Sport

Liverpool’s £400m Revolution Hits Early Turbulence

Liverpool’s transfer window was lauded as one of the greatest in modern history. Depending on who you asked, it was testament to how well run the Reds have become or the unfair nature of Profit and Sustainability Rules, but they spent north of £400m to strengthen a squad that won the Premier League title last season.

So many people instantly backed Arne Slot’s side to retain their crown and potentially win more trophies. They are among the favourites for the Champions League this season, too. Signing Florian Wirtz was seen as a huge coup and the first foray away from their traditional transfer policy; signing exciting players who were yet to establish themselves. In many ways, Wirtz was a Liverpool-type recruit; he is 21 and, having played for Bayer Leverkusen, was yet to make his ‘big’ move, but his reputation was already incredibly high. He was one of the best playmakers in the world, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City all said to be interested; his £116m transfer fee reflected this, but was a huge statement on Merseyside.

Paying his clubmate Jeremie Frimpong’s release clause and signing Milos Kerkez were far more in line with the typical Liverpool model, as was Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman cost £80m from Eintracht Frankfurt and represented something of a risk for a club that knew it desperately needed a striker, especially with Darwin Nunez expected to depart. But the data had always insisted Ekitike would be a superstar, and he showed that in the early weeks of the season, with three goals in his first three games against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Newcastle.

Ekitike’s quality is obvious; his pace, power, finishing ability and intelligence when both dropping deep and running in behind make him the complete striker. He needs trust and refinement, but in the 22-year-old, it felt as though Liverpool had found their new front man. Although, he shared a lot of qualities with the man many believed was the number one target, Alexander Isak. Luring the striker from Newcastle was a messy, summer-long ordeal; Isak refused to train and play before leaving on deadline day for £125m, meaning he has struggled for match fitness in his early weeks at Anfield.

Where does Isak’s arrival leave Ekitike? There have been suggestions that he would not have signed had he known what was coming, with Newcastle’s bid for him an interesting subplot. His celebration after scoring in the Carabao Cup victory, taking his shirt off to show the name on the back to the crowd, which ultimately got him sent off as a second bookable offence, told its own story. Isak had scored his first goal in the same match, and it felt like a very pointed message. Even if it meant nothing, Slot faces an enviable task trying to find a way to keep both players happy.

Isak is the true separation from Liverpool’s usual arrivals. He feels like a marketing signing as much as a football one, with Mohamed Salah expected to vacate the role of talisman within the next couple of years. If he’s fit, and there have been questions over that in the early days of his career at the club, he will play. Ekitike will need to be the understudy, which he never signed up to be or suits. Having such riches at his disposal may make Slot the luckiest coach in the Premier League on the surface, but scratch below, and there are potential headaches. Liverpool fans have likened their new look strike force to a pair of Ferraris, one on the road and one in the garage. The trouble is, though, an actual Ferrari won’t complain when it isn’t being driven.

Between that dynamic, Wirtz’s slow start and issues in defence after a failed deadline day move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, Slot’s squad is far from firing. They have lost three games in a row and barely convinced with a performance all season. Wirtz is struggling to find the freedom he usually enjoys alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, who like to play in similar spaces on the pitch.

With so many top players, it feels inconceivable that it won’t eventually click for Liverpool, and Slot has the temperament and tactical intelligence to make it work. But if their start to the season proves anything, it is that gelling a team together is more important than just buying the best players you can.