JUDE’S JUST A START
I AGREE with Jurgen Klopp that he needs a rebuild this summer, with at least four signings — and very possibly more — required.
Liverpool’s owners MUST spend big money but it’s a bigger issue than that.
The recruitment has to be near-perfect as it was in the past, signing elite level players who can make a big difference. Immediately.
That won’t come cheap. And it may not be wise to splash what money they have on one player.
Let’s say the budget is £130million and they spend it on Jude Bellingham.
One player won’t solve the team problems they’ve got.
I think they need three players at least to go straight into the starting XI.
You’re not finding two of them on freebies.
So either the budget is far beyond the fee for Bellingham — if they can get him — or they look for three players at £45m each.
That’s tough in today’s market, but it may be the sensible option… if the recruitment team can reproduce their previous golden touch which found so many players who so quickly proved to be among the elite.
I’m not having a go in any way at the players involved, but how much have they spent on effectively refreshing their forward line and replacing Sadio Mane?
A conservative estimate says £150m. What has that bought? Potential, that’s all.
Darwin Nunez looks exciting at times, but he’s far from the finished article.
I think the same could be said of Cody Gakpo.
Neither of them hit the ground running.
You could argue Luis Diaz was Liverpool’s best player until he got injured.
But as a replacement for Mane? Not on the same page yet as a finisher.