THE WINDOW? SMASHED IT
Van Dijk was a bad start for Klopp but deadline day will end in triumph as Reds keep Coutinho and nab all main targets
AFTER starting the summer with an apology, Liverpool are finishing it in triumph.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to snub Chelsea and sign instead for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds for £35million sets the seal on a successful few weeks for the Anfield club.
It was all so different in June when Liverpool were forced into a public apology to Southampton for allegedly tapping up Virgil van Dijk. From thinking they had the Dutch centre-half in the bag, Liverpool had to abandon their pursuit to avoid being hit with a Premier League charge.
The Mersey men lost momentum while title rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton began picking off their targets.
The signing of Mohamed Salah from Roma for a fee the Serie A side claimed was £36.9m, a Kop record, was marred by criticism they had paid too much for the Egyptian.
Though Salah (right, top) has hit the ground running, few believed when he first arrived that he could make the impact he has.
And all the time Liverpool were locked in a battle of wills with Bundesliga club RB Leipzig for Guinea midfielder Naby Keita.
While midfielder Keita (right, middle) was keen to play for Klopp, Leipzig were adamant he was not for sale, knocking back a £66m bid. To add to manager Klopp’s discomfort, Barcelona were turning Philippe Coutinho’s head with the lure of playing alongside Lionel Messi and his old pal Luis Suarez.
Coutinho (below) increased the pressure on Liverpool by emailing a transfer request and Barca felt it was just a question of how much they had to shell out before the little Brazilian was Nou Camp property. But this summer transfer window has been a seller’s market and Liverpool’s owners FSG publicly declared Coutinho was not for sale at any price. They knocked back each Barcelona offer, culminating in their rejection of a third mammoth bid from the Spaniards of £119million. FSG recognised that selling Coutinho would undermine Klopp’s work and shred Liverpool’s credibility as a European powerhouse. With each rejected bid, Liverpool’s standing grew. And Salah’s brilliant start to his Anfield career added to the Red feelgood factor.
Liverpool built on that by agreeing a compromise with Leipzig over Keita – he will join next July for his £48m buy-out clause plus a premium of around £7m.
The Reds, buoyed by their destruction of Arsenal on Sunday, have also offered £57.4m for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar.
The French international is keen to make the move but Monaco are determined to hold onto him.
Liverpool have not given up on Lemar but in the meantime have pinched Oxlade-Chamberlain from under Chelsea’s noses.
The Anfield outfit are also hoping to get bit-part striker Divock Origi off the wage bill by sending him to Wolfsburg on loan.
And so what began as a tough transfer window, will end as a productive one for Liverpool and Klopp.