Signings Are Needed, but Liverpool Fans Must Trust Jurgen Klopp's Long-Term View
With two weeks of the transfer window remaining, at the time of writing, clubs around Europe are readying for their final moves in the transfer window.
This year, the final day of the summer window occurs during an international break, meaning managers will be able to focus on any final incoming or outgoing players, as opposed to previous years when you've had the farcical situation where teams are playing on the final day of the window.
That managers will have more time to work doesn't mean that we shouldn't expect the usual last-minute deals on deadline day, especially with the new TV money that has skewed the market and seen prices rocket this summer. Never has the Premier League's riches been so desperately sought after.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
For Liverpool, most of their business in the final weeks and days will be players departing Anfield, with seven first-team squad members likely to join the seven who have already left so far this summer.
Christian Benteke, Mario Balotelli, Andre Wisdom, Tiago Ilori, Lucas Leiva, Lazar Markovic and Luis Alberto are all highly likely to leave, whether on permanent deals or temporary loans. Cameron Brannagan is also expected to leave on loan.
The sales of up to seven more first-team players will swell Liverpool's finances, with the club so far having a net spend of just over £15 million this summer, according to This Is Anfield. That figure will be wiped out once Benteke departs, with the Reds seeking around £30 million for the out-of-favour Belgian, as explained by Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph.
Add in smaller fees for Wisdom, Ilori, Lucas and Alberto, Liverpool will have recouped over £80 million this summer, having so far spent just under £62 million on seven new signings.
Add in the aforementioned TV money, and it's clear that Jurgen Klopp has the money there to spend if he wants to in this final fortnight.
Squad Strength
What Klopp has done so far this summer is strengthen Liverpool's attack and add depth down the spine of the side.
The acquisition of Loris Karius, and to a certain extent Alex Manninger as third-choice, strengthens the goalkeeper options.
The additions of Ragnar Klavan and Joel Matip, replacing the outgoing Kolo Toure and Martin Skrtel, give Liverpool more balance and strength at centre-back. Once Matip and Mamadou Sakho are fit, Klopp will have two good options for each centre-back role, and two good back-up players for each side, too.
Matip and new arrival Marko Grujic, who was signed in January but only joined up with the Reds this summer, add height to the side. There's a steely edge to most of Klopp's buys this summer; players who are robust, mentally strong and physically capable.
The additions of Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane add to an already-strong set of options in attacking midfield, but crucially they allow for more tactical flexibility and unpredictability in the final third.
As evidenced in the opening game against Arsenal, Klopp's change to a 4-3-3 formation with Roberto Firmino leading the line is designed to get runners from midfield into the box; hence Adam Lallana's deeper role in the midfield three and Wijnaldum's use there, too.
Once Emre Can is fully fit, Jordan Henderson will be competing with Lallana, Wijnaldum and Grujic for the two spots either side of the German in midfield. No wonder Klopp allowed Joe Allen to leave this summer. That change should help Henderson, who was at his best in a midfield three in the 2013-14 season, operating more as a box-to-box midfielder than a holding player.
Of course, especially after his electric debut and wonder goal, Mane's arrival is the one Liverpool fans are most excited about. The Senegal international adds pace, width and goals from midfield to a squad that was desperately lacking all three in the last two seasons.
Squad Weakness
While the incomings have got Liverpool fans feeling positive about the new season, it's the lack of signings in two key areas that will leave them concerned when the window closes.
Left-back and holding midfield have been the two positions Liverpool have needed to strengthen for every transfer window in the last five years—since Javier Mascherano left the club.
Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers showed little desire to sign a defensive or holding midfielder, somebody combative who would break up play and feed the team of technicians ahead of him, while the serious injuries to Lucas meant he is far from the player he was at times under Kenny Dalglish.
Without Can at the Emirates, Henderson was instead tasked with playing the deepest role in midfield, but such a position restricts his game and leaves him looking uncomfortable. He isn't a holding midfielder and is far more effective when in a more attacking role in midfield.
After five seasons at Anfield, Henderson's best two performances were arguably both against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2013-14 campaign when used in a more attacking-midfield role, scoring in the 5-0 and 4-0 wins.
Behind that, Klopp has Lucas and youngster Kevin Stewart as his deepest midfield options. Lucas, 29, would struggle to show the mobility required in the role, especially with Klopp opting for 4-3-3 now rather than 4-2-3-1.
The Brazilian's lack of pace would make him a target for opposition attacking midfielders. Stewart isn't probably capable of playing the role in matches such as Arsenal away but could get an opportunity for some lower-opposition games this season.
It means that Can is the only real option as Liverpool's holding midfielder this season, and the 22-year-old German still has plenty of improvements required.
Having another option in there, somebody who would be able to replace Can on occasion but also play alongside him when opting for 4-2-3-1, would have been preferable this summer.
Klopp, though, has plenty—too many—midfield options already, hence the exit of Allen and likely departure of Lucas.
The manager has been keen not to disrupt his squad too much, and the addition of another midfielder would perhaps have meant the departure of captain Henderson or vice-captain James Milner. With so many changes in playing and coaching personnel in his first summer, perhaps Klopp feels it's best not to disrupt the group too much all in one go.
Which brings us nicely to the strange case of Liverpool's left-back options.
Having allowed Jon Flanagan to leave on loan to Burnley and sold Brad Smith to Bournemouth, there was a feeling that Liverpool surely had a new left-back lined up ready to compete with Alberto Moreno.
Those hopes have been sadly dashed this week, though, despite Moreno's first-half horror show at Arsenal, with reporters such as Paul Joyce of the Express reporting that Klopp will not be entering the market for a left-back now.
Klopp, writes Joyce, was unwilling to pay £20 million for Germany full-back Jonas Hector and missed out on the signing of Leicester City's young Ben Chilwell earlier in the summer.
Having noted Liverpool's finances earlier, some supporters may be frustrated at Klopp's stance not to sanction the deal. Some might say that if Jordon Ibe is worth £15 million, then Germany's first-choice left-back is worth £20 million—a fee that would be covered by the sales of Smith and Ibe to Bournemouth and would still leave Liverpool in the black this summer.
Klopp instead seems set to continue with Moreno and use Milner at left-back. Which ties in with the theory of not wishing to destabilise the squad too much all in one summer. If Milner isn't used as a left-back, where exactly does he fit in?
The vice-captain and one of the senior pros in the squad, Milner is clearly a player Klopp wants around the young group, on the training ground and on a matchday.
But the 30-year-old doesn't have the pace to play the wide-right role Mane is occupying, while Klopp's midfield options are, as noted above, already pretty strong with Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana and Grujic. Perhaps left-back is the only way Milner can be heavily involved this season, particularly without European football.
Future
It looks like Klopp is taking a long-term view and planning his squad accordingly, happy to understand where the weaknesses are this season but also content that he can work with them and therefore not unsettle more than is required.
This is his first summer in charge, his second summer at the helm will likely see the two problem positions strengthened finally.
Until then, if the manager is happy to work with what he has, supporters should be, too.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
