Stan Collymore has claimed that clubs like Liverpool need to look within to the options they have available in the youth ranks rather than dipping into the transfer market.
Some fans on the Twittersphere have urged the club to be proactive when it comes to future additions, with the absences of the side’s African contingent and injuries harming the Reds’ title chances.
“What we’re all doing is going, ‘we’ve got the world’s best academy, we’ve got this amazing player who’s got a showreel when he went on loan from Arsenal to MK Dons, he’s played really well in the FA Cup and league cup’ – so play him,” the former striker told Empire of the Kop.
“That, for me, is the answer to Liverpool fans who say, ‘get the chequebook out’.
“I know there’s a longstanding thing with FSG that they won’t spend – even clubs like West Ham or perhaps Aston Villa now that have spent a lot with Steven Gerrard there, Philippe Coutinho going back and spending a lot on wages.
“But surely, if you are a category one academy and you’re getting players around the world to come to your academy, the best players as well. Chelsea are FA Youth Cup winners – they’ve won virtually every trophy at youth level across Europe. Trust them.”
With the likes of Kaide Gordon and Harvey Elliott having enjoyed some solid performance in the famous red shirt this term, there’s certainly a justification for Jurgen Klopp’s men utilising their up and coming stars with more regularity.
There has to be a balance, of course, should we hope to remain fully competitive across all competitions.
That being said, with us lacking the spending power of financial juggernauts Manchester City and Chelsea, handing more minutes to such young talent to encourage their development and general talent production is one way we can look to even the playing field.
Stan is of course right but we need a bit more energy in midfield now, someone like Renato Sanches for £25m is a bargain……….not an exorbitant amount of money for a class player.