses, blushing behind anonymous Twitter avatars. It’s almost as if the people who run Liverpool Football Club really have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing …
Who would have thought?
What is fascinating in this context is the way that “risk” tends to be perceived in football. Throughout the window the mantra that repeatedly floated was that Liverpool were being risk averse by choosing not to spend significant fees, the idea being that Jürgen Klopp would play again with the same set of players who delivered 196 points and four trophies. . the previous two seasons. Further progression would come in the form of tactical evolution and the emergence of players like Curtis Jones, Takumi Minamino, and a fully fit and fired Naby Keita. This, supposedly, was not the summer to go out and seek external solutions to problems within the team.
However, there is another side to all this, in that no bolstering the team with a few new faces in key positions would have been a pretty substantial risk in itself. Clearly Liverpool were already far better positioned than most to compete for the top honors in 2020/21 with or without additions, but there was still obvious scope for adding quality and depth in various areas. Failure to do so would expose Liverpool to the potential for injury, burnout and crucial player fatigue given the lack of viable margin for rotation in a hyper-intense match schedule. That could Well we will prove to be a decisive factor to win the League or the Champions League, or not.
Yesterday there was a brilliant quote from Klopp in reaction to Thiago Alcântara’s announcement that gave insight into his mindset in terms of how Liverpool keep moving forward from here.
“To write the next chapter we have to create a new story, and for a new story you also need new actors.”
It is a point that cannot be overstated. As phenomenal as this Liverpool team is, and as much as they have accomplished together thus far, all the great teams evolve and adapt to pursue the next goal and turn an initial flurry of silverware into something more prolonged.
(Image: Andrew Powell / Liverpool FC Photo via Getty Images)
The arrivals of Thiago and Diogo Jota improve Liverpool’s prospects of doing exactly that. Thiago is the one all Liverpool fans longed for, and while it wasn’t a position Liverpool necessarily needed to reinforce (nor is it the usual age profile for an FSG signing), a player of his caliber should always make room for a exception. He is a true superstar at the peak of his powers, the kind of move that is normally so rare to get, let alone £ 20 million plus add-ons, which is staggered over the course of his four-year deal.
Jota is the one Liverpool really necessary, and find a player who can occupy various positions in the top three at the required level and at the same time be prepared to accept a rotating role (at least to start) and at an age where they can still improve, it is an incredibly difficult thing to do. However, check all the boxes, and given that Liverpool will only pay 10% of the initial fee of £ 41 million in the first 12 months, this is an exceptional deal.
As much as Thiago and Jota have been hired to mark their influence on the field, there is another element here that is worth highlighting. Mood and atmosphere are elusive concepts that can’t really be quantified, but they do exist and are important in relation to football clubs. And despite the sheer joy and relief of finally securing the Premier League title in June, the reality is that the mood has not been one of unbridled joy and confidence within the Liverpool universe since.
The reasons for that can be debated (lack of community celebration, no parade, mixed performances, strengthening of rivals, and concerns about lack of transfer activity all play a role), but it’s the truth. There has been noticeable nervousness and tension in recent months, not because this manager and the group of players are not believed, but because people desperately want Liverpool to stay on top now that they have reached the top. The dangerous and sharp form of the opening day win against Leeds United hardly eased those nerves.
It has been remarkable then, but equally not so surprising, to see how much the Thiago and Jota signings have rekindled an overwhelming sense of optimism for what is to come. It is refreshing and invigorating not only because they are two excellent footballers who strengthen Liverpool’s chances of success in the future, but also because of the message it sends.
This, at the moment, is perhaps the most marketable Liverpool that has never status in terms of status and power of attraction, at least in the modern era. Not taking advantage of that would have felt like a missed opportunity. Instead, what this says is that Liverpool are not going anywhere. They are committed to building from here and will do whatever it takes to keep winning.
Fans get excited, sure, but I just had to watch Klopp during yesterday’s pre-Chelsea press conference to see how excited he is about this too. Now he gets to work with a player he has admired so much for so many years (Thiago), and another (Jota) who will give him something he has never had before: someone who can switch in and out for any of the three forwards without there a major change in style or a decrease in quality. The squad as a whole will also rise.
The point is this: everything feel great in Liverpool, much more than on Monday or Tuesday. Liverpool haven’t even played since, neither Thiago or Jota have even kicked a ball, but there is already a perceptible difference in how people talk about the season and what’s ahead. As Klopp says, it’s about creating a new chapter now. With these two new recruits on board, the possibilities are tempting.
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