Liverpool upbeat after transfer coups as Man United sweat
Chelsea’s Hazard can be one of the biggest transfer stories
Liverpool have spent big in the transfer window in an attempt to close the gap on Premier League champions Manchester City but it has been a summer of intense frustration for Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola finally landed Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez for a club-record fee in an otherwise quiet window so far for City while Arsenal have signed a clutch of players but no marquee names to whet the appetite.
Premier League clubs spent a record £1.4 billion (Dh6.6 billion) on players in a summer splurge last year, according to football analysts Deloitte.
But there is nothing so far to match the arrival of Paul Pogba at Manchester United two years ago in a then world-record deal or Alexis Sanchez’s move from the Emirates to Old Trafford in January.
The transfer window closes at 1600 GMT on August 9, a day before the first game of the season, which sees Manchester United take on Leicester City.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp did his business early, bringing in Brazil’s World Cup goalkeeper ■ Alisson just weeks after two shocking errors by Loris Karius in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
He also picked up midfielders Fabinho from Monaco and Naby Keita from RB Leipzig and added Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri to an already formidable array of attacking talent that includes Mohammad Salah.
But the German manager is warning Liverpool not to get carried away with celebrating their success in the transfer market after splurging more than £170 million. “We need to be ready for the big challenges, the big goals,” he said.
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard looked like he could be at the centre of one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer when he hinted at the World Cup he might want a fresh challenge. His comments sparked speculation he could be off to Real Madrid to replace the departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
The European champions have also been linked with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Brazil forward Willian.