Liverpool did precisely what most people anticipated they would, which was to do nothing more during the January transfer window. The skilled Mr. Gakpo was a welcome addition at the beginning of the month, but it’s reasonable to wonder if the money spent on him may have been better used elsewhere in the team.
Since it’s not how the Reds operate, anyone who has watched their business for a while understood there wouldn’t likely be any last-minute additions. Although there have been some recent deadline-day gambles, such as Ozan Kabak, Ben Davies, and Arthur Melo, you can see why Liverpool doesn’t regularly make such acquisitions given their lack of success.
Even still, a large portion of their followers pleaded with them to be more assertive in the market, particularly in light of Chelsea’s acquisition of virtually every player you’ve ever heard of (as well as some you haven’t). At least in terms of transfer costs, being more active need not be expensive.
It makes sense that the players on Transfermarkt’s list of available free agents are not particularly enticing. The best of the bunch is 30-year-old attacking midfielder Isco, who played for Sevilla earlier this season and was a member of the Real Madrid team that overcame Liverpool in Kyiv in 2018. He was about to go to Union Berlin in Germany this January, but that plan fell through, and he has since been connected to a switch to a premier league club.
Isco might potentially alleviate a number of issues for Jurgen Klopp’s team, but it’s difficult to understand what he would bring to the table. Nobody of note is also found when searching for players who could contribute significantly in center midfield but are not currently fetching a high transfer fee.
To find such players, Liverpool could have to explore the market in the summer. The most upbeat Reds supporters think that because they are holding money back to pay for Jude Bellingham, the Reds kept their options open in January. While the midfielder from Borussia Dortmund would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing and cost upwards of £100 million, there would not be much money left over for additional reinforcements.
Liverpool appears to be in need of them. The club’s midfield will be deficient in both quantity and quality should Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all depart when their contracts expire in the summer.
It’s odd that the Reds haven’t utilized Bosman signings more given that they’ve consistently kept their net spending modest throughout the years. If we don’t take into account the backup goalkeepers starting with “A,” Alex Manninger, and Adrian. The last time Liverpool got a senior player on a free transfer was Andy Lonergan seven years ago this summer.
The individual in question was Joel Matip, who has largely excelled for Liverpool despite experiencing injury problems throughout much of his career with the club. A better club servant before him was Milner, and behind him Gary McAllister gave a young midfield some experience and helped the Reds achieve a memorable cup treble.
Then there are players like Craig Bellamy (who is returning to Merseyside for a second stay) and Kolo Toure. They were by no means overwhelming achievements, but they contributed to Liverpool’s League Cup victories under Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers, as well as their respective title challenges. The Reds’ organization has done fairly well over the years as far as freebie collecting go.
Liverpool has given Kylian Mbappe hope again after yesterday’s nightmare
In Wednesday night’s Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier, Kylian Mbappe missed two penalty kicks. Mbappe, who converted a hat-trick of penalty kicks in the World Cup championship, twice missed his attempt from 12 yards out of character.
After just seven minutes, according to MARCA, the 24-year-old had a chance to give PSG the lead. Mbappe’s attempt was stopped by Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, who correctly predicted its path but was found to have stepped off the line.
A second chance to correct his earlier error was thus provided to the Frenchman, but it was all for nought as Mbappe missed the goal once more. This time, his attempt hit the right post and even missed the rebound, preventing him from scoring the game’s opening goal.
Consider his appearance following the injuries he got soon after his spectacular miss from the spot. After 21 minutes, Hugo Ekitike was brought in to replace the 2022 Golden Boot winner. Folarin Balogun, an Arsenal loanee, has surpassed him on the list of top scorers with 14 goals after he was unable to add to his total against Montpellier.
Arnaud Nordin’s goal, however, was only a consolation as PSG reinforced their hold on first place in the table thanks to goals from Fabian Ruiz, Lionel Messi, and youngster Zaire-Emery.
As long as there are rumors of a Qatari takeover, Liverpool might be in for a massive spending spree to overhaul their roster.
Qatari investors have emerged as potential front-runners to purchase Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group in the upcoming months, and with the potential change of ownership comes the possibility of the massive spending binge Jurgen Klopp has been pleading for. The Reds’ current owners have been looking into investment opportunities as well as an outright sale because it is clear that they need to continue investing. The Middle East seems to be the most likely option, and a £3 billion takeover has reportedly been mentioned.
Although Liverpool has signed striker Darwin Nunez for £85 million and midfielder Cody Gakpo for £50 million in 2022–23, the Reds’ inability to afford a marquee acquisition to revitalize their midfield has become a problem. Klopp has frequently lamented how rivals like Chelsea and Manchester City are able to spend their way out of trouble.
The Merseyside giants’ need for a new roster makeover has never been more evident after Klopp’s team was humiliated 3-0 by Brighton on Saturday, forcing the German to admit that transfers may be necessary to put the club back in the top-four race.
With the financial support of ultra-wealthy Qatari investors, Klopp could be able to construct a team of world-class players for the upcoming season to catch up to City and Chelsea.
If the multi-billion takeover is completed before the summer, Express Sport examines their potential lineup.