There’ll be some fans who are a little jealous of Chelsea signing shiny new play-toys, while Liverpool offload squad players on loan this January.
The Blues are closing in on Leandro Paredes of Zenit and Italy international Nicolo Barella, having already secured Christian Pulisic for next summer.
Maurizio Sarri has already admitted however that he knew nothing about the Pulisic transfer, suggesting a striker would have been more beneficial [Independent].
The likely fee for Barella and Paredes will be close to £100m, but neither will automatically get in the starting XI. Paredes is a worse version of Jorginho, while Barella has one goal in 18 Serie A appearances this season, despite being an attacking midfielder.
In recent windows, Chelsea have splashed out £60m on Alvaro Morata, £35m on Danny Drinkwater, £25m on Zappacosta, £30m on Emerson Palmieri and £40m on Tiemoue Bakoyoko – to name but a few of their appalling transfer deals.
None of the players mentioned above are good enough for a side with genuine title ambitions.
Liverpool’s dealings are far more cutthroat. Jurgen Klopp and his team identify a player who will automatically turn a weak-spot in our team into a strength – and we stop at nothing until that player arrives.
Virgil van Dijk has turned us from shambolic defenders into the best at it in Europe. We wouldn’t swap Alisson for any stopper in the world, having previously had to endure two genuinely poor players between the sticks. Klopp inherited a side that lacked pace and goals, so signed Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. Left-back a problem? Andy Robertson comes in. Holding midfielder? Hello Fabinho. In fact, in terms of genuine transfer flops under Klopp, we’d suggest Loris Karius is the only big one – and we’re still going to make a profit on the German.
So while it’s easy to get sucked into the madness of the transfer window and envy others, sit back and realise where we are – four points top of the table – with our best starting XI and squad in recent memory.
If the boss wants someone, he’ll go and get him. Let everyone else overpay for average footballers while we do our due diligence and secure bargain after bargain.
The truth is that every other club wants to be in our position right now – under a stable manager with clear guidelines.