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

[justincredible]

Don't give the ShitBot oxygen....

[LFC-DPG]

What's that 60m number based on?

Based on the cost of one semi decent player these days. I’m not taking Mbappe types.

[justme]

I actually said it a while back 😂

Good hindsight. eveyones happy!

[JockStrap]

I believe in nuance and reasoning where it is merited.

I've said before and I'll say it again, I don't object to anyone wanting a change of ownership, questioning their policy, having concerns about past mistakes, or having apprehensions about certain patterns.

When the discourse is nuanced, interesting etc I often find myself quite engaged.

But the slogan/mantra/name-calling aspect is very tiresome. The imbalance of the Captain Hindsight style chat is just a dead rubber of a discourse.

If someone said (regarding ownership) "I think person X would be unreal for us, here's why" I would listen intently.

If someone said "spending beyond this amount is financial doping, we can spend up to THIS amount before I'd hate who we are" I'd be gripped.

But unfortunately it's rarely like that. I'm advocating for a better standard of conversation rather than the equivalent of people rage-quitting when a certain level of a videogame becomes too tricky.

You’re in the wrong “corner of the Internet” for nuanced debate. This place is full of moaners spouting whatever football cliche they heard on Talksport 10 minutes ago.

It took me approximately 2 days to figure that out. You have no excuse.

[JockStrap]

Based on the cost of one semi decent player these days. I’m not taking Mbappe types.

That’s fair. What’s your strategy, spend the 60m on one player and hope it works out? Sell others and buy two 60m players and hope one works out? Buy a number of cheaper players and look for value?

[Insidious]

Improve the team where it is needed. Improve the squad where it is needed.
Trim the squad of deadwood.

I consider myself aligned in a very similar fashion.

Exactly Sid,every window is different so you can't put money on it.

Totally get it - it can and will vary.

At what cost I don't know. But I'm more for improving the team and squad over actual monetary value.

I would say I am too - and I very much understand that mind-set. I often hear the "we don't spend" narrative (and we have had a couple of underwhelming windows, for sure) and I typically never really hear a particular, or even approximate amount that people would aspire to and/or be "fine" with, so was curious - and chose money as the metric as "expenditure" is so-often the word affiliated with us, or the lack thereof.

In a similar vein, I often hear Reds speak at great length saying how much they hate financial doping and player-hoarding, but also asking us to "go big" - and I often wonder what they consider to be the "line" as it were between being ambitious and following a policy of "if you can't beat them, join them" if you like. Not asking for you or anyone else's thoughts on that at the moment, mind. Potential headache of a topic that I currently have no appetite for. I hate the idea (as a general principle) of multi-club ownership - I think it's poor for the wider game - yet know we'll end up having to do it to be competitive - and it makes me uncomfortable.

For example of we sold 5 players but bought 3 for the same amount. Those 3 were 2 improvements if the team and 1 improvement in the squad with a net spend of 0. I would be happy.

Very similar mode of thinking for me as well - I think where a few posters and I clash heads is the extent of this mindset, ie they think I want to "cut corners" and "scrimp" at every available opportunity whereas the reality is I just want to see good business done, though sustainably as often as possible. I've said before for example that (with the gift of hindsight, granted) that if Alisson had cost £95m and Van Dijk had cost £100m nobody would mind, because they still would have been good value for it. I often wonder if those had been the fees and thus we had spent more (net) in that window, would the complaint about recouping so much from the Coutinho sale even be an issue.

With some of the above said, I thought I'd cast back to last Summer. Fees are approximate -

Main ins

Szoboszlai - £60m
Gravenberch - £34m
Mac Allister - £35m
Endo - £16m

Spent approx £145m

Main outs

Henderson - £12m
Fabinho - £40m

Recouped approx £52m

Approximate net spend from main transfers - £93m - though I could be forgetting a big sale or big buy, which would be a bit embarassing

With (from within) Quansah replacing Matip (Quansah is nowhere near as good yet, but will have a longer career at 21 than Matip will at 33 - and will hopefully be available more often being a good future-proofing exercise and Thiago (incredible footballer to watch) and his poor injury record/reasonably high age relative to football coming off the wage bill. I'm of the opinion that the money that was coming out of the club each week on Thiago could be better spent, though would emphasise that isn't the same as finding as talented a player.

Anyway - I think that was a good window and a net improvement in what I might call "availabilty x ability" - if such windows were more common than the weaker windows. Perhaps a level that, dare I say it, most would be happy with? That's an open question I guess.

To paint it another way, had Zubimendi joined (I'll acknowledge it's an absolutely moot point, seeing as he didn't) for £51m we would have spent (not net, granted) £196m on our midfield within a roughly 13-month period. That's very respectable - and we were one transfer away from that. I'd be much more understanding of general anti-FSG sentiment if we were three transfers away, for example. I just don't think we are that far off as to merit the extent of (some of) the vitriol, but might be placing too much faith in the squad.

Oh and I still want transfers

[justme]

do not reply to the mouthpiece

[JockStrap]

Why are you asking me what we should spend?? some money would help?? players do cost.

He asked for your opinion. That was a mistake on his part because you clearly don’t have anything to offer.

[CCTV]

Or maybe commitment issues with a club not showing ambition or drive to improve. I guess we look at it whatever way suits our opinions.

Captain & Vice captain entering the final year of their contracts. Vice captain Trent, a lad whose dreams have come through at his boyhood club.

Think it's worth bearing in mind their own non-committal stance is an issue in a post Klopp era. Hardly showing staunchness by example.
I'd rather sell and reinvest than see them leave on free contracts, which are more beneficial for themselves of course. Looks like they'll sign up or leave on free contracts next summer.

We've come off the back of a title challenge that was stomped by United, have a new manager in situ to freshen things up and sort out the defense as Jurgen quipped. Anfield is bigger,
60,000+ capacity.

For this season, these 3 lads are still here and the squad is much the same.

[LFC-DPG]

That’s fair. What’s your strategy, spend the 60m on one player and hope it works out? Sell others and buy two 60m players and hope one works out? Buy a number of cheaper players and look for value?

The club has clearly identified a position that needs improvement. It’s the same position that needed improvement last year and they almost went ball’s deep to the tune of £110m on a player probably worth a third of that.

Then there is the risk of it not working out, player doesn’t settle, gets injured etc etc but if that’s the case it’s not down to lack of ambition.

I don’t want to see the club waste money like Man U or Chelsea do but I also dont like to see the owners do things on the cheap. Negotiating for a cheaper deal then ultimately losing out. (Romeo Lavia)

Endo was a cheap stop gap and I thought he was decent enough after he had ‘bedded in’ (I know some on here don’t agree) but if a DM was much needed last summer and that’s still the case this summer then the owners are going to have to put their hands in their pockets and pay what is needed to find the right player for the club.

The difficult window will be next summer when potentially Mo, Virg and Trent all bugger off for nothing. The shit will seriously hit the fan on here when FSG fanny around with their replacements (assuming contracts aren’t signed before then).