At a time when many Premier League clubs need to be conscious of their transfer spending, one football finance expert has suggested that Liverpool ‘are in a good place’ in that regard.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were hit by points deductions in 2023/24 for breaches of the top flight’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, while Manchester City’s business has come under heavy scrutiny over the 115 charges they face for flouting marketplace regulations.
Dr Dan Plumley, a sport finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, is expecting clubs to be generally more reserved in the market this summer in the wake of these case studies, but he’s indicated that the Reds are in a ruder state of health than most of their rivals.
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He told the Daily Express: “If you look into the data we can see, Liverpool and Arsenal are two clubs who can always spend if they want to…Liverpool are in a good place against the regulations as they stand.
“They have a new manager and are, you’d think, a team in transition, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we will see some significant spends this summer, and it will be the bigger clubs who are dominating that because they are in the position to do so.
“There is a bit more wariness in the market, generally, with everything so up in the air regarding certain regulations.”
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FSG have faced plenty of criticism from some Liverpool fans over a perceived frugality in the transfer market, but while frustration at not pushing the boat out to sign players who join top-flight rivals for big fees is understandable, so too is the strategic approach from those in power at Anfield.
It’s not as if the Reds are totally averse to substantial transfer outlays. If they were, would £75m have been spent on Virgil van Dijk to transform our defence, or £67m on Alisson Becker to fix the long-standing goalkeeping problem? What about £60m on Dominik Szoboszlai to reinvigorate our midfield?
LFC’s modus operandi in recent years has been to do what’s necessary to bring in the right players for the club, without being cowed into spending more than what they believe someone to be worth.
That measured approach is in stark contrast to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, who spend first and evaluate later. With neither of those even finishing in the top five of the Premier League this season, it’s apparent that a gargantuan transfer outlay doesn’t automatically translate into on-field success.
At a time when many top-flight clubs need to cut their cloth in order to avoid falling into the same trouble which has affected Everton and Forest, Liverpool’s relative strength in that regard may give us an edge over most domestic rivals.
That’s something FSG should seek to exploit during the summer transfer window, with the caveat that it won’t come back to haunt us further down the line.