While they may have come within a couple of games of winning four trophies last season, you would be well within your rights to question Liverpool's transfer strategy over the last couple of years.
Once lauded as the most intelligent team in world football when it came to recruitment, the way they have approached reshaping their squad since their Premier League title win has left a lot to be desired. There have been some very good signings, with the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate, and Thiago Alcantara all proving to be valuable additions to the squad.
However, the way in which they have neglected the midfield is now coming back to bite them. The club have signed only one senior midfielder in the last four years, the aforementioned arrival of Thiago in the summer of 2020.
Since then, they have relied on the same players that led them to numerous trophies in 2019 and 2020, despite their waining powers.
This season it has become obvious that a major overhaul is needed in the middle third. Their issues in that area of the pitch have resulted in some incredibly poor form, with their place in the top four now very much under threat.
For those hoping Liverpool would address the issue in January, they look set to be disappointed.
Jurgen Klopp says further January signings are unlikely
Liverpool have dipped into the transfer market this month. They signed Dutch winger Cody Gakpo for a fee of around £37million, with many of their supporters assuming that further incomings would follow. That now appears as though it won't be the case.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of the game against Brighton tomorrow, Jurgen Klopp said that the money isn't there for more signings in this window.
💬 “Do I have to tell you again the money story? What could be the reason that we have money like crazy but we don’t buy the players even when they’re available? You know the answer.”
🗣️ Jurgen Klopp on the subject of transfers
#️⃣ #LFC #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/iDbqIY3AAf— BBC Sport Merseyside (@bbcmerseysport) January 13, 2023
I don't think so. I talk about it because you ask but my job is to use the boys we have. No problem.
I like the teams who line up. We cannot solve all problems in the transfer market. In a dreamland you just buy players...
I've had 6,000 press conferences at Liverpool, I have to tell you again the money story?
Why could it be the reason we have money like crazy and we still don't buy players? You know the answer!
It's not that we have so much money we don't know what to do with but we think 'ah we don't need anyone'.
It's just not that easy, we cannot sort the problems [in the window] with injuries.
These comments will not go down well with Liverpool fans.
The club have recorded record income over the last couple of seasons, meaning a shortage of funds should not be an issue when you consider how much they have spent in recent times.
Considering that the midfield was clearly the biggest problem in the team, the decision essentially blowing their January budget on another winger should also be questioned.
In all, these comments have been about as welcome as you would have expected.
If we can't do anything in the transfer market having signed another LW then he's got to do something with the system. Can't just keep letting the opposition bully our midfield 🥲
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) January 13, 2023
We’re finished
— ben (@bnwkr) January 13, 2023
— Artun (@lfcartun) January 13, 2023
— Wenceslas Philemon (@philemon_lfc) January 13, 2023
What a fucking joke https://t.co/5XEQDy7ItZ
— Sean (@seanmullane111) January 13, 2023
Spineless man, this season is over in January https://t.co/7N9FYKN6B5
— Js (@ftbl_jai) January 13, 2023
Yes you can Jurgen, grow a pair of bollocks and either call the owners out for the money or stop with your loyalty to players who aren’t good enough and sell them instead of letting them run down contracts and leave for free and get no money to reinvest if that’s the policy https://t.co/z5DQrwDmJw
— Jay Reid 🖐🏼👍🏼 19 🏆 (@jayreid1987) January 13, 2023
We're such an unambitious club, manager included. NO other manager accepts this level of irresponsibility from the owners. Managers like Conte would have had the roofs of Spurs stadium down if he was in our current situation.
Stand up to the owners-
Nah, let me be a yes man🙄 https://t.co/xUeuzFBj4n— mar'yam (@happydaysahead3) January 13, 2023
someone tell this fker the reason we won the prem and ucl was because we signed salah mane alisson vvd etc what the fk does it mean u can’t sort our problems in the transfer window? pissing us off everyday with his nonsense https://t.co/5aU7cqnFxC
— VlK (@AnfieldV1k) January 13, 2023
Season finished, no top 4 next season and no Bellingham who we’ve waited years for. https://t.co/wDP1cohFoD
— Lewis 🌊 (@LewYNWA) January 13, 2023
That's it. I'm done defending him 🤦♂️#LFC https://t.co/CsNPVmAAa4
— Made 4 Liverpool (@same_old_Fritz) January 13, 2023
Meh
Season done then. 5 months to banter rival fans shamelessly. Zero expectations means zero heartache.
Reset in the summer when Jude and Nunes come in
Another wasted season in this Liverpool golden period. https://t.co/FulSRxqmxc— The Kop End (@TheKopEnd0619) January 13, 2023
Love Klopp man, but he's getting borderline delusional thinking this squad doesn't need serious refreshments. I don't know what else he needs to see from this trainwreck of a season. https://t.co/dmt8H7ssOK
— Chris De Silva (@cdesilva23) January 13, 2023
Liverpool will travel to take on Brighton tomorrow afternoon, before going to Wolves in an FA Cup replay in midweek.
Should they fail to perform once again in those fixtures, you can expect the dissenting voices within the fan base to get even louder.
SEE ALSO: Jurgen Klopp Made An Awkward Mistake In Post-Match Interview With Former Man City Defender
