Pundits are already hailing the Liverpool FC summer transfer window as the greatest of all-time. It was the officially the costliest of all time, as the Merseyside club splashed the cash to the tune of a world record £446m. However, there was one that got away- Marc Guehi for £35m.
His big money move from Crystal Palace was all agreed upon on in principle, but then it collapsed it on deadline day.
The South London club couldn’t find a replacement for the English central defender, and thus, he stayed put. While Liverpool couldn’t get Guehi over the line, they certainly did some serious shopping elsewhere.
Liverpool broke not just their own club transfer fee record, but also the English record. They also did it not once, but twice, first with Florian Wirtz, and then again with Alexander Isak.
Anfield also did a great job in offloading their players who are surplus to requirements, including Harvey Elliott, who moved over to Aston Villa on deadline day.
Elliott joins with the Villans on a loan-with-an obligation-to-buy deal. How much is Liverpool getting in return?
It literally depends on who you talk to, as The Athletic points out:
“Liverpool sources have indicated that the deal is worth around £35million with Villa sources indicating it’s closer to £30m.”
Either way, it’s a fresh start for Elliott, and that is something that he badly needs, given how much he fell out of favor.
However he accomplished a lot during his 147 appearances with the club, as he won six trophies during his time at Liverpool.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter