Grading Liverpool’s summer transfer business
The dust has settled and the transfer window has slammed shut! A controversial window, to say the least, in which clubs refused to be cowed by shows of player power, making life difficult for buying clubs across Europe.
Liverpool did manage to accomplish some business, however, so let’s take a look at Liverpool’s incoming players and rank them accordingly.
*Note that all player prices come from The Guardian’s interactive transfer window page.
Dominic Solanke: B
Signed at the beginning of the window on a free transfer from Chelsea, Solanke has hit the ground running at his new club, scoring two goals in pre season and looking imperious enough for Jurgen Klopp to make the decision to ship out Divock Origi on loan.
Solanke has even managed to make an impact in his single Premier League appearance this season against Crystal Palace, in which he put himself about and provided the pressure that led to Sadio Mané’s winner. A promising English talent at age 19, Solanke should prove to be a shrewd signing for Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah: B+
The first major bit of business that Liverpool managed to conduct, the signature of Mohamed Salah illustrates the emphasis Klopp places on pace, pressing and attack.
Signed from AS Roma for a relatively low price in today’s market of £36.9 million. Salah has transformed the Liverpool attack already. Despite Sadio Mané’s precipitous rise to prominence last season, Liverpool’s attack was fairly simple to quell due to the lack of pace and balance across the front line. The addition of Salah (and the re-emergence of Albero Moreno at left fullback) has brought balance to the attack, as well as an improved goal threat from the wings.
Salah has transformed the Liverpool attack already. Despite Sadio Mané’s precipitous rise to prominence last season, Liverpool’s attack was fairly simple to quell due to the lack of pace and balance across the front line. The addition of Salah and the re-emergence of Albero Moreno at left back) has brought balance to the attack, as well as an improved goal threat from the wings.
Andrew Robertson: C+
Signed from Hull City for a bargain £8 million, Andrew Robertson became the first Scottish player to sign for Liverpool since Charlie Adam in 2011. Liverpool’s rich history is woven with the tartan silk of Scotland, with little success coming in the absence of a Scot, so in that regard, Robertson is a great signing.
A reinvigorated Moreno has seen Robertson take a back seat at the start the season, however, the two are very similar players. Both love to get forward, combine with the left winger, and overload their channel, and neither seems to possess any traits that make them overwhelming favourites for the starting position.
Robertson looked incredible in his single appearance for Liverpool against Crystal Palace, but his defensive capabilities were not tested, and, although he provides good competition in a position of need, it remains to be seen how complete of a player he really is.
Naby Keïta: A-
Naby Keïta, the Great White Whale of Liverpool’s summer, is finally in the bag… next summer.
Liverpool paid a premium to exercise the release clause in Keïta’s contract at RB Leipzig this summer, rather than next, but the transfer was contingent on the Guinean remaining at the German club for one more season, as Leipzig look to consolidate their Champions League status.
Much has already been said about what Keïta brings to this Liverpool squad, including his close control, physicality, and passing ability, so it was vitally important that Liverpool secured his signature in advance of his release clause becoming active. The central midfielder has the potential to become one of the best players in the world, let alone the Premier League, it is just a shame we have to wait a year to see him in action for the Reds.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: B
The final signing of the transfer window, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain represents an intriguing option for Liverpool after the Merseyside club reached an agreement with Arsenal worth around £35 million.
Showcasing his desire to sign for the Reds this summer, he declined to extend his contract, which included a significant pay raise at Arsenal and snubbed an approach from the incumbent champions of England, Chelsea.
A natural winger, Oxlade-Chamberlain sees his own future at centre midfield, an opinion that Klopp seems to share. However, it seems likely that the energetic Englishman will see time all over the pitch, filling in for Mané and Salah on the wings, competing with Gini Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana (among others) for a starting spot in the centre of the park, and perhaps even filling in at fullback!
Final grade: B-/C+
The Reds managed to add some real quality to their squad this summer, as well as shipping out some of the deadwood, including Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace for £26 million, Kevin Stewart to Hull for £5.4 million, and Andre Wisdom to Derby County for £2 million.
Long-standing club servant Lucas Leiva also departed for £5 million to Lazio, a move that was generally supported by fans as a good decision, despite the Brazilian’s love for the club and his relationship with the fans. The commitment to keeping another Brazilian at the club, Philippe Coutinho, despite advances from Barcelona, must also be applauded.
However, the window cannot be seen as an overwhelming success. The failure to sign a centre back is nothing short of negligent, and despite securing Keïta’s signature for the 2018/19 season, the midfield is in danger of looking light, number-wise, this season, in which Liverpool are committed on several fronts.
Hopefully, the current squad and the new additions are enough to secure Champion’s League qualification for the second season running because if not, there need to be some serious questions asked about the lack of attention the defensive line received during the window.