ANDY KOPS A RISE AS REDS SHARE GLORY
ANDY ROBERTSON and Virgil van Dijk are reaping the rewards of Liverpool’s recordbreaking success.
Scotland skipper Robertson was handed a bumper new deal as the Kop hierarchy ploughed their huge profits back into the squad who were crowned European and World club champions.
And former Celtic star Van Dijk will cash in too in the summer when he pens a new contract which is expected to make him the highest paid defender in world football.
Fellow stars like Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and skipper Jordan Henderson have all also been given huge pay rises as Liverpool flex their financial muscles too.
The Anfield club pulled in record revenue levels from TV, commercial and stadium income in the year until May 31, 2019.
Profits before tax were more than halved on the previous year to just £42million.
But no one is concerned as the board used large chunks of the cash from increased turnover of £78m to a record level of £533m to make quality additions to the squad and keep the best players with improved salaries.
A club statement said “Alisson, Keita, Fabinho and Shaqiri all signed.
“The first-team squad was further reinforced with 11 players renewing their contracts including Henderson, Firmino, Salah, Mane, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold.”
Chief operating officer
BY DAVE MADDOCK
Andy Hughes explained that such investment doesn’t come cheap in a market dominated by big spenders such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.
He said: “Being able to reinvest over £220m on players in this financial period is a result of a successful business strategy, particularly the significant uplift in commercial revenues.”
Liverpool will see costs rise again after boss Jurgen Klopp signed an extended contract which will be felt in the next financial results, and Van Dijk’s deal.
But the club are also looking to the future, making big efforts to sign their brightest young stars on long contracts.
Teenager Harvey Elliott will pen a three-year contract in the summer, after he turns 17 – and the Merseyside outfit will also hope to extend that deal even further on his 18th birthday.
Curtis Jones, another of their rising stars, is also likely to be offered improved terms, which is another prime example of their long-term planning.
Hughes added: “These financial results and this sustained period of solid growth is testament to our ownership.
“Fenway Sport Group continue to support the Club’s ambitions and continue to reinvest revenues both in the strengthening of the playing squad and club infrastructure to build for the future.”