The club isn’t bankrolled by oligarchs, but that shouldn’t mean they fall behind in the transfer game, reminds the Reds legend.
Former Reds forward John Aldridge is aware that the club can’t match Manchester City and Chelsea’ s deep coffers, but that shouldn’t be their downfall in the transfer market this summer. While he is “confident that a fit-and-firing Liverpool could finish ahead of both City and Chelsea in next season’s Premier League”, the summer will be crucial for them to bring in much-needed depth, particularly in attack, Aldo says, writing for the Sunday World.
On aspirational signings:
Liverpool should be trying to sign Harry Kane from Spurs this summer, maybe even Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, but it is never going to happen.
Having just witnessed a season that saw his strikers miss chance after chance, Klopp doesn’t need me to tell him that he needs a top-class finisher to play in the Roberto Firmino role in his team.
Sadly, the top-tier players are out of Liverpool’s reach, with the wages that Chelsea and City can offer.
On Liverpool’s strengths as a transfer mastermind:
What Liverpool have in their favour this summer is a team of people running the club that boasts a proven track record in the transfer market.
The owners might not have the financial muscle to challenge Chelsea or City for the top players in the game, but they do have a manager and a transfer committee that have shown they are among the best in the business.
Sadio Mane, Van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota were all transfers that raised eyebrows for different reasons, but all four have proved to be sound investments. Now Liverpool need to go again and make the right buys with the budget they’ve got at their disposal.
On Liverpool’s immediate to-do list:
Resolving the future of Mo Salah is vital this summer, too. He needs to be tied down to a long-term contract – or else allowed to leave for a big transfer fee that would swell Liverpool’s coffers.
Anfield’s bosses also need to get Alisson and Van Dijk tied down to new deals, with money generated from qualifying for the Champions League next season covering the cost of those new contracts.
