07 May 2019 14:42:26
I see a lot of discussion in the last few days about Salah leaving and/ or mane.

We shouldn't panic. The club has shown over the last few years that actually we spend the massive sums that we have been getting on players who improve the team.

When suarez left we all thought we were knackered but we brought in Salah.

When coutinho left we brought in Van dijk.

I imagine that should we sell either of the two their recent form will probably £100+m again and we can invest that in a replacement for them.


I used to bother about players leaving because most of the time they got sold for peanuts and whatever money we did get was spent badly. We don't seem to do that very often anymore. When we sell we get a good price and use the money well. The only debate able signings klopp made in my opinion are keita and karius. Rest of the time we've replaced an outgoing player very well.

1.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 14:56:40
We brought in Salah 2 years after suarez left mate.

2.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 14:59:44
We didn't buy Salah when Suarez left. I think it was Benteke from memory.

3.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:06:11
Ricky lambert weren’t it?

4.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:08:50
Benteke came after Lambert and Balotelli.

5.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:13:53
Mate this why we don't win anything or consistently challenge. We was Here a few years ago, on the brink of something special then we sold Suarez and replaced him with Lambert. A few years before, We was on the brink of something special, sold Torres Alonso etc.
We can't keep with this "mould" It's, Not, Working.
We've got a great team and great manager let's ADD to it and WIN. If someone quality wants to leave, only let them leave if an adequate replacement is in the bag.

6.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:14:10
Salah was nothing to do with Suarez and in the time Suarez has left we of course won nothing.

Replacement was Lambert then Balotelli.

7.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:15:23
Wasnt it Balotelli and Lambert.?

8.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:17:59
When Suarez left it was Lambert and Lallana from Saints followed by Ballotelli.

9.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:39:59
Can someone tell me who the replacement was for Suarez after he left please?

10.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:47:49
When Suarez left, be reminded it was Rodgers who brought in Lambert Balotelli etc etc.

Then Coutinho. He left us, and Klopp brought in who? And we are now?

{Ed002's Note - Klopp didn't want Salah. He was forced on Klopp by the scouting staff.}

11.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:50:15
Going to Nevada's original post, I get what he means.

Players are but transient employees (or so said a famous Ed ;-) ) .

In the FSG past, they have been guilty of indulging various different transfer sources, from the whim of the manager to the Transfer Committee to the infamous Damian Comoli. Most of them have been wrong - see Torres with Carrol, or Suarez with Balotelli for examples!

However, I have noticed a change since Klopp has come in. We haven't had nearly so many duds. Arguably, the players who haven't worked out have been cheap (Grujic, albeit he's doing great by all accounts in Germany) or on loan (Caulker, anyone?! ) . Yes, the jury may still not be completely back on Keita, but he's certainly been showing positive signs of late before his injury.

Right now, if Mane or Salah left (don't get me wrong, I desperately want us to keep both, and in fact all of the first teamers), then I feel more confident the money will be invested more wisely in proper first teamers/ competition, rather than frittered away on squad fillers. As Ed001 has always said, squad filling is what the academy is for.

Its encouraging that TAA has emerged from our academy and, although Gomez was bought in in his teens, he has been given the chances under Klopp. I'm excited to see Brewster tonight, even just for a cameo, and I feel confident that the likes of Wilson, Kent and Woodburn will be given the opportunity in pre-season to prove they are ready to be on our bench or in the team, and if they're not, then let go or out on loan.

I feel a lot more confident in our transfer market dealings now, both buying and selling, so I agree with Nevada's point that, where I would've been worried in the past, I'm not anywhere near as much any more.

12.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:50:52
Even worse than I thought then 🙄.

13.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 16:06:49
Still reeling from when we replaced Torres with Andy Carroll tbh 😂 it's been much better under Klopp though. Much better!

14.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 16:47:52
You can’t get every signing right, no one has a perfect record. In the last two seasons, no one has really ‘flopped’ I’d say. Keita still settling, but Fabinho has done well, and Shaqiri has had his moments, not bad for the fee.

15.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 17:02:53
Nailed it in one Zeddicus - the transfer dealings of late have been very specific, and targeting obvious weaknesses in the side and with very clear objectives in mind for the type of player required (eg Mane and Salah for goal scoring wide forwards with pace, Keita and Ox for ball carrying midfielders, Trent and Robbo for natural attacking fullbacks etc. ) . It’s a far cry from the rather random dealings of the past where it was a lottery who was likely to come in.

I sincerely hope we keep this team together for at least another season, but I also trust if we had no choice but to let Mane or Salah leave then I’m sure Klopp would only let them do so when it suited us, and when he had an alternative plan in place (much like he did with Coutinho) .

16.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 17:18:42
The amount we paid for Carroll was shocking. I can’t still remember having sit down in shock.

17.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 17:41:08
That's what panic buying does, the Torres deal was so so late in the window they had to get someone and Newcastle shouted out the first ridiculous fee that came to mind. Its like having buyers remorse when you have had two Big Macs and are struggling on the third but damn it it's going in there .

18.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 17:11:40
Players come and go, we have a fantastic team and I see nothing that makes me concerned. For months I’ve read “. if Salah or Mane goes. ” when many world class players have been mentioned. If either leave we will get a huge sum of money, an amount that could buy any one of the names that have been previously mentioned so if it happens it happens. We won’t go broke and we won’t collapse as a club and I dare say the scouting staff already know who their priorities would be in that event.

That’s a decent question for Ed2 actually. How far advanced are the scouts looking. As in all eventualities for injuries and departures. I appreciate they are always looking but at this stage would their be active work in place for the chance of a Mane/ Salah leaving. Is the short list already shortened ect. Any insight into that would be appreciated and interesting.

{Ed002's Note - Scouts are working the year around but nobody looks for cover for potentiual injuries - that is why the clubs have large squads. The scouting staff will prepare reports on players and provide an idea about price; coaches will look at the players but have no idea about price; they will go to a Director of Football (or perhaps a mix of the finance director and others responsible for the monies) and say we would like this player and we think he will cost £x. Checking against available budgets, the club will likely approach his agent to ask if the player might be interested in the move and a broad idea about the package the player would want, and any broad idea about what the club would want - and what terms they may be open to (cash up front, spread over a year etc.). This sits inside the overall transfer process which looks something like this:

The process should be along the lines of: Clubs will typically informally ask an agent (a) if the player is going to be available, and (b) would the player consider a move to the club. There may be some broad discussion on the sort of deal that would be offered but no more than that. If the answer is yes, it is then necessary for the club to approach the player's club to ask if they would be willing to sell and if they would grant permission to speak to a player's agent formally about a transfer and possibly even the player about actually making a move. This will typically involve either broadly (through an offer) or actually agreeing a fee and responsibility for any significant costs (agents fees etc.). Once this has happened the club will be able to speak formally to the player's agent and perhaps the player himself to look at the package that will be involved. Many players are looked at and discussed at a high-level with agents and clubs; a subset of those have an offer placed; a subset of those involve discussions with the player's club; a subset of those involve discussions over terms, and; a subset of those go ahead.

Agents will often try and get more specific details of wages and other financials before they should - but most clubs are happy to follow this process. Players will often talk to other players about moves but, whilst wrong, is tolerated as it would be impossible to manage.

Alternatively, a selling club may ask an agent to find a new club for a player and he will talk directly to potential selling sides about the fee, personal terms and interest.

The rest of the time agents will be on fishing trips trying to find interest in their players.

In terms of what happens when the negotiations take place, broad agreement (player available and open to discussions, understanding of the price) will already have been reached. The clubs will meet to discuss the details of the transfer fee, other costs associated with the move and the structure of the payments and any additional fees (e.g another €5M for winning the Champions League etc.) but this does not take a "few days".}

19.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 18:20:54
Thank you Ed, very interesting.

How much work could be (or is) done with no money or a space in place?

For example, the scouts have reports and the coaches like the player but the need is all speculative based on *using this as an example* the risk of a key player leaving. I won’t use the will he won’t he leave Liverpool specifically but if there is a risk or fear of a player leaving or one is showing a willingness to leave do they take it any further by circumventing the financial director stage and moving straight to putting it to agents? I appreciate that it is all theoretical but I guess I am asking how deep they go in preparing to mitigate a problem that looks like being a reality. Is this where it all gets murky in that this would be potentially unsettling players with no valid reason (how I see it) or is it commonplace?

{Ed002's Note - This is the approach that most clubs follow. Obviously Klopp has repeatedly abused the system by making illegal approaches to players without informing the club - which has resulted in one player going on striker, much embarrassment to the club, massively overpaying on one transfer fee and agent fee, making a payment to another side etc..

Regardless, most moves are understood well in advance so there is not really an issue.}