Come on Sausage 
get it done!
I will blame Walshy for this.
2 Likes
The ECHO understands this had been scheduled before the pursuit of Wirtz ramped up considerably ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League finale at home to Crystal Palace, and both the club and Slot wanted to honour the arrangement.
1 Like
5 Likes
This is all just background noise about things that were long ago resolved. No idea why this is even being reported, possibly a negotiating tactic.
Or they don’t have anything else new to report right now, except that they don’t want Elliot anymore, although another sparsely used Liverpool player is still a possible option.
It’ll be fine, just don’t let it drive you crazy.
3 Likes
It’s not impossible that we might want both.
1 Like
Watch that knee ACL injuries are a pain.
@Walshy07 calming us all down…
The world really has gone mad.
15 Likes
And it doesn’t hurt for Leverkusen to know we have other irons in the fire.
Quite an obvious move as transfers edge closer. This always happens.
2 Likes
Just wanted to comment on the homegrown thing. The rule came in to encourage clubs to use homegrown players, and to hopefully have a pathway from academy to first team set up for the very best. We have done much better than most on that front.
As for the numbers, as far as I am aware, you can only have a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in the first team squad. Then you top it up with homegrown. There’s no set limit you have to achieve here, but most managers want to have a first team squad to work with of 25 players.
It’s something to watch, but it is completely manageable. We should carry about 16-18 players the manager uses regularly in my opinion, 3-4 more he uses a bit more sparingly, and 3-4 more on the edges of the squad trying to make an impression.
Slot doesn’t work with a huge group, but one or two extra players to last year - not numbers to make up the group, but players that he fancies and will use - will be just the ticket to give us the depth we need to fight on all fronts.
2 Likes
“Pivotal” week for Flo and @Walshy07
Rooting for both but ready to turn on both on a dime.
5 Likes
If it is indeed true that Wirtz only wants Liverpool and definitely wants to leave, I think BL needs to also show some respect to the commitment he has put in while he is there and not block his path to his dream move. Of course they need to get a good price for such talent, but not to endanger the move by squeezing to the last drop or to the last million. I think that is what we did with Kelleher but letting him move to a club that he can grow as No.1 and not hold out for a higher price which is definitely what we can do but out of respect for his wishes and what he has done for the club, we let him go for a slightly lower price than expected.
3 Likes
I think we took a little pity on Brentford after letting them move in for Carvalho and VDB. Both haven’t exactly impressed there. That might be a reason for the slightly lesser Kelleher price too.
That’s 27.5m for Carvalho, 25m for VDB and 19m for Kelleher.
Along with sizable resale percentages.
1 Like
Wirtz has made his decision, and Leverkusen has probably already earmarked the money to strengthen the team and sign new players. There’s no going back. An agreement will be reached. It’s understandable that Leverkusen has nothing to give away and is negotiating hard. They have to do that to avoid upsetting the fans, etc.
9 Likes
Very much sounds like the numbers/fee agreed, its just the breakdown/timing of performance based payments etc now.
1 Like
I don’t think Leverkusen attempting to play hardball when Liverpool aren’t far away from their asking rate is justified.
It’s not as if Wirtz is a 50m transfer that Leverkusen feel fit to make their stand.
It’s a 125m pound transfer and if Liverpool are quoting 108-110m , Leverkusen must wonder whether that 15m is worth it considering that Liverpool have players that Leverkusen are/were interested in too.
2 Likes
Add Ekitike as well since Dias appears to be going and with those three we will have a very potent strike force.
It doesn’t though.
People who seem to know everything didn’t know something as basic as Slot going over to meet a player and reasons for that until a week later.
Seems to me more of play for a new wage, I assume if he doesn’t sign then we will be open to that offer but I do think we will offer him a new package.
1 Like
Many people here probably don’t realize how much money that is for a Bundesliga club. It’s impossible to compare it with the money you deal with in the Premier League. And you don’t get an opportunity to get that much money every day in the Bundesliga. It’s much bigger than some people here realize, and it opens up opportunities for the club that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
5 Likes
I agree they are a team who have won the Budesliege and probably want to give themselves a good chance of competing for that trophy again hence why they were not too keen on selling to Bayern.
2 Likes