Liverpool sporting director, Richard Hughes, justified the £450 million ($606m) summer spend which saw two club records shattered, and a squad reshaped with some of Europe’s hottest talents. Alexander Isak arrived for a record £125m ($168m) breaking the club’s transfer ceiling, whereas Florian Wirtz joined in a deal worth £100m, potentially rising to £116m ($156m).
GettyAn Anfield full of stars
Alongside Isak and Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike came in for £69m ($93m), with Jeremie Frimpong joining at £30m ($40m). Milos Kerkez was snapped up for £40m ($54m), while young Giovanni Leoni signed in a deal that could reach £30m. It was a whirlwind of deals that pushed Liverpool’s gross spend higher than any other Premier League side.
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Speaking at the IMG x RedBird Summit alongside CEO Billy Hogan, Hughes explained that Liverpool’s philosophy is to tune out the noise surrounding transfer prices.
“As best you can, you have to detach yourself from what the transfer fee is likely to be,” Hughes said. “First and foremost, the identification of the right player for the right system for the right head coach has a fair amount of importance, and I think this is not something that’s necessarily new for the football club and its ownership. We pay what we believe to be fair market value for a player based on age and based on necessity of that individual to fit into the squad."
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For those questioning the wisdom of such colossal spending, Hughes pointed to Liverpool’s past successes in the market. When Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were signed for what were then record-breaking sums, critics scoffed. Today, they’re considered bargains in hindsight.
“If you look at what was paid for Alisson Becker (£66.8m in July 2018) and Virgil van Dijk (£75m in January 2018) in history and you equate that to what that would be in 2025 money, you’re not far away from where you are with some of the fees that have been spent this summer," he argued.
“In the fullness of time, we hope that, instead of talking now about what a huge fee it is, it has been value for money for the football club whenever we’re making that assessment in the future. And because of the ages of the players that we’ve bought, we’re confident that will end up being the case.”
Preparing for the long haul
Hughes is clear that this summer’s recruits are not short-term fixes or quick-profit flips. The goal is longevity. Both Isak and Wirtz are seen as cornerstones who can serve Liverpool for years to come.
“That would be very much the hope and in buying a player young, you give yourself the ability for that to be the case,” he said. “We also want to try and win now, and that’s important as well, so I’m not describing them as works in progress or anything like that. These are players who have already done a lot in their individual careers. We talk about Florian and Alex, but Milos, Jeremie and Hugo are players that have achieved a certain level in the game already.”
