Liverpool Transfer News: Steven Gerrard Urges Reds Owners to Spend Big

Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has urged the club's owners to spend big in the summer transfer window to give the Reds the best possible chance of returning to the Champions League.

Liverpool's 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday all but ended their chances of qualifying for Europe's premier competition next term.

They now sit six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with just two games remaining and have a goal-difference 14 inferior to the Red Devils.

Gerrard believes that new additions are needed in order for Liverpool to compete with the biggest clubs in England and Europe, per Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail:

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Qualifying for the Champions League has been the plan but we have come up a bit short. We’ll keep fighting but everyone knows it’s going to be tough. It’s important the lads get some rest after these last couple of games and the owners try to dig deep and make some additions to help the manager. There is a great core of players here with terrific potential and the future is looking all right. But it is important that you try to compete with the giant clubs in the league because they are all going to spend big.

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The 34-year-old Gerrard departs Liverpool this summer for MLS side LA Galaxy following a career spent exclusively at Anfield.

He came up with a 44th-minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but he was unable to manufacture a winner to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Gerrard's departure will leave a gaping hole in the Liverpool setup, as he has been the beating heart of the Anfield side for more than a decade. 

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been well backed by owners Fenway Sports Group since arriving at Anfield in 2012, per Sky Sports News HQ:

Rodgers spent big last summer, shelling out significant cash on the likes of Mario Balotelli, Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic and Dejan Lovren, while Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona.

The success of those signings has been mixed, while those brought in to replace Suarez in attack have failed miserably.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

While Suarez netted 31 league goals in the 2013-14 season, Balotelli and £4 million-man Rickie Lambert have scored just three goals between them in the league this term, per Squawka.

With Daniel Sturridge plagued by injury, Liverpool have scored just 50 goals in 36 league games, compared to 101 throughout last season, when they finished second.

As Bleacher Report's Matteo Bonetti suggests, Balotelli is almost certainly on his way out of Anfield this summer, and Liverpool desperately need added quality in attack:

They missed out on signing Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven—the Dutchman is set to join United—but Burnley's Danny Ings is reportedly close to an Anfield switch, per the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce:

Gerrard himself will be the most difficult man to replace, not only for his footballing ability, but his prowess as a leader and talisman.

Jordan Henderson looks to be the heir apparent as skipper, but he has very big boots to fill.

There is little doubt that Liverpool have regressed this season, the departure of Suarez a key factor that has seen them go from second to a likely fifth in the league.

Cash does need to be spent in order to close the gap again to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, but the loss of Gerrard's influence in the dressing room could prove unquantifiable.