Why Liverpool Have No Areas to Address in Final Week of Transfer Window

As we enter the final days of the summer transfer window, supporters up and down the country will be discussing where their respective sides need to strengthen most.

Whether it's Arsenal's recurring need for Arsene Wenger to sign the player for the position they blatantly need, or Manchester United going from one big-name target to the next, the final week of the transfer window is sure to throw up some big moves.

Unlike recent years, the big stories won't be involving Liverpool. Last summer the Reds signed Mario Balotelli in the final week of the transfer window and the summer before saw three new signings on deadline day (Mamadou Sakho, Tiago Ilori and Victor Moses).

This year, Liverpool's transfer business in terms of player arrivals has been concluded early and with minimum fuss—a stark contrast to previous transfer windows under Fenway Sports Group's leadership.

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Brendan Rodgers has signed seven new players this summer: James Milner, Adam Bogdan, Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke. There's also been the addition of Divock Origi from loan.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard, Brad Jones, Glen Johnson, Raheem Sterling, Rickie Lambert and Javier Manquillo have left the first-team squad. Mario Balotelli should be added to the list of departures once his loan move to AC Milan is confirmed. Balotelli will become the ninth player to be loaned out this summer.

The Telegraph lists Liverpool as the third least "desperate" club for new signings in the final week of the transfer window, claiming that "Rodgers might want another striker and centre-half but does not seem in any great rush to pursue them."

Quite why he'd need another forward when he has Benteke, Daniel Sturridge, Ings, Origi and Firmino as options up there is quite baffling. Centre-back may be an area of contention, but Rodgers has rightly spoken of the need for a settled defence this season. After three clean sheets in three games, it's pretty clear why Rodgers isn't in a rush to pursue one—especially with Sakho yet to feature.

Signings

Looking at a list of Liverpool's arrivals and departures this summer, it becomes pretty clear how much each new signing has replaced a player who has left the club.

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Clyne is a direct replacement for Johnson at right-back, Bogdan replaced Jones as deputy to Simon Mignolet. Milner has taken on Gerrard's role in midfield.

Up front, Benteke has replaced Balotelli, Ings has replaced Fabio Borini, and Origi takes Lambert's spot. All three are an upgrade.

Even Firmino's signing can be regarded as a replacement for Sterling.

Gomez arrived as a youngster with potential and someone the club intended to loan out, but the 18-year-old has forced his way into the squad and negated the need to sign a left-back to compete with Alberto Moreno. Had Gomez not done so impressively and been loaned to Derby County as planned, then Liverpool would likely have pursued their interest in Lucas Digne.

Impressively, all seven new signings were done in July, the last being Benteke on July 22—more than a fortnight before the first game of the season.

Getting all the new players signed so early has allowed the majority of Rodgers' squad to have a full pre-season together and develop relationships both on and off the pitch. That is part of the reason for Liverpool's positive start to the season, collecting seven of the nine points on offer from their three opening games and yet to concede a goal.

Pre-season saw Rodgers frequently use his strongest XI and with less rotation of players than we typically see. Combinations such as Henderson-Milner in midfield and Dejan Lovren-Martin Skrtel were worked on.

Squad Depth and Balance

With business complete, the Liverpool squad looks more competitive than it has in years. You need only look at the Reds' bench vs. Arsenal as a barometer of this, featuring Sakho, Moreno, Origi, Ings, Ibe and youngster Jordan Rossiter.

Not in the squad were Kolo Toure, Lazar Markovic, nor any of the injured quartet of Sturridge, Joe Allen, Henderson and Adam Lallana.

The table below charts the depth Liverpool have in each position on the pitch now.

Goalkeepers	Mignolet	Bogdan
Right Backs	Clyne	Gomez	Flanagan
Left Backs	Moreno	Gomez	Flanagan
Centre Backs (R)	Skrtel	Toure
Centre Backs (L)	Lovren	Sakho	Ilori
Holding Midfield	Lucas	Can	Allen	Rossiter
Centre Midfield	Henderson	Milner	Can	Allen
No. 10 Role	Coutinho	Firmino
Attacking Midfield	Lallana	Ibe	Markovic
Forwards	Benteke	Sturridge	Ings	Origi

As you can see, Rodgers' squad has two solid players in each position, something the boss explained his desire for in 2013.

"You want between 20 and 22 players," he said, per the Telegraph. "I'm talking about two in every position and your three goalkeepers. Then below that having young players who can support that."

The Reds have Joao Carlos Teixeira as a youngster who supports the squad, but the majority of the other youngsters have been loaned out this summer, including third-choice goalkeeper Danny Ward.

With Europa League commitments, the likes of Ings, Markovic, Origi—who have yet to feature this season—will get plenty of opportunity, along with Rossiter, Teixeira, Moreno, Bogdan and Toure.

Outgoings

The only business remaining for Liverpool's chief executive Ian Ayre is to get rid of the unwanted duo of Jose Enrique and Fabio Borini—assuming that Balotelli's move to Milan is confirmed on Wednesday.

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Borini and Enrique have been training away from the first-team squad alongside Balotelli in recent weeks.

Borini has been linked with plenty of clubs, with his agent insisting, per the Guardian, earlier this summer: "Top clubs in Europe are keen on him, from the Premier League to the Bundesliga and there also clubs in Italy.

"Right now he feels like a lion in a cage."

Quite why Borini, so in demand as his agent claims, is still without a club less than a week before the window closes hints at money being an issue in the Italian's refusal to leave.

Borini has two years left on his contract, while Enrique has just a year remaining.

Liverpool

Liverpool have a well-balanced and settled squad, with no particular areas that need addressing. That could change if Lucas were to leave, with a defensive midfielder a player who many supporters believe should have been signed this summer anyway—something Jamie Carragher has stated.

But with Lucas recalled vs. Arsenal and now looking set to stay, Liverpool have no areas of the squad to address in the final week of the transfer window. Which makes for a refreshing change.