Manager Jurgen Klopp is confident that the recent transfer business Liverpool Football Club has conducted will help encourage star players to stay on board for the long term. LFC have made the biggest splash of any Premier League club this summer transfer window, breaking the world transfer fee record for a goalkeeper in the acquisition of Alisson Becker from AS Roma.
They also acquired Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke City, Fabinho from Monaco and now integrate Naby Keita from RB Leipzig (who they signed last summer) this offseason/preseason. Having a blockbuster, big money transfer window has made the Reds the favorite to try and dethrone Manchester City as Premier League champions.
It’s also kind of eroded the narrative of Liverpool as a so-called selling club, or stepping stone destination for world class players. When Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona in January, after having a long, tedious transfer saga the previous summer, talk of LFC being a selling club returned, as the deal evoked memories of Luis Suarez leaving for Barcelona in 2014.
The Reds’ attacking fab four diminished to a fab three, and there were concerns other members of the trio might bolt. However, the opposite occurred, as Liverpool didn’t miss a beat without Coutinho, and the team finished runners-up in UEFA Champions League.
Klopp insists the team will not be shopping for a Coutinho replacement in this home stretch of the transfer window, and also implied that Anfield’s transfer business is complete for this year.
“We don’t need to replace Phil,” he told reporters.
“We need to make a squad for the next year. Out there on the market, there isn’t a Phil Coutinho-light. It’s not there. But there are a lot of good players and we have brought a few of them in,” Klopp said.
Two members of the fab three, Player of the year Mohamed Salah and scoring sensation Roberto Firmino have signed new long-term deals that will keep them at the Merseyside club. Klopp is feeling very confident that Sadio Mane will also commit long term to the club.
“When I speak about the good mood in the club, that is not only in the stands. We are Liverpool as a team and the boys want to be part of it,” the German added.
“That’s really cool and it’s a big achievement for the club because these boys, Bobby Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, and a lot of the others as well, could play for pretty much any team in the world.”
“It is an improved situation that these players don’t use us and then go.”
“It’s cool but now we all together have to deliver,” Klopp continued.
“Sign your contracts but now, go again.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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