Liverpool have found new and different ways to win in the opening weeks of the Premier League season, and there is a new clear decisiveness about them in the transfer market too
Federico Chiesa from out of the shadows against Bournemouth. Rio Ngumoha in the 100th minute four days before his 17th birthday at St James’ Park. Right-back Dominik Szoboszlai from ludicrously far out against Arsenal.
On the pitch the narrative around Liverpool’s start to the season has been about finding ways to win that you didn’t quite see coming, but in the transfer market it has been anything but that. You could see this coming from miles out.
Of all the various proclamations to come from Newcastle – both inside and outside of the club – about Alexander Isak in the past few weeks, the most telling came from Eddie Howe in his press conference prior to the game against Liverpool last Monday.
“Me and Alex had conversations towards the end of last season, I’m not going to deny that,” said Howe. “But individual conversations are best kept private.”
READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool pushing for Isak and Guehi, Sancho leaving Man Utd, Chelsea deal reignited, Arsenal latestREAD MORE: Arne Slot to ignore Jurgen Klopp’s biggest Liverpool regret as Reds star set for £35m exit
Right you are, Edward. But it isn’t a massive leap of faith to assume that the pair weren’t comparing holiday plans or talking about what they really think of Jason Tindall behind his back.
So that sets the timeline then, and indeed there would have been discussions going on between Isak’s agents and Newcastle’s hierarchy before that. The chat between manager and star player was symbolic, but we all know that the real discussions go on much higher up.
All of which meant that the clock was ticking on Isak’s Newcastle career from then, with the player adamant that he wanted to leave and he had been promised that he would be allowed to do so.
There are ways to handle this, but unfortunately for a Newcastle United struggling at board level due to a mixture of mismanagement, awful health problems and a bluster emboldened by their ownership, they would go on to take the wrong step at almost every turn.
This turned into a mess of their own making in a battle they were never going to win. With the player’s head turned, and Liverpool winning his heart and mind, it was only going one way.
Liverpool themselves, meanwhile, had other things to be getting on with. Those familiar with Arne Slot’s career had predicted that there would be quite the degree of turnover of the squad this summer despite being champions, but the scale of it all will have surprised even them. As ever there were clear plans though, and in attack things were no different.
Mo Salah had been rewarded for his stellar season with the new deal he’d been craving, Darwin Nunez’s time was up and Luis Diaz, 29 in January, would quite like a contract befitting his status as an excellent player. Liverpool make decisions with the head not the heart though, and that deal was never going to be forthcoming.
In a Diaz-less world Cody Gakpo becomes even more vital and, having recently turned 26, worth considering for a new contract now signed. Chiesa and Ngumoha would also be useful in their own ways – although no-one would have predicted just how useful from the off this season. Oh and there’s also Florian Wirtz.
It is here that the knowledge that Isak wanted to join them would have crystallised Liverpool’s thinking. The Swede coming in as the new No.9 with proven, goal-getting backup in Diogo Jota looked perfect before that unimaginable and still hard to process tragedy struck.
It is still, almost two months on from his death, somewhat crass to talk about Jota in the context of transfers and squad building, but Liverpool had to replace him. With Newcastle sticking their fingers in their ears over Isak, it was over to Hugo Ekitike who had turned down the Magpies three times in the past but would like to move to Anfield.
Liverpool signed Ekitike in the knowledge that it would upset Newcastle, but also because they needed him. They did so with a confidence that they’d eventually be getting Isak too, because they’ve been around the block a few times and they know how these things go.
It is impossible not to acknowledge the vast amounts of money Liverpool have shelled out this summer to overhaul a squad which ran away with the title last season.
With Isak it will come to around £415m spent, but sales have brought in around £200m. Deadline day deals for Marc Guehi, Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez would only move the needle in Liverpool’s favour financially if they are completed. Meanwhile Sunday’s beaten opponents Arsenal have a summer net spend of around £235m.
In difficult circumstances it has been a window of fast, decisive moves from FSG, with changes needing to happen for Liverpool to stay out in front of a pack they raced away from. With a handful of final deals to be done the club can reflect on the first ‘real’ transfer window of the Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes double act with a sense of satisfaction.
There is a calmness and a quality about how they approach their work, and that leads to a sense of control around the club too. Liverpool know that players want to join them now, and also that there are always ways to win.
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