Liverpool legend voices concern over club’s transfer activity
A worrying summer for the Reds?
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness is surprised and concerned that the Reds have been so quiet in the transfer market this summer, with no new arrivals so far during the window.
There certainly has been change at Anfield this summer with iconic manager Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool, replaced by Arne Slot.
There have also been some notable departures from the squad, with Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara leaving on free transfers, while Fabio Carvalho has been sold to Brentford.
However, no new signings have been brought in, and while it would be very surprising if the transfer window closed with no new arrivals, former captain and manager Souness is shocked that no one has been bought yet.
‘It surprises me that Arne Slot hasn’t brought any players in because you would anticipate that he’d want to,’ Souness said on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan.
‘Irrespective of the change of guard, he will be judged against Klopp and he will hear Klopp’s name being sung with banners of Klopp being shown all over the stadium until a time when he can eclipse it and put his own foot print on the club.
‘You would think he’d want his own players. I think the players proved to not be where we thought they were at the end of last season as I thought they would carry Klopp home to do something meaningful and they didn’t seem able to.’
The Reds are certainly in the market for players, coming close to bringing in Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, but the Spanish midfielder ultimately turned them down.
Souness is expecting huge changes at the club next summer, anticipating that both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will be tempted away by big money in Saudi Arabia.
‘For Van Dijk and Mo Salah – particularly Salah – Saudi Arabia has got to be attractive,’ said Souness. ‘Maybe he’s going to play another year and Van Dijk, at his age, maybe he’s thinking that.
‘For Trent [Alexander-Arnold], would money be the biggest thing? No, given his age and the fact that he’s a scouser and if it was up to me he’d stay a bit longer.
‘But the other two this might be their last year with their contracts running out. The lure of playing in Saudi Arabia will be enormous when you get to the wrong side of 30.
‘If this is the last year of their contracts, I imagine they are running their contracts down to get the biggest payday they can possibly get.’
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