Liverpool's Transfer Policy in Danger of Making Them a 'Selling Club' Long Term

As we enter the final international break of 2014, we're over a quarter of the way into the Premier League campaign—and the table doesn't make happy reading for Liverpool.

Brendan Rodgers' side are sitting 11th, with a negative goal difference and currently on course for a points total of 48 (36 less than achieved last season), which would see them finish in the bottom half of the 2013/14 table.

Much of the talk has turned to how Liverpool's nine summer signings (eight minus loan-back Divock Origi) have failed to improve the first team at Anfield.

Indeed, Rodgers himself has now mentioned the failure to sign certain players: "We know what targets we wanted and what was out there, but for one reason or another they are not here and gone elsewhere," he is quoted in the Liverpool Echo.

Proven vs. Potential

Captain Steven Gerrard, in an interview with The Telegraph, recently noted Liverpool's transfer policy, mentioning two players on show at Anfield on Saturday that supporters wish their club had signed—Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas:

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I would love a Fabregas or Costa here, but I have to understand how the owners want to do it and accept I am a Liverpool player, not a Chelsea or Manchester City player. They [Fenway Sports Group] have gone on record saying they want to bring exciting young talent into the club. You can’t just expect that to click overnight.

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Costa is a player Liverpool attempted to sign the summer before, per Dave Lyons of the Daily Star, but he chose to remain at Atletico Madrid. According to Charles Reynolds and Simon Rice of The Independent, Fabregas is a player Liverpool were loosely linked with this summer but seemingly never actually attempted to sign. Both are players considered in their prime years, in their late 20s, with proven experience at the highest level in the Champions League.

Liverpool, meanwhile, made nine signings—of which, arguably, only one can be considered in his prime—Adam Lallana at 26 years old, and he's never played in the Champions League.

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The rest, even Dejan Lovren (25) and Mario Balotelli (24), have their prime years ahead of them. Lovren has Champions League experience with Lyon but at 25 he is not in his prime years for a centre-back.

Liverpool focused on signing players for the future, rather than ensuring their first team this season was strengthened. Which, considering the loss of Luis Suarez, is a high-risk strategy.

Importance of Champions League Qualification

The policy of buying young players, as admirable as it may be in theory, is made even riskier by the importance of qualifying for next season's Champions League—when the TV deal more than doubles from £400 million to £900 million, as per The Guardian.

That means that Liverpool as a club should have realised that this was their chance to cement their place back among Europe's elite, ensure they get a top-four finish this season and build from there. Imagine maintaining a top-four position this season and Manchester United missing out—it would finally bridge the financial gap between the two clubs.

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The gap between those with, and those without, Champions League football is only set to become even greater. Not being in it could have huge consequences for any club, let alone one of Liverpool's stature.

To enter the Champions League for the first time in five years with a squad which features very few players with experience in the competition, plus a coaching staff of which none have experience in their roles in the competition, either, is extremely naive.

Obviously it's too early to write Liverpool off a top-four finish this season, but considering last season you needed over 72 points to finish fourth, that means Rodgers' side need 59 points from their remaining 27 games; almost 2.2 points per game. The odds are very much against them.

Selling Club Mentality

So while Liverpool attempt to sign players for the future, the problem they face is that by the time those players reach their prime, the likelihood is that Liverpool won't be able to offer them Champions League football, and thus the player(s) will want to leave for one which can.

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This week we've seen reports of a release clause being added in Raheem Sterling's new contract, as per the Mirror. It's no surprise—Sterling's advisers realise that in two, three or four years time, when Sterling will still be in his younger years, Liverpool will struggle to be among Europe's elite.

Liverpool spent five years in the European wilderness, desperate for a chance to get back in the Champions League. They achieved that last season thanks to the exploits of Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Sterling, Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson.

With Suarez gone, Henderson and Gerrard off form, Sturridge injured and Sterling being wasted out wide, they look unlikely to recapture the form that got them back into the top four finally—especially with no new signings looking ready to step up to the plate, either.

Liverpool's transfer policy is theoretically admirable but also flawed in reality.