Liverpool are the champions of England after 30 years and Jurgen Klopp didn’t add any significant addition to his squad last summer to turn them from runners’-up to title winners.
Takumi Minamino joined the club for RB Salzburg in January but he had very little impact on the Reds winning the league title on a canter. But the question is, can Liverpool sustain another quiet transfer window?
The Merseyside giants want to build a dynasty and sustain this level of success over the next few years, and in Jurgen Klopp, they have the manager to do exactly that.
The German needs help from the board but the voices coming out of Liverpool suggest that the club won’t be making any significant investment into their title-winning squad.
Sir Alex Ferguson also built dynasties at Manchester United and he often spent big money on his squad from a position of strength. Rio Ferdinand joined the club on a then-record fee for a defender in 2002 on the back of Manchester United winning three titles on the trot.
A club-record fee was shelled out to add Dimitar Berbatov to a squad that won the double of the Premier League and the Champions League the previous season.
Liverpool need significant investments as if you are not moving forward then you are standing still.
Manchester City will spend big this summer, Chelsea have already shelled out significant sums and with Champions League football in their bag, Manchester United will also likely to add more gold dust to their squad.
Can Liverpool afford to keep quiet this window? The gap at the top seems significant but you won’t believe how quickly that chasm between Liverpool and other top clubs can just stop to exist.
What do Liverpool need?
Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign Timo Werner and all indications are that he tried hard to convince the Liverpool board to bring him to Anfield. But the German striker has joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig, and it was a significant blow to the Reds.
The failure to land a player who was openly courting Liverpool even a few months back suggests that funds are tight at the club. The effect of the pandemic has taken a toll on the club’s bottom line.
The level of problems they are facing is only likely to get clearer in the next ten weeks of the transfer window. But Liverpool still need a forward as they cannot expect to get this lucky with injuries for the third season in a row.
Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have been remarkable over the last few years. But Klopp needs an option who can challenge the trio for a place in the team.
For a side that won the Champions League and the Premier League over the last two years, complacency can easily creep in.
Players need to be kept on their toes in any winning side in order to sustain that success and for the moment, the Liverpool attacking trio have little to worry about in terms of getting dropped.
The level significantly comes down if any of them gets injured during a crucial phase of the season.
With Dejan Lovren’s departure, Liverpool are likely to be in the market for a centre-back too. Jurgen Klopp likes to have four centre-backs in his squad and for the moment, his only options are – Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.
Do not expect a big-money move for a defender as if anyone comes in, he is more likely to be a squad option than a first choice partner for Van Dijk.
However, Jurgen Klopp could also consider promoting from within, with Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van der Berg being options from the academy.
What about the Thiago Alcantara links?
Thiago Alcantara will be leaving Bayer Munich this summer after refusing to sign a new contract with the club.
The German champions want €35m to €40m from his departure and the Spaniard has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, with the German media convinced that Jurgen Klopp wants him.
However, Liverpool have briefed to the local British press that they do not want Thiago. It is uncertain whether it is a tactic by Liverpool to bring down the asking price for the player as it has been reported that they do not want to spend more than €25m for him.
But at 29, Thiago also doesn’t fit the kind of age profile Liverpool normally recruit in. Will they bin their strategy for him?
The Spaniard has the ability to unlock defences and if there has been one criticism of Klopp’s Liverpool side, it is their lack of creativity in midfield. Klopp has built a side based on a midfield that only serves the purpose of winning the ball back and recycling possession.
Liverpool have often relied on the individual brilliance of their forward line to break down teams sitting back and defending deep against them. Thiago would add an extra dimension to Jurgen Klopp’s squad, especially with Adam Lallana leaving to join Brighton.
But his signing could also spell doom for Naby Keita. The latter was showing glimpses of his ability towards the end of last season but is yet to show why the club spent big money on him in 2018.
Could Klopp decide to sell Keita to make way for a new creative midfielder? However, recouping their fee on the Guinea midfield this summer would be difficult.
The German tactician has some tough decisions to make.
Also Read: Premier League 2019-20: Team of the Season