Liverpool have been tipped to make a top-class signing this summer, even though the Reds passed on Timo Werner’s £49million release clause.
Former player Steve McManaman believes Jurgen Klopp will be able to pull off another relatively cheap deal in the forthcoming transfer window, similar to the £34million signing of Sadio Mane.
His reasoning is that while Liverpool may not be able to pull off any blockbuster deals, fans shouldn’t give up hope of the boss holding an ace up his sleeve.
“I think it’s going to be difficult this year for teams to spend a lot of money in the current climate,” he said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I don’t think Liverpool will have the year they had when they bought Alisson and Virgil van Dijk but I don’t think they actually need that much to challenge again next year.
“It’s a case of picking and choosing your position, so it’s very sensible, prudent signing and maybe a couple of younger players joining the squad should suffice.
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“You’d love them to go and buy a superstar but when has Jurgen Klopp gone out and bought a superstar that was at the tip of everyone’s tongue? Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, at the time, were signings that came out of left-field to a certain extent.
“You never know with Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, they’ve done a great job in the past with signings and maybe they’ve got one up their sleeve for the summer.”
Macca makes an excellent point there which I think many Liverpool fans – us included – had neglected to remember…
How often do the Reds sign high-profile players? Yes, there’s recent purchases of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, but they aren’t typical transfers for us.
Klopp has a track record of making superstars, not buying them. The mega-money purchases of Ali and Virg were a result of Phil Coutinho’s £142millon move to Barcelona.
This is all purely speculation, of course, but maybe some supporters should take a step back and remember the transfer window isn’t even open yet.