Liverpool MUST adopt Real Madrid’s transfer approach

Jurgen Klopp is one of the best man managers in world football. Under his watchful eye, Liverpool have been able to turn several £30m signings into £100m players.

And yet the club never managed to make the most of it.

Why?

Well, ironically, because of Klopp.

Now, you could argue that the club made the most of this. After all, the Reds conquered the Premier League, Europe and the world with the squad they had assembled. However, they never capitalized on Klopp’s ability to develop players in the transfer market.

Rather than being the norm, Philippe Coutinho was the exception at Liverpool. The midfield maestro played the best football of his career at Anfield before his £140m move to Barcelona in January 2018. Liverpool then used that money to improve the squad by bringing in Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker.

This should have been the plan for the 2019/20 Premier League champions.

Coutinho should have been the role model

Obviously, one could argue that selling star players is a bad business model. But if you can time the departures just before the players start to drop, that’s genius. And while Liverpool shouldn’t necessarily be a for sale club, it’s not a bad thing to cash in on what will soon be depreciating assets.

And if Klopp hadn’t been as sentimental as he is, that would probably have been the pattern.

SAFF Roshn Saudi Pro League 2023-24 MD11 Roberto Firmino of Al-Ahli SFC during the SAFF Roshn Saudi Pro League 2023-24 Day 11 match between Al-Hilal SFC vs Al-Ahli SFC at the King Fahd International Stadium on October 27 , 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh King Fahd International Stadium Saudi Arabia PUBLISHExNOTxINxJPNxUK Copyright: xVictorxFrailex 0311121295st

Instead, the Reds have missed out on big paydays under the German tactician due to his reluctance to part ways with his favourites.

Gini Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Joel Matip have all left on free transfers. That quartet cost the club the best part of £90m in transfer fees and despite upping their game while at Anfield, the Reds didn’t get a penny when they left. If reports are correct, all four players were courted by clubs during their time on Merseyside.

Had they been sold at the right time, it’s not outrageous to think Liverpool could have pocketed over £220m for these players.

Klopp didn’t cash in

Lallana, for example, struggled with injuries in his last few campaigns with Liverpool, but has just completed his fourth season with Brighton. There would have been interest in him in the summer of 2019 if the Reds had made it known that he was not part of their plans and could have easily fetched £20m.

Sadio Mane was sold for just £27m following a 23-goal haul for Liverpool. His contract situation made it difficult to get a big fee for him, but a season or two earlier an £80m fee would not have been unimaginable for the Senegal forward. It probably would have been looked down upon a bit.

Liverpool FC v Atletico Madrid: Group B – UEFA Champions League Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp gives instructions to Sadio Mane during the UEFA Champions League Group B match between Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid at Anfield on November 3 2021 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Liverpool England PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJosexBretonx breton-liverpoo211103_np1SY

The Reds got it lucky with Fabinho in the eyes of many, with Al-Ittihad spending £40m on a player who has had a difficult campaign with Liverpool. But really, that fee for a 29-year-old Brazil international on a long-term deal was probably the minimum you’d expect. It looks even better with how much he has struggled since moving to Saudi Arabia, but you can’t judge the sale in hindsight like that.

Jordan Henderson, the captain at the time, was sold for just £12 million. Again, this is seen as good business given his decline over the past 12 months, but Liverpool should probably have invested more for their 33-year-old captain. If she had sought to break up with him sooner, like it or not, she could have gotten the triple.

The Reds must follow Real Madrid’s example

Of Liverpool’s 15 most expensive sales, nine have come under Klopp. However, of those, only Fabinho and Coutinho have earned the club more than £35m. This statistic alone highlights how poor they have sold themselves over the past decade. And Klopp, despite not being in charge of transfers, is largely responsible for this because of his attachments to individuals.

By comparison, Real Madrid are happy to make the tough decisions in the transfer market. They cashed in Cristiano Ronaldo, 33 at the time, and Casemiro, 30 at the time, for a total of £175m. They also sold 28-year-old Raphael Varane for £40m. Madrid are making mistakes in the market but, like it or not, the European champions are prepared to ruthlessly part with players they believe will soon decline.

Liverpool don’t need to buy like Real Madrid, but they should adopt their approach of selling players. A ruthless approach would give them the funds to improve their team every year.