Why a Rush of New Deals Is Good Rather Than Great News for Liverpool

Liverpool look intent on beginning their summer by tying down several players to new long-term contracts, but this should only be considered good news, not great news.

Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho have both signed new, long-term contracts with the club this season, with Henderson securing a five-year, £100,000-a-week deal according to Andy Hunter of the Guardian, and Coutinho also committing until 2020, according to the same reporter.

Elsewhere, Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph has reported a new deal in the offing for 19-year-old winger Jordon Ibe, while David Anderson of the Mirror relayed word of a new one-year offer from the club for veteran centre-back Kolo Toure.

More recently, James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo suggested that backup goalkeeper Brad Jones had been offered a new deal, while Dean Jones of the Mirror claimed that centre-back Martin Skrtel will be handed a new three-year contract by the Anfield club.

Securing the long-term futures of so many players in one season can only be good news, right? The answer to that question is up in the air.

While it can be considered good news, it can't yet be considered great news for a number of reasons.

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Misplaced Finance?

One of the main questions surrounding the announcement of these new deals, whether official or speculative, is whether this is the right way to apportion the club's wage bill.

Skrtel serves as a prime example for this.

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The 30-year-old is one of the club's most experienced players, and he is one of their most consistent performers this season, but he should still be one of the players who should be replaced if manager Brendan Rodgers is to continue progress on Merseyside.

His raw, limited style has helped contribute to clean sheets this term, but this also hampers the Reds' ability to build from the back. Ultimately, Skrtel doesn't suit Rodgers' possession-based style, and a more suitable candidate should be signed.

The same goes for Toure. The Ivorian has been a useful squad player in his two seasons on Merseyside, but should Rodgers not be looking to progress, rather than stagnate with an ageing centre-back as his fourth choice?

Jones, too. There are few that would argue that, again, while the Australian is an endearingly loyal character, his role as backup to first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is one that sorely requires an upgrade if Liverpool are to progress.

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There is even a case to argue that Henderson could be replaced in the future. If a genuinely world-class midfielder was to be acquired, it is more likely that the 24-year-old is the one culled, rather than Coutinho or Emre Can.

It would be wrong to doubt Henderson's credentials as Liverpool captain-in-waiting within the current squad, but a £100,000-a-week, five-year deal could, in theory, go the wrong way if he is usurped in the near future, as supporters of the Reds' rivals were quick to gleefully point out on the news of his signing:

"

Haha! Jordan Henderson signs new five-year Liverpool deal worth £100,000 a week. Great news for the top 4.

— A D D Y (@BIackGooner) April 23, 2015"

"

Jordan Henderson is a £100,000-a-week footballer now... What a world.

— JP (@IntactTactic) April 23, 2015"

"

“ Henderson signs new five-year contract extension for more than £100,000 a week, plus bonuses.” pic.twitter.com/IR0Iy0mwLK

— MiaSanArsenal (@H_rsenal) April 23, 2015"

The new deal for Skrtel in particular highlights this point, in setting a precedent for those around him or joining him at the club—"if he's earning this, what am I worth?"

Of course there are happy exceptions, as Ibe, Coutinho and hopefully Henderson will prove, but Liverpool could be misplacing their finances too early with these kinds of deals.

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Diversion Tactics

Furthermore, there has been more than a measure of good-PR tactics in the announcement of these respective deals.

As seems to be protocol with the club this season, if a result or prolonged form looks to turn supporters against the Liverpool hierarchy, this will be offset with the news of a new contract for one of the club's popular stars:

• Liverpool's official website announced Coutinho's new five-year deal on February 3rd, shortly after their failure to surpass Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final, despite the Brazilian's best efforts.

• Bascombe reported on Ibe's soon-to-be agreed extended contract on February 19th, following Liverpool's difficulty to edge past Besiktas in their Europa League Round of 32 first-leg clash—a miserably and unexpectedly close affair in which Ibe was the star performer.
  

• Kolo Toure was confirmed to have been offered a new one-year contract by Anderson on March 9th, after the defender contributed resolutely to a solid display in an overall disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup Sixth Round.

• Ibe's new deal was reiterated, and suggested to be signed "by the end of [the] week," by Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo, on April 22nd, shortly following the Reds' 2-1 FA Cup semi-final demise at the hands of Aston Villa at Wembley.

• The club's website revealed Henderson's commitment to the club on April 23rd, again placating the disappointment of this FA Cup exit.

• Perhaps on the other end of the scale, Jones' potential new deal was pointed towards by Pearce on May 1st, directly prior to Liverpool's clash with Queens Park Rangers, with an element of sweeping under the proverbial carpet lingering.

• Skrtel's Jones-reported potential new three-year deal, despite coming after this win over QPR, serves as a means to dampen the misery surrounding Liverpool's likely failure to finish in the Premier League's top four this season.

Good news for people who like bad news?

The continued delay surrounding Ibe's new deal, despite the suggestion that he would sign at the end of last month, is the most blatant use of good news to offset the bad.

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It would not be remiss to speculate that the club are holding off on this announcement until, perhaps, Raheem Sterling announces his intention to leave, with the 20-year-old, as reported by the Guardian's Hunter last week, the one player who remains elusive on the new-contract front.

It may be a cynical suggestion, but there is a nefarious pattern emerging.

Beyond this, the underlying issue here is that, while securing the long-term futures of some major talents at the club, this is also diverting attention from a potential inactivity in the transfer market.

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The Paramount Need to Reinforce

While these extensions should be considered by Liverpool supporters as good news on the whole, they will not represent great news unless paired with significant spending elsewhere in the summer.

As mentioned, while securing the futures of Skrtel and Henderson, for example, could be a wise move by the club, if Rodgers is to continue with these players alone, the club will fester. Centre-back and central midfield are two key areas in need of reinforcement this summer.

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The same can be attributed to the attacking areas.

While Ibe and Coutinho rightly represent a bright future for the Reds, they will need to be supplemented by another creative forward and at least one proven goalscorer before next season.

So at this point, while a rush of new deals can be seen as good news by Liverpool supporters, with the club seemingly working to get business done early, this cannot be considered great news until it is supplemented with considerable additions from elsewhere this summer.

The players that have signed, or are reportedly set to sign, new contracts with Liverpool will need help next season if Rodgers is to break in the Premier League's top four.

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