Former goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has said that Real Madrid and Barcelona are now the only teams capable of prising Liverpool’s top players away.
Liverpool have seen the likes of Fernando Torres depart for Chelsea and Raheem Sterling make the move to Manchester City in recent years, but Hislop believes those kind of deals are no longer possible.
Asked whether offers could sway the Liverpool players, he told ESPN: “It depends on who that offer comes from.
“I think that Liverpool are now in a position that if that offer was to come from another Premier League club, regardless if it was Manchester United or Manchester City or somebody who can really stump up the cash to turn heads in the Liverpool boardroom, I think they can turn that down.
“I think players feel that this is a club now positioned to challenge at the highest levels of the Premier League. If that bid were to come in, there would be no real reasons to leave for pastures new.
“I still feel that if that club was a Real Madrid or Barcelona, never mind the finances turning heads in the boardroom, just as a player and given the status and stature of those Spanish clubs, how would you say no? I still think that piques an interest as a player.”
OPINION
Hislop’s opinion here seems to be pretty bang on. There is no conceivable reason right now why a Liverpool player would swap Anfield for Stamford Bridge or the Etihad Stadium. Gone are the days when Luis Suarez had his head turned by an offer from Arsenal, the Gunners are a step down at present. The Reds have a manager who players want to play for, a rabid fan base and a squad that is getting better year on year. This is a team that was 90 minutes away from winning the Champions League last season, why would anyone want to leave? Hislop is correct, though, in saying that Real Madrid and Barcelona still have the star power to lure any player in the game away. We saw that with Phillippe Coutinho last year, and Liverpool supporters will likely see it again in the future. But that’s the state of play for every club in world football. If Barca or Madrid come knocking, you’re in trouble. Other than that, though, Liverpool fans can rest easy knowing their top players are going nowhere.
