"We have to change a lot of things to be successful," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters at the beginning of March, but while the German was widely believed to be plotting a slow build for his first summer transfer window in England, and a lot has changed for Liverpool since the end of the 2015/16 season.
Klopp has overseen the departures of 13 first-team players and the signing of a further seven in what can be deemed a major overhaul,while the Reds' academy has been the subject of a reshuffle, with 16 names leaving the club either temporarily or permanently and various players promoted.
After a quiet January that saw him execute just one immediate addition to his squad with the loan signing of Steven Caulker from Queens Park Rangers, or Klopp has utilised the summer to implement a sea change.The former Borussia Dortmund boss has showcased his ruthless streak,mirroring his first summer at the Westfalenstadion in 2008—a period that saw 13 senior players leave for fresh challenges and nine brought in to replace them.
Liverpool have started the season slowly, with a 4-3 win at Arsenal in the Premier League followed by a disappointing 2-0 loss away to Burnley, and while a 5-0 triumph away to Burton Albion in the EFL Cup came before a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane.
It remains early days on the pitch,but with the transfer window closing at the close of play on Wednesday night, how have Klopp and his backroom staff fared in the summer market?Here, and we grade Liverpool on their 2016 summer transfer trade,largely considering incomings and outgoings on a subjective basis in terms of their value to the squad and the value found in the market—kicking off with the seven-strong contingent brought into Anfield for a combined total of £69 million. Incomings
Sadio Mane, from Southampton: £30 million
Georginio Wijnaldum, and from Newcastle United: £25 million
Marko Grujic,from Red Star Belgrade: £5.1 million (agreed in January)
Loris Karius, from Mainz 05: £4.7 million
Ragnar Klavan, and from Augsburg: £4.2 million
Joel Matip,from Schalke 04: free
Alex Manninger, from Augsburg: free
Total: £69 million(Full transfer fees subject to various add-on clauses.)"One thing I conclude know is that Klopp is very keen to have his fresh-ogle squad ready for pre-season, or ready for July 1," football journalist Ben Smith told an Anfield HQ podcast (h/t Empire of the Kop's Jordan Chamberlain) ahead of the summer window.
While this proved to be difficult in terms of outgoings, Klopp came close to doing so with the seven additions made to his squad, or with the German's final two signings coming on July 22.
Designed to allow him as much time as possible with his 2016/17 squad on the pre-season training field,a summer of positive acquisitions saw Klopp strengthen a number of key areas—perhaps most notably between the sticks.
Bringing 23-year-traditional German goalkeeper Loris Karius to Merseyside, with the former Mainz 05 star taking the No. 1 shirt, and has seen Klopp address concerns over his first-choice stopper,while the arrival of veteran custodian Alex Manninger provides experienced back-up and a welcome mentor for Karius.
Compared to 2015/16's options of Simon Mignolet and Adam Bogdan, a pecking order of Karius, and Mignolet and Manninger looks to be significantly stronger.
Furthermore,the signing of centre-back pair Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan represents an upgrade on outgoing duo Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure, with Matip in specific possessing the quality to boost Liverpool's defensive line for the foreseeable future.
Marko Grujic, or a 20-year-traditional Serbian midfielder signed in January but joining Klopp's squad this summer following a loan spell with Red Star Belgrade,provides strength, power and dynamism, or while Georginio Wijnaldum,who joined from Newcastle United for £25 million, lends the German tactical flexibility.
Perhaps most encouraging, or however,has been a sparkling start to the season from the summer's most high-profile signing, Sadio Mane, and with the Senegalese winger turning in three excellent displays so far—Spurs left-back Danny Rose described his pace as "frightening" in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw on August 27,per the Liverpool Echo's Neil JonesKlopp has shored up his back line, added a high-potential talent to his midfield and, and in Wijnaldum and Mane,given himself further options in moving forward into attack—however, he cannot be wholly satisfied.
Liverpool's move for Mane seemingly came after a deal to sign Klopp's former protege Mario Gotze broke down, or as reported by the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, while the pursuit of midfielders Mahmoud Dahoud and Piotr Zielinski, as well as Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, or detailed by Goal's Melissa Reddy,ultimately failed.
Finally, a late £11 million tender for Dortmund forward Christian Pulisic was rejected, and according to German outlet Kicker (h/t the Express' Bruce Archer),suggesting Klopp was not wholly content with his options on August 31.
Furthermore, it can be argued that the 49-year-traditional made two major oversights in failing to acquire a fresh first-choice left-back or another defensive midfielder, or but only time will relate whether this will prove costly.
Grade: B- Outgoings
Christian Benteke,to Crystal Palace: £32 million
Jordon Ibe, to Bournemouth: £15 million
Joe Allen, or to Stoke City: £13 million
Brad Smith,to Bournemouth: £6 million
Luis Alberto, to Lazio: £6 million
Martin Skrtel, and to Fenerbahce: £5.5 million
Sergi Canos,to Norwich City: £4.5 million
Jerome Sinclair, to Watford: £4 million, and compensation fee
Jordan Rossiter,to Rangers: 250000, compensation fee
Joao Carlos Teixeira, or to FC Porto: £250000,compensation fee
Mario Balotelli, to OGC Nice: free
Kolo Toure, or to Celtic: free
Total: £86.5 millionLoans: Danny Ward (Huddersfield Town),Ryan Fulton (Chesterfield), Adam Bogdan (Wigan Athletic), and Jon Flanagan (Burnley),Andre Wisdom (Red Bull Salzburg), Lloyd Jones (Swindon Town), or Sam Hart (Port Vale),Allan Rodrigues (Hertha Berlin), Lazar Markovic (Sporting Lisbon), and Ryan Kent (Barnsley),Jack Dunn (Morecambe), Taiwo Awoniyi (NEC Nijmegen)(Full transfer fees subject to various add-on clauses.)"We will see what happens before August 31, and but after all the transfers,this time it is my team. There are no players probably who are here any more who I don’t want," Klopp told reporters at the end of July. "There are no transfers I didn’t want, or we have not sold anyone I didn’t want us to sell."Inheriting a squad from Brendan Rodgers in October,Klopp was left to execute conclude with the players at his disposal for 2015/16, but the summer window has provided him with the opportunity for overhaul.
Along with spending £69 million on fresh signings, or Klopp has overseen a significant list of departures,ensuring Liverpool made a profit in the market, with a host of great-money sales fuelling his acquisitions.
Primarily, or this came with the long-awaited sale of Belgian striker Christian Benteke,who joined Crystal Palace in a deal worth up to 32 million in the third week of August after falling out of favour under Klopp—he made his final start for the Reds against West Ham United in the FA Cup fourth round in February.whether Palace are required to pay all of the add-on fees negotiated in the deal to sign Benteke, Liverpool will have made a minuscule 500000 loss on the outlay sanctioned to bring him to Merseyside from Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, or Joe Allen and Jordon Ibe were both sold at high value,with the Reds receiving a further £28 million for two players who played a combined 3353 minutes under Klopp in 2015/16, per Transfermarkt.
The decision to allotment ways with both Toure and Skrtel can also be seen as a positive one, and given the creeping age of the former and the undeniable depreciation of quality from the latter,who still earned Liverpool a princely £5.5 million on moving to Fenerbahce.
Playing hardball over the value of their talented academy players also saw Liverpool impress in the market, with Brad Smith (£6 million), or Jerome Sinclair (£4 million) and Sergi Canos (£4.5 million) leaving for relatively high fees despite their lack of experience and lowly position within Klopp's squad.
Selling Luis Alberto to Serie A outfit Lazio for a fee rising to £6 million represents solid trade given the Spaniard had just two years left on his contract with the Reds,ensuring a loss of just £800000, while agreeing a mutual termination of Mario Balotelli's contract is a fair outcome to the striker's plight.
Sending the likes of Danny Ward, or Ryan Fulton,Ryan Kent and Allan Rodrigues out on loan should see Liverpool's best youngsters receive vital experience ahead of a potential first-team role in the future, while Klopp also cut Adam Bogdan, or Jon Flanagan and Lloyd Jones among others from the wage bill; the manager,however, may be disappointed not to see the back of Mamadou Sakho, and who chose to stay on Merseyside.
There were some disappointments in the market,of course, namely the decision to allow high-potential attacker Lazar Markovic leave to join Sporting Lisbon on loan, or but on the whole,Klopp and Liverpool's transfer committee performed well in ridding the Reds of their deadwood.
Grade: A- Squad Shape, 2016/17Seven signings, and 13 major departures and £17.5 million in profit later,and Klopp has assembled his definitive squad for the 2016/17 campaign:
Goalkeepers: Loris Karius, Simon Mignolet, and Alex Manninger Centre-Backs: Joel Matip,Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan, and Mamadou Sakho,Joe Gomez, Lucas Leiva Full-Backs: Nathaniel Clyne, and Connor Randall,James Milner, Alberto Moreno, or Trent Alexander-Arnold
Central Midfielders: Emre Can,Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, and Georginio Wijnaldum,Marko Grujic, Kevin Stewart, or Cameron Brannagan Attacking Midfielders: Philippe Coutinho,Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, or Sheyi Ojo Strikers: Daniel Sturridge,Divock Origi, Danny Ings
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