Liverpool have linked with a Sweden forward who was fantastic in the season before last, but tailed off last year. It could be the perfect time for FSG to pounce.
he secret of John Henry’s success in business was founded upon knowing when to buy and sell at the right moment, trading futures to build his fortune. It is a principal he has successfully applied to his football club, particularly in recent years.
At the top of the scale, Philippe Coutinho was sold for a fee that we may never (or at best, rarely) ever see matched again. At the very least it’s safe to say Barcelona did not see value for the vast amount they spent.
And the Reds have also done well with far lower profile players. Many youngsters were sold at prices that did not seem that realistic, yet Michael Edwards was able to complete the deals.
There have been plenty of purchases which have provided far more than their transfer fees would’ve suggested too. When Jürgen Klopp leaves Liverpool articles will be written about his best and worst signings, with most of the worst being loanees or cheap rolls of the dice. Almost all the best will be players who proved to be bargains.
Signing men from recently relegated clubs was one way in which the Reds traded well. Andy Robertson, Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri all fell into that bracket, and their successes (particularly the first two) are too vast to recount here.
Something the club hasn’t really done is sign a player on the back of a bad season on an individual basis rather than a team one. Reports from Spain are claiming this might be about to change.
Fichajes have claimed that Liverpool (along with Arsenal, Newcastle and Real Madrid) are looking to sign Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad. In isolation, this is not news. We have been here before with this rumour, with the Reds having supposedly submitted a £59m transfer bid earlier this year, and links being made at least 12 months prior to that.
However, the timing of this latest story, combined with the knowledge that Liverpool play the transfer market better than anyone, does make it a touch more interesting.
The operation at the club is far too smart to base their business purely upon Transfermarkt prices, but it’s worth noting that Isak’s market value on the website has declined in the last six months.
This is unusual. Go back and check the chart for anyone Liverpool have signed and the graph tends to be a steep incline leading them towards the Reds. Isak looks like he has reached his peak and is already heading down
