🔴 EOTK INSIDER 🔴: Firmino's replacement? Do FSG deserve some slack after Barca collapse?... and more! ✍️
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It’s Friday, Reds!
Which means you know what time it is…
That’s right! Another update on the best transfer tidbits and news to have emerged from the week.
There’s been some absolutely GINORMOUS transfer news to have emerged in the past few days… just sadly not for Liverpool!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, we’ve no doubt you’ll be all aware of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona exit.
According to transfer window news guru Fabrizio Romano, things are moving quite quickly for the Copa America-winning Argentine, with it being increasingly likely that Cheat Mode FC - oops… sorry, Paris St. Germain! - will be the midfielder’s next home.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos… and Lionel Messi on top of that!?
The wage bill must be absolutely horrendous…
Actually, we can clarify that - it definitely is:
With PSG playing real-life FIFA career mode in an effort to build the most formidable frontline in Europe, and Manchester City’s spending running virtually unchecked, the mood in the Liverpool camp on social media has been somewhat sour for the most part.
Certainly, with us now being in August and the end of the transfer window tunnel nearing, frustration levels with the club’s sustainable policy amidst the financial constraints imposed by COVID-19 have reached an all-time high.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s little room left to hope, however.
Whilst not quite as in your face as a £100m transfer, Liverpool have been quietly plugging away in the background beyond player sales, arranging new, lucrative deals for our key stars.
It’s not quite got the same level of ‘oomph’ to it as City’s transfer business but there’s no denying how key holding on to the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker will be to sustaining success over the long-term.
With Xherdan Shaqiri looking likely to exit this summer - along with a few other names that have become surplus to requirements - we’d be very much surprised if Michael Edwards and co. fail to add any additional faces to the squad before the season proper begins.
Though we’d argue strongly for two new signings - a forward and a midfield replacement for former No.5 Wijnaldum - realistically the most critical transfer we require is a midfielder.
The front-three at its best will more carry more than enough firepower to see us through the season, particularly with the return of crowds and Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez’s play-stretching diagonals back in the picture.
At this point, we just need the midfield engine to keep ticking over, which means a replacement for Wijnaldum’s 35-38 league games a season has to be considered a must.
Beyond that, we just need a little bit of luck with injuries, which, fingers crossed, shouldn’t be hard to come by after the last term.
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EOTK Insider Opinion: Man City may have a ludicrous degree of financial backing but Liverpool don’t have it as bad as some think… just look at Barcelona
Manchester City’s spending has been repeatedly used as a bat to smack Fenway Sports Group over the head with. But should some be more grateful for our American owners in light of what’s going on in Catalonia at the moment?
Liverpool fans want the club to nick a rival’s target who’d be a perfect long-term replacement for one of our famous front-three
With 27 goal contributions (17 goals, 10 assists) last term in Serie A, the Argentine international has been hailed by some as a supercharged Bobby Firmino 2.0. With the Brazilian entering his 30s this season after a somewhat poor 2020/21 campaign, do we need to seriously think about replacing him soon?
Liverpool look set to make another major transfer mistake that will have fans furiously pointing back to the 2020/21 campaign
Liverpool are a club who have earnt a reputation for smart and oftentimes ruthless decision-making from selection calls to transfers. Yet, one of the side’s latest calls could mean that Jurgen Klopp’s are in serious danger of repeating last season’s difficult campaign.
EOTK Insider Opinion: Even if Liverpool fail to make further signings, the availability of two Reds is a massive boost
A failure to sign any further players beyond Ibrahima Konate will not be an eventuality that is warmly met by much of the club’s fanbase and for good reason. But are such transfer frustrations overlooking the importance of the return of two key stars for Jurgen Klopp?
And last but not least…
Fans can’t decide on what to do with out-of-favour Liverpool attacker - keep or sell?
The reality of the financial ramifications of COVID-19 means, for most clubs (including Liverpool), some difficult decisions need to be made. Fortunately, Liverpool aren’t in a position where they have to sell to keep afloat, though further incomings will be reliant on player sales. It’s a reality that has left some fans divided as to what to do with one cult hero.