The significance of recruiting the correct players has never been more evident for Liverpool thanks to a network of scouts operating all over the world, data analysts calculating the stats, and an expert recruitment team narrowing down the targets.
However, there is another element of the transfer industry that is frequently ignored but is almost as important. This aspect is becoming increasingly important following a few potentially seismic days in the summer window.
recognising the ideal moment to profit from a player.
Knowing the right time when to cash in on a player.
Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff could well soon be grappling with such a conundrum given the reported interest from the Saudi Pro League in midfielders Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and, most persistently, skipper Jordan Henderson.
As of right now, no club has officially expressed interest in signing Fabinho or Henderson for Liverpool. However, Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq is supposedly interested in both players.
Given the continuing linkages coming out of Saudi Arabia, however, and the league’s previous spending of hundreds of millions on European talent in an effort to raise their profile internationally, this might quickly alter.
Sometimes, like when Barcelona came knocking on Phillipe Coutinho’s door after more than five years, the offer made for a player is just too excellent to turn down.
On other occasions, a move simply hasn’t worked out – such as Christian Benteke after Klopp took over the reins from Brendan Rodgers in 2015/16 – and an exit is agreeable for both parties. However, more difficult is determining when the best has been extracted from a player and his departure would ultimately, whether directly or indirectly, be of benefit.
Determining the ideal time to let players go and keep the club improving was crucial to Liverpool’s sustained success throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Bob Paisley was a master of renewal and regeneration.
Similar to this, Manchester United during its heyday in the early Premier League era regularly raised eyebrows by trading established stars who still looked like they were in their prime yet were still able to win awards, frequently with a better squad.
Klopp – not entirely without foundation – has at times been accused of showing too much loyalty to his players, although such belief in individuals and the collective has been the basis for the silverware that has come during his tenure, a supposed weakness actually a strength.
Although Klopp has shown a history of being brutal, notably early in his tenure when players like Mamadou Sakho were let go, dismantling the roster of his first outstanding Liverpool side is turning out to be a more gradual process for him. Given their subsequent performances, such as those of Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane, Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Takumi Minamino, few would argue that their contributions to their new teams have equaled those they made at Anfield, and the Reds were correct to release them at the appropriate time.
So to the speculation surrounding the current midfield trio, with each case having its own merits. Liverpool would have a huge decision to make should the proposed £40million bid for Fabinho come to fruition given it would almost match their outlay to sign him five years ago. The Brazilian, now 29, improved in the closing weeks of last season, but overall it was a deeply disappointing campaign that at one stage saw him behind teenager Stefan Bajcetic in the midfield pecking order.
Given Henderson’s extensive experience and powerful impact after 12 years at the club, the Reds would prefer not to lose him even if that means he will get less playing time this year. If a £20 million bid were to come in for a player who is currently 33, Liverpool might see it as an opportunity to invest in the midfielders of the future.
While Thiago is undoubtedly talented, his situation is complicated by the fact that he is in the final year of his contract and has unfavourably shown himself to be prone to injury while playing for Liverpool. The fact that the Reds would consider fair bids while remaining more than willing to keep him through the rest of his contract indicates that the Spaniard won’t be part of the team’s long-term plans.
Liverpool cannot afford to allow any of them leave due to the necessity for both experience and quantity. But how Klopp and his midfield fare after this summer’s transfer window will depend in large part on whether or not they let go of the right player at the right moment.