Liverpool FC Thread #156 :- We Are Liverpool

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The words to assure Liverpool fans Jurgen Klopp would never entertain leaving for Real Madrid

After Mauricio Pochettino publicly ruled himself out of the running for the Real Madrid vacancy - for now - thoughts turned to who might be next on the La Liga giants' list.

Indeed, there was some concern amongst some supporters on social media that could be Jurgen Klopp, especially after a poll with Madrid-based newspapers Marca and AS revealing he was the first choice amongst supporters to take over from Zinedine Zidane.

He was also linked with the job in 2013, when at Borussia Dortmund, and he is one of the most charismatic, talented and popular coaches in world football.

Yet Liverpool have no need to worry whatsoever.

Not only would the Reds not consider letting Klopp go to Real, but the German has previously denied any interest in the role.

He is also contracted to Liverpool until 2022 and is preparing for his fourth season in charge of the club, having taken them to within 90 minutes of a sensational Champions League win.

With the arrivals of Fabinho and Naby Keita, as well as plans to strengthen the squad even further, Klopp is clearly 100% committed to Liverpool.

And these words, spoken prior to the Champions League final, confirm why Real Madrid are the kind of club he wouldn't entertain anyway.

Three words in particular, in fact: a football club.

Explaining why he was attracted to Liverpool, Klopp said: “A little thing. Liverpool is a world class brand, big, big, big, but in Melwood, it is still a family, nothing else, and you can go in and feel that.

"So when you see the pictures – and I realise it as well, by the way – I look still like a player. That’s not cool, but that’s me.



“I go in with a baseball cap and they still respect me, I don’t have to act in a specific way.

“They took me like I am, they didn’t ask me to do anything else, so I could focus from the first day completely on football.

“It is a football club. A FOOTBALL club.

“I had talks with other clubs and they didn’t sound like a football club. It sounded like marketing, image, you need to sign this, you need to sign that. And I thought wow, that’s not the game I love."

The global juggernaut of Real Madrid wouldn't be for him, clearly - even if he wasn't at Anfield.

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Fabinho joins list of Liverpool's most expensive signings - and reveals even more about FSG's shift

Liverpool’s £39.3million capture of Fabinho slotted him in nicely as Liverpool’s third most expensive signing, pushing Gini Wijnaldum out of the club’s top 10 splashes.

The Reds will be hoping the dynamic 24-year-old midfielder can emulate some of the biggest success stories this esteemed list has to offer, while avoiding the embarrassment of certain others.

What should be noted, perhaps, is how the top five have all arrived at Anfield over the past 12 months - hinting at a real shift in intent from owners FSG.

Fabinho's arrival means six of the top 10 have also arrived during Jurgen Klopp's reign.

Here are the club's most expensive signings - with the possibility of more to come.



Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton, £75million)

Liverpool’s record signing was finally confirmed on December 27, 2017, with Liverpool agreeing to pay Southampton £75million for the Dutch defender.

The deal put an end to a transfer saga that had raged on for months with Southampton refusing to budge during the 2017 summer window.

Since arriving at Anfield, Van Dijk has been a complete success. He has been integral in helping Liverpool shore up a previously suspect defence. A great physique, calm demeanour and great ability to play it out from the back ensure that Van Dijk is a perfect modern day centre-half and has been one of the high points of Jurgen Klopp’s career at Liverpool so far.



Naby Keita (RB Leipzig, £48million)

Although this deal has not technically been made official yet, it will be completed and Naby Keita will join the squad on July 1. At £48million, the second most expensive player to walk through the doors at Anfield will certainly have a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Based on his displays for RB Leipzig over the past two years, Liverpool fans have nothing to worry about. Keita has boundless excesses of energy, pace to burn allows him to cover right across the middle of midfield and he possesses a genuine talent on the ball that holding midfielders often lack.

Often likened to Chelsea’s N’golo Kante, if Keita can achieve even a fraction of what Kante has in the Premier League then the Reds will have found themselves one of the top midfield talents in world football. Expect him to deliver and then some.



Fabinho (Monaco, £39.3million)

Another big splash into the central midfield department, Fabinho may well partner Naby Keita in the Liverpool engine room next season.

Similarly energetic and strong in the tackle, Liverpool look to be building a side that is equipped to take on any style of play and make an assault on the Premier League crown.

At 24 years old, Fabinho will soon be hitting his prime years and, with international caps for Brazil and a host of Champions League appearances under his belt for Monaco, won’t be phased by the prospect of signing for such a big club.



Mohamed Salah (Roma, £36.9million)

An argument for THE success story of this list, Mohamed Salah comes in as Liverpool’s fourth most expensive signing. The fee could rise in the future and move him up this list but the current £36.9million outlay spent last summer to bring the Egyptian to Anfield now seems like an absolute snip.

Forty four goals in all competitions for the Reds this season, a Premier League player of the year award and coming runner-up in the Egyptian election all mean that Salah has had a year to remember.

A heartbreaking early exit from the Champions League final due to injury only endeared him to the fans more and Salah will be looking to enhance his blazing reputation further at the World Cup this summer.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal, £35million)

The £35million spent to bring Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal to Liverpool last summer was viewed as a big risk in certain sections of the media and amongst many Liverpool fans.

Proving the doubters wrong, the midfielder has proved great value for money, putting in stand-out performances such as the one against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

A terribly cruel injury ruled him out of the final in Kiev but Oxlade-Chamberlain will hoping to get back on the brilliant track he was on when he gets back to fitness next season.



Andy Carroll (Newcastle, £35million)

The first on this list that Liverpool fans would rather forget is joint-fifth. Andy Carroll.

Signed for £35million and unveiled alongside Luis Suarez, who cost £22.8million, it isn’t hard for Reds to decide which was the success story. Carroll’s short stay on Merseyside was dogged with injury and poor form. He only managed 11 goals in 58 appearances for Liverpool and was eventually loaned out to West Ham where he remains permanently.

Two of those 11 goals did, however, come against Everton.



Christian Benteke (Aston Villa, £32.5million)

The second disappointment on this list, it is dumbfounding to know that £32.5million Christian Benteke was more expensive than names such as Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Sadio Mane.

Signed in July 2015 as the man to fill the void left by Suarez, Christian Benteke came to the club with the reputation of a striker who could score goals and bully defences into submission.

What Liverpool received was 10 goals in 42 games for the club before departing for Crystal Palace. A wonder strike at Old Trafford aside, Benteke's Anfield career was very much a non-event.



Sadio Mane (Southampton, £30million)

Another big spend that now looks to be an absolute bargain, Sadio Mane cost Liverpool £30million when arriving from Southampton in the summer of 2016. Scoring 33 goals in 73 games so far, Mane has been a huge success and is a key part of Liverpool’s three-pronged attack that also features Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Full of pace, tenacity and skill, Mane also has the knack of scoring in big games. He and Liverpool fans alike will be expecting another strong campaign next season as Liverpool look to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.



Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim, £29million)

Roberto Firmino arrived from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in July 2015 for £29million after an impressive four-and-a-half-year spell in Germany.

‘Bobby’s’ first two seasons at Anfield saw him play very well, working incredibly hard for his teammates and providing an effective foil for the other attacking players in the side.

This season has seen Firmino reach a new level. A career best 27 goals has seen him silence the critics that claimed he can’t deliver the goals to be the central striker at a top club. In doing this, he has also managed to maintain his workrate and team ethic.



Adam Lallana (Southampton, £25million)

In 2014, Southampton captain Adam Lallana put aside his boyhood Everton allegiance to complete a £25million move to Liverpool.

His first three years on Merseyside were very successful with Lallana, 30, becoming an integral part of the Liverpool midfield. Lallana weighed in with a host of goals and assists, becoming one of the sides most important features alongside the likes of Mane and Coutinho.

Unfortunately, injury has meant that this season has not hit the same heights for Lallana. A persistent hamstring problem has resulted in him missing much of the season and, even though he appeared as a substitute in the Champions League final, his future at the club is now in doubt.

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Lucas Player of the Season

Ciro Immobile scored 41 goals last season.

But Lucas Leiva was voted Lazio’s player of the season in an online poll ran by the club.

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Well done Lucas, helped in no small part by our loyal Liverpool supporters.
Once a RED always a RED. YNWA!

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Liverpool Football Club officially celebrates its 126th birthday today.

On June 3, 1892, founder John Houlding received the certificate below from the Board of Trade, which ratified the formation of his brand new team to play at Anfield.



The chain of events that led to the creation of Liverpool FC had actually started three months earlier, when Houlding and his close associates split from Everton FC after an acrimonious dispute.

Left with a stadium but without a team, a new club was born.

A vision was quickly agreed upon, beginning with the mission statement: “That the club be called Liverpool Football Club and shall play under the Rules of the Football Association.”

But Houlding and his friends would have to wait until June 3 of that year for Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Company Limited to be officially recognised.

The rest, as they say, is history.

One hundred and twenty-six years, 41 major trophies, thousands of magical moments, millions of passionate supporters around the world, one Liverpool FC.

YouTube Video

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Liverpool are NOT on the brink of concluding a deal for Nabil Fekir – but remain determined to snap up the £60million-rated Lyon midfielder.

Reports in France overnight suggested Fekir and his agent were due on Merseyside on Sunday for talks with the Reds, with there a possibility the player could undergo a medical should negotiations go well.

However, such a claim is premature, with Liverpool not anticipating any such significant movement this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp has targeted Fekir as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho , who left for Barcelona in a £142m deal in January.

Liverpool's recruitment staff have heavily scouted the 24-year-old during a course of a campaign in which he has excelled for Lyon, netting 23 goals and providing eight assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.

Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also understood to be interested in signing Fekir, who is a product of the Lyon youth academy.

However, his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes gave Liverpool a boost in their pursuit of the player when he declared on Saturday: “There is no contact with Bayern.”

Lyon have not given up hope of persuading the player to stay, with Fekir remaining open-minded in public declarations over his future.



However, reports in France have for some time suggested Anfield is his preferred destination.

Liverpool would prefer a deal is concluded ahead of the World Cup, with Fekir part of the France's 23-man squad for the finals in Russia.

Fekir was an unused substitute as France beat Italy 3-1 on Friday night. Their final friendly is next Saturday against the United States before they begin their World Cup campaign against Australia seven days later.

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It was a sale which was met with widespread criticism.

After Liverpool held firm and retained a wantaway Philippe Coutinho in the summer of 2017, Reds supported largely praised the club for sticking to their guns and refusing to offload their No.10.

So their decision to subsequently agree to Coutinho's wishes at the second time of asking in January was given the short shrift by so many.

Understandably so.

After scoring 12 goals in 20 appearances, Coutinho was at the heart of a Liverpool team who were beginning to hint at a potentially glorious campaign last term.

However, when Barcelona came calling, his head was turned for a second time. Jurgen Klopp insisted he had no option but to sell the Brazil international for an eye-watering £142million.

Coutinho's Anfield return on Sunday has once again thrust him back into the thoughts of Liverpool supporters, but his sale hasn't been the death knell many predicted it would be for Liverpool.

Six months on, that £142m is perhaps powering the club towards its exciting midfield restructure.



RB Leipzig's sixth-placed finish in the Bundesliga meant Liverpool would be paying the German side £52.75million for Naby Keita .

If Leipzig had ended up seventh or below in Germany's top flight, Keita would have cost Liverpool £48million.

However, securing a Europa League spot means that the Reds will have to shell out £52.75m, which sees Keita become the second most expensive player in Liverpool history behind Virgil van Dijk.

Another big-money midfield recruit this summer is Fabinho, who was quietly targeted before the initial £39.3m swoop was confirmed like a bolt from the blue last week



The Reds pulled off a surprise by landing for the Brazilian midfielder last Sunday, having agreed a deal with Ligue 1 side Monaco.

The deals for Keita and Fabinho see Liverpool's spending up to around the £92m mark this summer, leaving them - theoretically at least - close to £50m left in the kitty from Coutinho's exit.

That brings us to how Liverpool might use their pot to replace Barcelona's Coutinho.

Nabil Fekir is the frontrunner at this stage, and Liverpool are keen to snare the £60m-rated France international from Lyon.



Liverpool's recruitment staff have scouting the attacking midfielder extensively and watched on as Fekir scored 23 goals last term for OL.

Reports in France earlier this weekend suggested Fekir and his agent were due on Merseyside on Sunday for talks.

However, such a report is premature at this stage, but Liverpool remain keen to add Fekir to their attacking armoury next term.

A £60m deal would take Liverpool's spending on a midfield re-shape up to £152m - a mere £10m more than the whopping fee received for Coutinho.

The signing of Keita was conducted while Liverpool still had plans to keep Coutinho, and the addition of his defensive-minded compatriot Fabinho is unlikely to have been completed with the Brazil international's absence in mind.

And while the sale of Coutinho was one that left many scratching their heads back in January, you will hear few grumbles about it around Anfield if Fekir follows Fabinho and Keita through the entrance this summer.

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Liverpool fans are becoming increasingly happy with the way FSG are running the club.

But there is still an expectation for the Reds to spend over £100million more this season.

The American owners are now into their eighth year in charge of Liverpool after their takeover in October 2010.

There have been some turbulent moments during their tenure but the appointment of Jurgen Klopp has seen an upturn in fortune, leading to the Champions League final against Real Madrid last weekend.

FSG came in for criticism for their handling of last summer's transfer business, most notably not bringing Virgil van Dijk or Naby Keita to the club for the start of the 2017/18 season.

But after splashing out a world record fee for a defender on Van Dijk in January, as well as securing the arrival of Keita for the upcoming season, support for them swelled.

Their refusal to bow to Barcelona in their pursuit of Philippe Coutinho - before sanctioning a deal for £142million in January, at the behest of Klopp - also increased their standing.

With another £40million spent on Monaco midfielder Fabinho, and the likes of Nabil Fekir being pursued, it could be another big summer.

That has been reflected in the results of our fan survey, which we conducted earlier this week.

Thousands of votes were cast on a wide range of topics - including the ownership.

And the results reflect favourably on John W Henry, Tom Werner & Co.



When asked how you would rate the job FSG did this season, 32.7% voted for 8 out of 10, while the score of 9 out of 10 was marginally lower with 31.7%. Just 2.1% opted for a score of 5 or lower, while 14.8% even dished out top marks.

Despite the general happiness with them, there is clearly a feeling that more needs to be done this summer, with fans wanting a record spend this summer.

We asked how much - not including the Fabinho outlay - should Liverpool spend this summer.



With 49.8% of the vote, £100million to £150million was the favourite response, with 30.9% wanting £150million to £200million, meaning over 80% want to see the Reds splash out around that bracket.

Only 7.1% want to see over £200million spent, while 11.9% are more conservative and believe £50million to £100million will suffice.



That money should be spent on three or four players, according to the majority of the voters.

We asked how many the Reds need to make and three was the favourite response with 47.1%, with 35.9% wanting four.

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Really hope the funds are available when needed. Now media reports of a bid made for Oblak...