Our current European Champions. Usually after a European victory teams go on a barrage of stealing young talent from competing clubs. However, this was not the case for Liverpool, as they stayed quiet for most of the summer, and as the deadline has arrived, it is time to give them a grade.
The major ins and outs of Liverpool this summer were mostly young players fighting to get into the first-team setup but are just inches short. Big name youth players going out on loan this summer included Harry Wilson (Bournemouth), Sheyi Ojo (Rangers), Ovie Ejaria (Reading), Ben Woodburn (Oxford United), and Nat Phillips (Stuttgart).
All five of the players listed are extremely talented, and it is a smart move from sporting director Michael Edwards and manager Jurgen Klopp to let them go elsewhere for their playing time.
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Especially Harry Wilson. Wilson could really become something at Liverpool, and being able to get Premier League experience in a setup where he will probably start in a front three next to Callum Wilson and Joshua King is a great option. The Welshman played stellar for Frank Lampard’s Derby County side last season, and expect him to do the same at Dean Court.
Alberto Moreno and Daniel Sturridge also left the club as they were not offered new contracts at Liverpool. Permanently, Liverpool transferred the likes of Simon Mignolet and Rafa Camacho to Club Brugge and Sporting Lisbon respectively for a combined sum of around £11.4.
On the flip side, Liverpool have been as quiet as a church mouse on Sunday when it comes to buying. The only ins have been goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer, and two young players; Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliot.
Adrian was a huge priority given Mignolet’s departure, and the acquisitions of van den Berg and Elliot are exciting as they were touted highly by Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
While no Phil Coutinho, Bruno Fernandes, or even Nicolas Pepe made their way to Merseyside this summer, it was by no means a failure. It was simply a bolder statement of Klopp’s transfer policy. He has said it before, and he will probably say it again. The Reds will not buy just to buy and make headlines.
The German felt as if it would have been hard to improve the side he already has, and in today’s market that is a fair statement. Goal.com also caught him giving the following quote, comparing his situation to great teams of years past,
"Manchester United had the class of ’92. How long did they stay together? They changed a few after [Eric] Cantona got older and brought in Van the Man [Ruud van Nistelrooy] or whoever. You do not change completely."
Would fans have liked to see a big name signing? Yes, most definitely. However, when it comes to actually assigning a grade it really was not a terrible summer, but more neutral. Klopp enforced his policy, and if anything he chose not to waste money, which is a good thing. Obviously, I cannot justify a perfect score, but a grade in the middle of the table is quite fair.