AS with many ‘gossip’ sections of websites and newspapers over the past decade or so, Liverpool are always linked with a number of players in the first couple of days of the new week.
The names ranged from the familiar to the unknown but one worrying trend appears to have developed, in that many of those linked are surprisingly youthful.
On Tuesday morning, Liverpool – and Spurs, how surprising! – were linked with 21 year old Barca forward Sergi Roberto. A quick glance at the youngster’s career at Barca so far shows a handful appearances and a couple of goals.
So is there much justification for the £15 + million price tag? Obviously not, but he’s a product of the Barca youth system and, much like products of Manchester United’s youth systems (despite the obvious lack of quality), that means you pay a premium that you wouldn’t elsewhere.
Take former Sevilla youth product currently at Liverpool, Luis Alberto. The youngster played barely 30 games for Barcelona’s B side in the Segunda Division and Liverpool forked out almost £7 million for the attacking midfielder who has not even played one complete game.
It is not just Spanish youngsters that Liverpool have spent a lot of money on in recent season either, with around £25 million spent on Joe Allen and Fabio Borini in Rodger’s first summer. One of which is currently struggling on loan at Sunderland, the other who can barely get a game, when not injured.
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Tiago Ilori is another example, with a transfer fee of £7 million and not even a sniff of first team action as yet. Of course, compared to Allen and Borini, it’s early days yet but for a club such as our own these fees are not what you would call ‘loose change’, and sooner or later we’d probably like to see some kind of return on our investments.
This is why I’m finding it slightly concerning that our primary transfer targets for January are a handful more young players, with Will Hughes and one or two of Barca’s youngsters appearing to be the recurring names.
As I wrote a few weeks ago in an article regarding the Derby youngster, Will Hughes, I am never against spending money for a genuine top quality youngster but given the clubs’ current financial situation and the fact that much of our spending in recent years has been highly dependent on raising fund through reducing the wage bill and clearing out players surplus to requirements, it would seem to be a questionable pursuit.
And if the performance against Arsenal, the first real quality side we’ve played this season, is anything to go by then Liverpool need at least one or two experienced and established players that can fit straight into the side and make an immediate difference.
Given that FSG have just seen the Red Sox win their 3rd World Series in less than a decade using their ‘Moneyball’ system, it is unlikely that they will veer from this any time soon but surely they must see that the current first team squad is relatively healthy. What’s missing is a couple of extra top-class players to compliment Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho.
Our youth sides are more than healthy, with incredible talents coming through and getting first team opportunities and impressing week after week both at home and abroad, so there is little need to continue adding to their ranks when it is the first team that needs to be bolstered.
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Transfer target ? based on what newspaper rumour? I heard a rumour about this article @could try harder.@ Why didn’t you write a nice article about perspective based on the arsenal result. Or something interesting. Lord im going to set up an account on this now just to write a better article.
Good observation,for me i dont think Alberto is a better player to suso who was loaned out to be replace by Alberto,even daniel pacheco that was released is a better player, but unfortunately he was not given the oppurtunity and motivation he deserved.Even Ilori was signed when wisdom should have been developed as a centre back.
True article.
We will never get anywhere buying potential. Most of whom don’t make the grade. Isn’t that what our youth teams are for ?
The money Wasted on
Llori
Alberto
Borini
Yesil
…25 million wasted which could have bought 1 top class player
None of the above are better than what is in our reserves
Your talking serious *
Yesil snapped his acl ya * been out I hired for a year doesn’t make ya a waste of money,llori is hardly gonna get in ahead of agger skrts sakho toure.the lad is 20 he was bought for the future
Brenda will probably waste 20m on Will Hughes next!
And you, as ever, can’t wait for the manager to f**k up.
What don’t you understand, if a manager fails the team fail.
Just so you can be proven right, good man yourself.
How much time would you have given Kenny?
Oh… And what team do you really support?
Feck off u moron ,telling people how to support. I suppose u were hoping hodgson was given more time ?
Feckin troll
Oooh, Jay just called me a moron, then said I was a troll…. Pot/Kettle!
Aaron, It obviously doesnt hurt you enough that we have gone 23 years without the title. Your posts seem like a Swansea fan just ‘happy’ to be in the top flight. We are Liverpool you bell-end.
Another cutting comment from our least favourite poster.
My bell-end is quite large so firstly thanks for the compliment you pleb.
Secondly it does hurt how long it’s been since the title but it doesn’t hurt as much as the spasms my brain has when reading your tripe @FSG OUT.
If you really want them out that much, start a protest, inside Anfield and see how many attendees support your futile cause you small minded pr ick!!
Have you forgot they cleared our debt or does your infantile mind not allow you to remember? Don’t answer that, you’ll spontaneously combust.
My friend is a therapist and I’ve recommended he come see you, clearly you need the help.
Say it once tho @FSG OUT, say third in the league, without forcing a smile, the smile will happen naturally. Now tell me, when was the last time you said that about LFC??
You’d prefer not to say it?? Afraid of exploding.. Fooooooooooool
God . You are such a boring troll Aaron. Full of sh*t !
I was more concerned with us spending 18m on sahko or whatever it was than spending 7m on ilori. I think we would have had at least 3 more points if rodgers had played agger and not sahko. Can’t help thinking some of these buys are questionable even if they are for the future. Why bother having a youth team if these buys jump the queue all the time? I guess we have no faith in our young players coming through which is sad
What we need in 3 world class players. A cental midfielder (Yohan Cabbaye) – Winger (El Sharrawiy/Yarmalenko) – Attacking Midfielder (Javier Pastore) . That would strenghten our squad imensely!!! I’d also like Kesuike Honda on a free. Right now I think our squad is understrenght and I don’t see why we loaned out Suso really! Paid 7mil for Alberto we could have signed Erriksen for 10mil!
I totally agree with u Steve Sakho wasn’t really needed if we were keeping Skyrtl. We had Agger-Toure-Skyrtl-illori-Kelly-Wisdom. We should have really tried to get Mata even if we paid 30mil it would have been worth every penny
i don thnk sakho shud bench agger then what we nid is a gud defensiv midfieldr who can as wel attack to ease geralds work i waN see gerald play more years than giggs
my worry is on how many young stars do we have they could form two teams if blended well.my worry as liverpool we have failed to find another home grown academy paler like gerrard.suso should be taken into consideration has one goal and five assists in laliga.yesil we a failing to manange him properly.bottom line we have good young stars but there careers would be vanished ny the club if not closely monitored
Was that the same arsenal line up that beat bvb. Klopp out. The guy is obviously out of his depth.
Where are the haters on that one.
Wasn’t that the same reserve gooners team that beat us.
So now klopp is now tactically useless I guess we can all agree.
Where are you haters.
Ha ha ha ha
Look at this fool. Little no sheep now thinks that because Dortmund lost one game klopp deserves stick.
Klopp – multi trophy winning experienced successful manager
Rodgers – no trophies , no success
Spot the difference . Poor no sheep . Doesnt rate Suarez . Thinks Wilshire doesnt get in arsenals team , and now this idiocy
Klopp won the German title, qualifies for Europe, got to a CL final and what has Uncle Brenda done? Well… Err…. Ummmm, got Swansea promoted! Yeah, knew there was something.
Persons on here once again bash rodgers for losing to arsenals second team and then protect klopp for losing to the same team. Not for a second do i think that is arsenals second team, I think they are 2 short of their first team. Liverpool were 3 short really if you count the fact that countinho was not match fit and his weight of pass was no where near his ability. He did not start the game. Last season liverpool finished 7th bvb finished 2nd in Europe don’t know where in the league they finished but I’m guessing 2nd. You would agree that they have a better squad yes. We both lost. We lost by 2. Klopp lost by one.
Klopp is a great manager while Rodgers couldn’t manage his washing? Yes.
Do you think the ref was right to pull back Sturridge for Suarez quick free kick?
Answer yes. You are no lfc fan. I have not met one red who thinks that was the right call.
Answer no. At least our useless managed managed to score against arsenals second team if it wasn’t for a terrible refereeing call. ( if you want you can add that to saint suarez selflessness in not putting Sturridge under the pressure of tapping in at the back post.)
Fsg out
Ha ha ha ha
What a load of moronic excuses
“the referee blah blah blah”
Little troll no sheep thinks arsenal were missing only 2 players ha ha ha ga hahaha hahaha
He still thinks Wilshire doesnt play.
We expect this low intelligence from the fool who said “Suarez is not that good”
Ha ha ha .comedy gold again
What you fail to point out or understand about Luis Alberto’s 30 apps (look at the number of goals/assists for that season) for Barcelona B is that was in the one season he was on loan there. Look at the facts before spouting statistics. Yes we are buying youthful players with potential. The main reason is we arn’t in the Champions League so to get the number of ready made quality players needed for the squad strength would cost more funds than we have within the club. By buying ‘potential’ while not cheap you are getting players trying to prove something and wanting an oppotunity at a big club, all be it one without CL Football. Be patient, back Brendan and watch for the future of the club. You have to understand how far we were away from the top to understand how long it takes to get back there. There are no quick solutions.
Well said. Barca wanted to buy the player after the loan but not at the price. As far as I remember. Don’t know much about the barca b team but I would think they are well stocked in attack minded players. Judging by what the La masia keep churning up.
Ha ha ha ha
Little no sheep makes himself look stupid again. Barca rejected Alberto. They didn’t want to sign him
Try and get something right for a change
PaulBennett
the problem is we keep appointing managers, who are fundamentally thick, so try to be clever and polish their own ego’s. A succession of managers have wasted millions on maybe players, whilst complaining of lack of funds and “having to take a punt” when they fall flat on the faces. If we had put the Alberto and Aspas money in to one player who was of proven ability ? why spend £7M on Illori when you have no money ?!!!!!! ( dmmfl ) if he isnt going to figure ? in fact as someone pointed out out of the near £100M he has spent on players only the £20m on Sturridge and Coutinhio has seen a return. sixth at best again and what are FSG going to do about it ?
Did Kenny or BR ever complain about lack of funds?
Can’t remember any manager complaining about a lack of funds sense fsg arrived.
When and where did they do this?
Not saying it didn’t happen just would like to know.
Intelligence is not your strong point . Maybe you should look things up for yourself and you wouldn’t always seem so stupid
Uncle Brenda cant complain about funds, he’s just happy to be in a big job, a few years ago City wanted him to be part of their BACKROOM coaching staff! Brenda’s now got his teeth done and starts wearing designer suits like he’s some Hollywood star. Flippin embarassment.
And where did Mourinho start. FSG CLOWN?
Wasn’t he someone’s interpreter? What’s your point about being wanted as backroom staff??
Did Mourinho have huge funds at Porto? Yet he won the Europa and Champions League at Porto, Uncle Brenda however… the man is never going to be a prolific trophy winner like Mourinho. Get real mate.
How can any Muppet compare mourinho to Rogers ???? Unbelievable
Fsg out. Most of the suits I c him wear have liverpool logos on them so not sure what you are on about. He was wearing suits at swansea as well. And for your information most people get their teeth whitened because they are self conscious about it not cause they want to be a Hollywood star. Self conscious you should know it well. The reason you and most of your friends on here feel the need to bash the players,management,owners and people who aren’t fickle
Ha ha ha ha
Little no sheep now thinks people on here are self-concious .
Just like everything else , he makes rubbish up because he has no intelligent answers
The only embarrassment is you.
Rodgers can’t handle or attract big players , they don’t respect him.
So what your saying is Coutinho sturridge Mignolet do not respect Rodgers?
Excrement point perfectly made.
Do you seriuosly think if these players could choose a manager Uncle Brenda would be their first choice? You are seriously deluded! Back to the drawing board for you pal.
Another example of above.
?????little no sheep is confused I think
So no sheep is done debating?
Does no sheep debate ? I thought the kid just spouted sentences of unbelievable drivel once in a while.
Amazing you don’t reply and you say I’m leaving the argument. You a joker lad. There is like 2 or 3 open topics between us that I am waiting for a reply from you and your hiding out down here. Amazing. But on a plus side your really good at hiding.
You can’t have a debate with no sheep. He is braindead. Thinks Suarez is not good and Rodgers is a good manager. Can you get more delusional than that ?
Alberto and Illori are excellent players,In a years time u should be comparing Alberto with Koke and Illori with Varane.Guys u need to see this two play,Truth is am not boasting about them but u need to see them but I still have doubt about Borini and Allen.
Alberto and Illori are excellent playersand i have watched them play,In a years time u should be comparing Alberto with Koke and Illori with Varane.Guys u need to see this two play,Truth is am not boasting about them but u need to see them but I still have doubt about Borini and Allen.