Liverpool knew to a certain degree going into the 2022/23 campaign that midfield reinforcements would be a must – regardless of whether they came in January or the summer – given that they had three midfielders on the books with expiring contracts, not to mention ageing midfielders in Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho.
Despite that, and to the evident bafflement of Jamie Carragher, the Reds’ recruitment team opted to bolster the forward line with Cody Gakpo, an addition that the ex-defender suggested may have cost the club in its pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
“Liverpool have spent over £200 million on strikers, and given Mohamed Salah a massive new contract, since they last bought a first-choice central midfielder. Those deals were necessary as Roberto Firmino was declining, and good money was recouped for 30-year-old Sadio Mane,” the former Red wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“Then Cody Gakpo signed for £40 million in January, even though the side was crying out for more midfield energy. Gakpo has made a promising start. I like him. But now it is even more baffling that another striker was prioritised. Most supporters would have willingly accepted the Gakpo outlay being kept back to turn a £90 million Bellingham bid into a £130 million signing.
“This is the first time I have openly questioned Liverpool’s transfer policy during the Klopp era.”
The Merseysiders will instead hope to divide and conquer in the market, pursuing a multitude of options in an effort to facilitate a full-scale midfield revamp.
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How on earth, we HAVE to ask, was this situation allowed to escalate to the point of denying Liverpool a generational midfield talent that was genuinely within their gasp?
We have to express some sympathy in light of the physical and mental impact of a 63-game 2021/22 season. Plus, how many could have foreseen a midfield crisis of this magnitude after the club nearly won it all in the prior term.
Regardless, the sympathy of the fanbase has its limits, and we can’t help but feel a bit let down by the news of our abandoned pursuit given that Thiago has been our only senior midfield signing over the course of the last decade or so.
That’s not to suggest in any way shape or form that Gakpo should become the new subject of our ire; he’s utterly blameless in this process and looks a more than solid addition to the squad.
It’s just a huge pity that our once world-class recruitment team has made such a monumental error of judgement in recent years – one they’ll have to work hard to fix this summer.
Everybody is a genius. Carragher is a genius. Farrell Keeling is a genius.
Let’s not buy a few other players then Jamie and put that into a 250m transfer fee for Mbappe. Logic by Carra.
A club that rose to unreal levels over the last 5-6 years is being lambasted for a year of mediocrity. I understand that but everything is easy in hindsight. How could anyone have foreseen such a loss of form from Virgil, Fabinho, Trent, even Salah. Plus all the injuries, including long-term injuries to Diaz and Jota.
We move on and this club will rebuild – Bellingham or no Bellingham.
YNWA
You don’t have to be a genius to see this coming. Carraghers right on this
Gakpo was bought because he was cheap in January. The midfield was already a mess. A lot of us predicted that this season would be injury riddled after the grind of 63 games last year on an aging squad
5-6 years?
2 out of the last 3 have been a mess of injuries that derailed those 2 seasons.
Yeah we will move on at FSGs pace wasting the best of Klopp remaining years
Which seasons were derailed exactly? The only one I can think of is when all our CBs got injured and we ended up finishing 3rd.
Apart from winning the PL and CL, we finished 2nd to City with 97 and 92 points. We went to 2 CL finals. And we came closer to the quadruple than any team has ever.
So yeah, 5-6 brilliant seasons. That happened with FSG and Klopp. And there have been no FFP investigations. Plus an expanded Anfield, a new training ground, and a healthy balance sheet.
So yes, we rebuild. Have mistakes been made. Sure. Could it have been even better. Potentially.
But if you’re a doom and gloomer, spare us.
What saddens me is that the decision not to buy Bellingham more or less writes off Elliot, Bajcetic and Jones as midfielders. Why Bellingham alone as an addition isn’t enough is beyond me. He is a transformational player, Elliot and Bajcetic have both not only played and started but done well. If we were watching Elliot and Bajcetic playing in Germany we would want them. Next year they will both be stronger. Curtis still has stuff to prove but if he stays fit then with Bellingham we have 3 sub 21 and and a 22yr old for midfield with the old guard to come in and play reduced time, for tactical reasons or as one in a three with the other 2 young.