You might think, but when we drop points…
Just going to have to win all our games now then. For harmony. And world peace.
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Just stating the obvious, no?
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Obviously. I mean who drops points now a days? Especially against 10 men. Noobs.
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I used Mbappe as a yardstick / form of currency if you like.
We’ll see, but you dont buy players for 2021/22 with 2021/22 money do you? There’s usually an upfront payment made from existing cash i.e. 2020/21. Also our revenue is down. Shorter CL run etc.
I’d like to see your evidence for all of this inside information you seem to have.
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The new contracts will have gone up by more than a little, particularly if Mane and Salah agree new deals. Throw in bonuses that go along with those new deals and agents fees and it all adds up.
I remember talk of Konate’s fee paid in one instalment, has that been confirmed?
What about those fees from deals agreed last season that were due to see a sizeable jump in amounts being paid off this year onwards?
We don’t yet know revenues will be back to normal this season. Club can assign it a medium to high probability of it being so, but shouldn’t act as if it is a fact.
have to pay that point.
If it’s a release clause being activated, that is almost definite is it not?
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Klopp: “I am very happy with the squad and for those who believed me, it is as it reads but for those who don’t, make up your own conclusions”
Klopp must be feeling like the Father driving the car in a long distance drive and having to answer “are we there yet” every 20 minutes.
And still feel all you all feel about the owners, whether they are good, great or shit, they are here to stay.
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I’m disappointed we didn’t bring in more than Konaté. I believe Klopp would have liked to have done so as well. I also appreciate that there are likely to be valid reasons why we didn’t. Again, I’m sure Klopp is fully aligned with that too. There’s no doubt we’ve got one of the strongest first XIs and squads in the league, no argument there, but I’m concerned about the need to refresh and succession plan in the key areas of midfield and attack. I worry that we’re kicking the can down the road such that we’re going to have a real problem in 12-18 months time.
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I think that’s where the mystical plan comes in. we perhaps have top-tier targets we’re not willing to compromise on, and/or players we’re betting on in our academy. It’s the only way to really make sense of that.
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hand on my heart.
weve missed a beat here, on improving the squad.
im nervous about the prolonged form of Mane and Bobby, you wouldnt have to sell any attacker a line about being fifth choise…one of those spots is seriously up for grabs, Jota or no Jota.
in the midfield Bissouma or equivelant would have added a new dimension and fresh impetus , Jones and Elliot have to either be good enough, or not…
im not #FSGOUT or anything…i just seriously think we are one of the best squads in the league, strengthening from a point of strength.
to override all of the above, i get it…im not that stressed about it, id imagine Jurgens looking at his squad and still thinking he can compete…its an awesome squad.
could do with two new players though if im being honest…not squad fillers, genuine first team prospects.
no need to be an accountant about it either…theres ways to make shit work…
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I don’t know. I would assume yes, but there may be negotiations which lead to the seller receiving a higher fee if they agree to it being paid over a longer period? I can’t remember if that had happened in this case.
Couldn’t agree more with this.
If we use the starting XI against Chelsea as our best available (yes, Thiago over Elliott is likely in really big games once the Spaniard is back up to speed), then our team looks like this, when viewed by age instead of name:
28
22 30 30 27
27
18 31
29 29 29
Clearly, some areas for concern over the next two or three seasons, as we can’t replace everyone at once. And, while it would be nice, we all know that the excellent prospects in the academy aren’t all going to progress to the first team.
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Transfermarkt are back to saying Origi’s contract runs out next summer! Milner’s does too. That free’s up two slots immediately for bringing in players and some space on the wage bill.
Post AFCON, things may be easier to sell some players without too much of a discount if that is an option the club want to explore. Alternatively, it becomes one less stumbling block for us signing a player.
If the finances do come back strong, I can see the club finally have the big summer it has been talking about for the last couple of seasons (unless that was based on some expected outgoing transfer deal that never happened and now never will.)
(Adrian and Karius the only remaining ones that also have deals expiring - but I think they don’t really count for purposes of squad rebuilding)
More importantly, it frees up the number 7 shirt for Mbappé. 
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I think in terms of aging replacements, the only real concern is really the forward line and even then its not a big concern. I think the reason why we are seeking to extend Salah’s contract is we think he will be relevant still for the next 3-4 seasons. With Mane and Firmino both contracts finishing in 2023, I do think at least one of them will leave by then. Jota would be the replacement for one of them. So I think we are taking a staggered replacement for them. We might go for a player this coming season and then another one the following season.
I think that’s pretty much it.
The way I see it, the only ways we can bring players in, just solely from a playing perspective, are the following:
- Starting calibre – think the likes of Virgil or Alisson, players who would come in to immediately displace players we already have. Given the level of this player, they’re not likely to come cheap, and are possibly the jewels of their club, like Mané was at Southampton, for example. They would have to improve on what we already have, so the tier of players available is vanishingly small.
- Around the age of 20, but ready to get serious minutes in the league – Konaté and Gomez for examples of players we have already brought in like this before, or Jones if we’re talking about internally. These are younger players who wouldn’t expect to be regular starters, but still play coming on late in a game. I would hazard a guess at Bellingham or Elliott being this level of a player (less so for Bellingham).
Apart from these, I’m not sure how we could get anyone in worth the money and playing time. Why would you spend money on a squad player, if they don’t do anything different to what you already have? From your example, Bissouma has to be at the level where he is definitely better than Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keïta, Henderson, Thiago, Jones, or Elliott. Is that the case?
I think definitely Mané’s spot is up for grabs, as is Firmino’s, but I’m guessing that’s the plan for Jota and Minamino. I can’t see us having given up on Minamino already. Which begs the question, are we then going to bring in a starting calibre player and worsen their chances? Or are we going to bring in someone young, who would then be competing with the talent we already have in the academy? Furthermore, we would want to be getting someone who is a top talent, which especially for attacking players, does not come cheap.
I can see us targeting a younger forward, which is why the suggestions of Mbappe and Haaland are intriguing, but may also explain why we haven’t actually made any moves. Chances are, our targets just haven’t become available yet.
We’re no longer playing in a game where players are more like commodities and replaceable, e.g. Benitez-era Liverpool. I see us more at a level where the incoming players have to be the right ones, or not at all. We definitely have more than one priority choice, but I don’t think we have third or fourth choices in that sense. It’s either the best or bust. Especially given our ambitions with our academy, it makes perfect sense. No point buying average or just better-than-average players, if we can get them from our academy already.
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There is a way for FSG to put cash into the club, that wouldn’t fall foul of any FFP regulations.
FSG could write off the loan for the Main Stand Expansion, and provide the capital for the new training facility and the Anfield Road expansion rather than relying on Liverpool finding these projects out of its own cashflow.
Investing in infrastructure is immune from FFP calculations.
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Put it this way, 3 years down the line we’re still fine in defence.
Alisson 31, Trent 25 (assuming he’s still at RB), Gomez 27, Konaté 25, Robbo 30 (Tsimikas 28).
In midfield we’ve got Elliott 21, Jones 23 then it’s Keita 29, Fabinho 30, AOC 31, Thiago 33, Henderson 34…
Those are big gaps in the ages 24-28 (the ages Keita, Fabinho, AOC are now).
Up front we’ll have Jota 27, Salah 32, Mané 32, Firmino 32.
Nobody under 27.
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