Liverpool FC Thread #157 :- LFC. This means more.

[NI KI]

Liverpool's world-record Alisson bid and how FSG have helped Reds become a transfer market force once more

A little over 12 months ago, Andy Carroll's ignominious place in Liverpool history still stood firm.

An unwanted beacon of a bygone era where chaos ruled over clarity in Liverpool's transfer dealings, the £35million signing is still head-scratcher over seven years on.

The fact that Liverpool spent so much on an injury prone target-man who netted just 11 times in 58 games was repeatedly used as a stick to beat the Reds with by the hoards in the online banter brigade.

Thankfully, for Liverpool supporters, Carroll's £35m fee is the inglorious footnote that is no more.

Carroll has slipped from first to sixth in the list of the most expensive players in Liverpool's storied history. Even in the current climate where transfer fees have spiralled beyond all reasonable recognition, Liverpool - and FSG's - show of intent in the transfer market has been felt across Europe.

Liverpool have spent the past 12 months, thinking, acting and performing like a big club.

Big deals. Minimal fuss. Maximum output.

Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards will rightly take the plaudits for how Liverpool are progressing in the transfer market, but owners FSG have backed them to the hilt. It's a recipe which hints at a glorious future for the Reds.



First was the June arrival of Mohamed Salah, who joined from Roma for £36.9m. It initially appeared to be something of a gamble by Klopp, but the Egypt international made those concerns look laughable in a truly stunning debut season.

Salah ended his first year at Anfield with literally dozens of personal awards and records, a 44-goal haul and a 'world-class' status.

Another summer recruit was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who joined the Reds for a fee reported to be between £35m and £40m in August last year.



Eyebrows were raised when Klopp spent big on a player who had never reached his full potential in north London and had less than a year left on his contract, but the Reds manager was convinced.

After an initial struggle to impose himself, Oxlade-Chamberlain started to find his feet and had become an important part of the hard-running, energetic midfield prior to his cruel, season-ending injury in April.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was arguably in the form of his career before the knee injury sustained against Roma. The England international finally thriving after being entrusted to perform in his favoured role as a central attacking midfielder.

[NI KI]

Naby Keita's future arrival was another that was confirmed last summer, with the Reds being made to wait 11 months for the arrival of the gifted Guinean from RB Leipzig.

Liverpool's fee for the all-action midfielder was confirmed in May after Leipzig finished their Bundesliga campaign in sixth. The Reds paid the Germans £52.75m.

The Keita deal was a decisive one. After negotiations appeared to be dead in the water, Liverpool struck and announced the future transfer on an August Bank Holiday, catching many by surprise in the process.

January finally saw Virgil van Dijk become a Liverpool player. The Dutchman more than doubling the fee of Carroll as he became the most expensive defender in world football at £75m.



The classy and commanding Van Dijk wasted little time proving why Klopp was so fierce in his determination to snare him from Southampton.

The centre-back was key to helping Liverpool towards the Champions League final, and he is the bedrock behind the promise of a thrilling Reds adventure next term.

If the Keita deal was a surprise to many in August 2017, Liverpool's completion of the Fabinho one in May was a genuine bolt from the blue.

The Brazilian midfielder was confirmed as a Liverpool player on May 28 for £39.3m as the Reds dusted themselves off from Champions League final heartache in emphatic fashion.



Fabinho is the man many believe has solved the problem position of defensive midfield in the Anfield engine room. He was a player reportedly courted by Manchester United for so long, but Liverpool's move was as stealthy as it was stunning.

Which brings us to the latest name in the frame - Alisson.

The Reds made a whopping £62million bid this week in an effort to finally put to bed the goalkeeping issue that has threatened to engulf their pre-season campaign so far.

After Loris Karius followed up his costly Champions League final meltdown with another mis-step at Tranmere, the Reds acted decisively, making a potentially world-record breaking offer for Roma and Brazil's No.1.

Again, the Reds have acted aggressively and pursued a top target with a big-money bid that will make their competitors sit up and take note.

Karius, it has since transpired, was actually concussed when he committed the two horrendous, goal-gifting errors in the biggest game of his career - but the cold, harsh reality is that Liverpool were undone by the lack of a top-class goalkeeper in between the posts in Kiev.

Should Alisson become the latest through the door at Anfield this summer, then a season which already promised so much will be even more eagerly anticipated by Reds fans.

[NI KI]

Liverpool's record signings

1. Virgil van Dijk - £75m

2. Naby Keita - £52.75m

3. Fabinho - £39.3m

4. Mohamed Salah - £36.9m

5. Alex Oxlade-Chmaberlain - £35m

[elimmel]

IF and when Alison comes in, we’ll have the most exp GK and defender.
With Keita and Fabinho, our irresistible front 3... spine is strong and hopefully a real challenge this coming season

[elimmel]

Oh wait! Achterburg still around!

[NI KI]

Originally Posted by elimmel

IF and when Alison comes in, we’ll have the most exp GK and defender.
With Keita and Fabinho, our irresistible front 3... spine is strong and hopefully a real challenge this coming season

hahaha...sour grapes are starting to surface

fans from top 4 team are so critical about how much we spent to acquire players that are suitable to Klopp's football style

Many Europe teams will jackup the transfer fee whenever a BPL team wanted to buy their players.

Of cos you need to pay premium price for the right player! Klopp has done exactly that by aquiring the right player for the team

[NI KI]

On holiday

He’s potential arrival at Liverpool might have sent social media into an absolute frenzy today...

...but Alisson himself is staying relaxed.

The Liverpool target is currently enjoying his post-World Cup holiday.

[NI KI]

Alisson is Liverpool's booming statement of intent - the transfer fans craved more than any other

It represents a booming statement of intent.

Liverpool have moved to solve the biggest problem facing Jurgen Klopp by agreeing a world record fee of £66.8million with Roma for Alisson.

The Reds are on the brink of shattering the previous highest transfer involving a goalkeeper – the £34.7m that Manchester City paid Benfica for Ederson in 2017.

Only personal terms and a medical stand between Liverpool and Alisson becoming the club's fourth signing of the summer following deals for Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri.

There's no question this would be the most significant one of the lot by some distance.

Since the Reds' thrilling run to the Champions League final ended in heartbreak, this is the signing that Kopites have craved more than any other.

They wanted to see a real show of ambition. They wanted to see an area of glaring weakness properly addressed with a top-class new arrival.

In Alisson that's exactly what Liverpool will be getting.



The 25-year-old shot-stopper has long since been Klopp's top target.

Loris Karius' meltdown in Kiev put the Reds' goalkeeping situation centre stage but Liverpool had been pursuing Alisson long before that.

There were lengthy discussions with his representatives over the course of last season about the prospect of moving to Anfield.

At the time Liverpool didn't fancy their chances of securing his services. Roma's price tag continued to climb with their belief that the Reds had bought Mohamed Salah on the cheap the previous summer inflating the figures.

The Anfield hierarchy were also informed that Real Madrid were leading the chase for his signature.

However, rather than pursue an alternative, Klopp decided to sit tight. Possible alternatives such as Jack Butland, Nick Pope, Jasper Cillessen and Thomas Strakosha were dismissed.

Alisson was the one Klopp wanted and the manager was prepared to wait.

Pre-season started with Klopp promising Karius a fresh start and insisting that concussion was an “explanation not an excuse” for his blunders against Real Madrid.

But it soon became clear that the German keeper's confidence was shot to bits. Liverpool's need for a new No 1 was increasingly urgent.

With Simon Mignolet expected to move on after five years at Anfield, the prospect of going into the new campaign with Karius and Danny Ward was an alarming one.

This week Liverpool finally bit the bullet. The landscape had changed with Real turning their attention to Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois and the Reds had received sufficient encouragement from Allison's representatives to make their move.

Sporting director Michael Edwards opened talks with Roma which continued late into Tuesday night. Now an agreement has been reached, Liverpool have been granted permission to discuss personal terms.



Klopp already boasts the most expensive defender in world football in Virgil van Dijk and now it looks as if the commanding Dutchman will have the most expensive keeper on the planet operating behind him.

Throw into the mix the most potent frontline in Europe in Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, coupled with the £90m worth of new midfield talent in Keita and Fabinho, and no wonder Kopites are buzzing.

Alisson's arrival would fuel that burning sense of optimism.

[nywa78]

haha.. nobody even want to talk about the signing of Shaqiri..

[elimmel]

Shaqiri signing could mean Fekir may not happen. Also reports of a 100m bid for Dybala rejected.
Biggest transfer window in LFC history? Could be.