Liverpool transfers in/out and rumours 22/23 + Contracts

[Insidious]

Looks like we’re trying to Offload a lot of players to get the wage bill down. Owners are obsessed with buying new businesses on the cheap. Why haven’t they sorted out the three contracts ?. At this rate I wouldn’t be surprised to see us make just one marquee signing, before the window is shut.

I think the offload of players isn't an issue, regarding wages. If we wanted to get the wage bill down then we'd likely be working harder to get rid of one of our highest-earning first-teamers as soon as possible. Not suggesting we should, before anyone gets that twisted!!!!!!

Contracts though - they undeniably need sorted. It's early doors yet for Edwards (new role) and Hughes (new with us) in their respective roles (I think it would be Hughes tasked with contracts) but so far, not stellar from a PR perspective. They may feel really relaxed about it due to assurances they have had behind closed doors (?) but even if that was the case, at least one of them should have been announced by now. A cynical take may be that one of them is done and we are saving the announcement for just after the closure of the transfer window, which I think most of us would be less than impressed by.

As to the last point of it maybe being one marquee signing, that wouldn't surprise me either. Partly because the squad is quite good (always room for improvement) and partly due to us already having a lot of players, so needing to make sales first - which so far have been U21 level really rather than Phillips or Endo or whoever else. Carvalho has been the main one and we hardly used him last season.

More significantly though, the new roles for Edwards and Hughes. With them needing to earn the trust of those above them, I don't think they were ever getting huge backing in their first window. If anything, being told "go out and prove what you can do" would probably be sensible in a risk-averse set-up (which we have) but naturally doesn't do a lot to delight or excite the fanbase.

There's still time and we have done some very fast business in the past, but it's certainly fair to say that the clock is ticking and we aren't terribly impressed with the window as of yet.

[justme]

Like i thought a while back and posted. I think this will be last season for Virgil. apparently no sign of any contract being offered. Its all about MONEY. so far this summer we have signed fucking no one and made a very impressive profit.
about 19 days left of the transfer window

[Jenson78]

The three areas of the team I would like to see improved. Left sided centre back to mould in to VVD replacement. Proper top notch Defensive Midfielder and Left back to replace Tsimikas, and eventually replace Robertson. I’m not looking for much, but in FSG eyes, I’m taking the piss.

[Insidious]

The three areas of the team I would like to see improved. Left sided centre back to mould in to VVD replacement. Proper top notch Defensive Midfielder and Left back to replace Tsimikas, and eventually replace Robertson. I’m not looking for much, but in FSG eyes, I’m taking the piss.

Agree on the centre-back and midfielder shouts (want a "Busquets" rather than a "Mascherano" hence my hope we can pull Zubimendi off) but not as worried about left-back. Hopefully Chambers has an excellent time on loan at Stoke - would much prefer we target an attacking player for depth on the right-hand side.

[Steveo]

Pure filth Sid.

[sydenham red]

Has Martin Z made his mind up yet? Or is it a NO and we're trying to lowball the blades with a structured payment bid for Sander Berge?

[Daffydd]

We're waiting for RB Salzburg to up their bid of £8.2m for Bobby Clark then we're good to go. (to Lidl)

[teesred]

Has Martin Z made his mind up yet? Or is it a NO and we're trying to lowball the blades with a structured payment bid for Sander Berge?

Obviously said in jest Syd but let's be honest not one of us would be shocked at that.

[sydenham red]

Maybe the PL tv money doesn't hit the bank until the 1st game and we're too stretched to cover it until then. Also as the half season sales isn't complete then we're a few mill down also don't forget.

[Insidious]

Has Martin Z made his mind up yet?

You'd hope for an update today, wouldn't you.

The buy-out aspect is interesting. Committing £51m in one fell swoop is limiting from an amortisation perspective - fees are normally paid in installments. Van Dijk for example I think was 3 annual installments of £25m.

There's every possibility (aside from Martin having to actually make his mind up of course) that we badly want the player, but want more wiggle-room for other business in the window.

One way to do that would be to negotiate a higher fee, but different payment structure. So for example we could offer them something like "we'll give you £60m instead of £51m, but we can't pay it all at once" - and negotiate for something like a £30m sum up-front and a guaranteed 3 extra £10m installments over the coming seasons.

Gives us more wiggle-room from a PSR/FFP perspective (we're in a better place than most to be fair) and Socieded get extra money, even if it isn't right away.

Just an example. The lack of access we have to what is going on is obviously a source of frustration. With the clock ticking, we'll at least find out one way or another bloody soon.

If he comes in, we also need to make a sale I should think. At my last count I think we had 26 seniors (before counting Nat Phillips) and the sale of Carvalho brought it to 25 - so if Zubimendi comes in we are back up to 26 again. We are likely negotiating with a side that came in for someone else (Endo, let's say) with a view to agreeing what they'll be willing to pay if we get this over the line.