Liverpool have made a lively start to the transfer window with the arrivals of Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho, and Calvin Ramsay, as well as several departures having already taken place, including key player Sadio Mane completing a move to Bayern Munich.
However, there are still controversial discussions to be had among the Liverpool fan base. Is Nunez worth the money? What should be done about Mohamed Salah’s contract? Should Liverpool bring anyone else in?
I spoke to three Liverpool fans: Konstantinos Smilas, a 19-year-old studying a degree in football coaching and management at UCFB Wembley Campus, Ollie Bray, an 18-year-old studying a degree in sport and exercise science at LJMU, and who better than my dad, George Zambartas, a die-hard Liverpool supporter for the past 50 years.
I asked them for their thoughts on Liverpool’s transfer business thus far to get an insight into where Liverpool fans agree or disagree on the approach the Reds have taken.
On the Nunez signing, Smilas said: “Darwin Nunez has everything that a potential Liverpool legend could have. He has everything a modern number nine should have. He has the speed, he has the height, he has the power, he has the finishing ability, he has the aerial threat, and he’s young, he’s only 22.”
“We may have overpaid a bit for him considering what he has achieved so far, but considering his potential, every Liverpool fan should be happy with the signing. He’s getting a quarter of what Mane was asking for. Mane might be better at the moment, on paper, but looking forward in the next few years, it makes total sense to replace Mane with Nunez.”
Bray shared this delight at the signing of the Uruguayan, saying: “I think he’s the first registered number nine and the first proper target man that Klopp has acquired. You could argue Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota, but they aren’t out and out strikers. Nunez is costing us a lot of money but as Liverpool always do so well, they are covering most of the fee with player sales.
“I’m really excited to have a proper number nine that Robbo and Trent can look for. What I’ve seen of him in the Champions League is very encouraging.”
Zambartas agreed that Nunez has the capacity to bring something new to the table for Liverpool. He said: “It’s a crazy thing to say because last season we were amazing and scored so many goals, but sometimes we aren’t clinical enough. We create a lot of chances and sometimes you’re just crying out for someone to finish them, and that’s what I think Nunez will offer.
“There’s no doubt that they (the transfer committee) would have discussed this with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, and he would have said that this guy is a serious player.”
Smilas added that in recent years, the Benfica scouting department have discovered many players that proceeded to become some of the most sought-after players in Europe. This immediately weakens the argument that the Portuguese league is one in which any average could player flourish.
He said: “It’s no surprise that Nunez went to Benfica considering the other young talents that they’ve previously scouted. Look at Angel Di Maria, Jan Oblak, Nemanja Matic, Alex Grimaldo and David Luiz. Then there’s the Portuguese ones: Ruben Dias, Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, and Bernardo Silva. Benfica know how to scout young talent.”
It is widely believed that the 22-year-old has been signed as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane; contrary to the beliefs of clueless people on twitter who think a blue tick gives them the license to talk nonsense, the Senegalese forward has been one of the most adored players in the history of the club and will go down as a legend, having won all four of the big trophies. This is helped by reports that the departure was amicable.
However, there are mixed feelings amongst Liverpool fans about the financial motivation behind the move. While many fans share no issue with Mane leaving for a new challenge, reports have emerged that the 30-year-old would have stayed for a wage of £400,000 a week. This has not been helped by Mane’s comments in the media before the transfer was even completed, which has been by some as disrespectful.
Smilas acknowledged and admired that Mane had sacrificed a farewell from the fans by keeping his agreement to leave undisclosed, ensuring that the team stayed focused at a crucial stage of the season. All three fans respect Mane’s desire for a new challenge, but Smilas also said: “I’m not angry with Mane for leaving. I’m angry about the disrespect he’s shown towards the club, because of what he’s said in the media, and because he’s said he wanted more money and they didn’t give it to him.”
Smilas referred to Mane saying that he would prefer to join Marseille over Bayern Munich whilst still contracted to Liverpool. “Those two teams are not bad. But I’m not a fan of those teams. You know, my team is Marseille, so I would say Marseille,” the 30-year-old said in a press conference.
Smilas added: “When Liverpool signed him from Southampton, people said we were overpaying by spending £30million on him. When he left, Bayern Munich and PSG were fighting for him. You can see how far he has come because of Liverpool. So, the fact that he’s left because we were not offering him enough money makes me upset with him. I see that as disrespect towards the club.”
Bray, on the other hand, suggested that Liverpool fans should have no hard feelings towards the player and should be more understanding of his comments. He said: “I’m not angry with him at all. I think people need to understand that he is speaking in a second language. He came out and said he meant it as a joke- I don’t think he’s said anything with malice. He loves Liverpool fans, and he always gave everything on the pitch. I think any hard feelings towards Mane are completely undeserved.”
Zambartas also pointed out that much of Mane’s salary goes towards helping his home village in Senegal. However, he questioned the relationship between the forward and the rest of the squad. He said: “People forget that last season, after we beat Man United 4-2 at Old Trafford in a crucial game, Klopp went for a high-five and he snubbed him out of anger and walked away, because he was upset that he’d been benched. That is a bad attitude, and we don’t see many Liverpool players show that. With that and the Burnley incident in mind, maybe Mane was unhappy and felt undervalued at Liverpool. I think he had more of a selfish streak if I’m being very harsh.”
Nevertheless, Zambartas described the player as “a legend” and added: “For me, last season, Mane was our best player. He was certainly our best forward. He’s scored so many important goals when the pressure has been on, he’s got an incredible fitness record, and he’s excelled in every position across the front three. He is going to be a big miss.”
Sadio Mane has officially gone, and Liverpool are still stuck with a very tricky predicament over Mohamed Salah’s new contract. Reports suggest that the Egyptian is asking for wages in the proximity of £400,000 a week, but Liverpool are not willing to break their tight wage structure to offer that level of money. This has polarised the fan base: break the wage structure to keep him or let him go? His contract runs out at the end of next season, and it has been rumoured that if he were to leave, he would go to another Premier League club. However, Smilas believes this to be “a bluff,” saying: “I don’t think he disrespects the club enough to go to Man City, and I don’t think he’ll go back to Chelsea or anyone else. I think it’s a bluff to give him the money.
“Salah is currently the highest paid player on £200k. He wants that doubled. If you’re Salah, and Liverpool are offering you £300k, with all the love and respect from the fans and everything the club has done for you, you sign that contract. If not, you leave.”
Zambartas agreed, saying: “If Salah is asking for a crazy amount of money that is way above any other player in the club, we can’t destroy the wage structure to give it to him, because that will have a far more significant effect overall on the team. I would be tempted to sell him for a lot of money this summer rather than lose him on a free next year.”
Bray offered a different point of view, arguing that he would break the wage structure to keep the Reds’ number 11, and described the fact that an agreement has not been made as “baffling”. He said: “If he leaves, you’re looking at two of your best players going within the space of a year. No man is more important than the club, but the last thing you want to do is lose him in 12 months’ time to another team in the Prem. I hope they can agree on 350k as 400k is a lot, and we don’t want to see an Aubameyang type situation.”
Whether Salah stays or not, a huge debate amongst Liverpool fans has been on the club’s midfield situation. Some think a midfielder is needed now, whereas some trust Klopp to wait and get the man he wants when they are available, rather than bring in an instant alternative. The front runner seems to be Jude Bellingham of Dortmund, but Zambartas pointed out that the German club are unlikely to sell another one of their star players having just lost Erling Haaland to Manchester City.
He said: “We need a midfielder next season and I think we should go for Jude Bellingham. Our midfielders are ageing so I think we need some youth in there. It would be great if we could buy him and then loan him back for a season, or if we could arrange an agreement like we did with Naby Keita, just so that we definitely have him.”
Bray shared a similar point of view, saying: “I think with Mane, Origi, and Minamino leaving I would potentially be looking at another forward option. I would also be looking at Jude Bellingham for next year, as we need a long-term replacement for Henderson. But as for this season, I think we have pretty strong squad depth; we’re good all over. We don’t really need to strengthen anywhere else.”
Smilas suggested that the signing of Carvalho from Fulham should not go under the radar, and also trusts Klopp’s judgement to wait for the right man. He said: “Fabio Carvalho is a very interesting signing. He’s a number 10, and we don’t have that. I think Klopp is looking at options rather than depth.
“I would love another midfielder like Gavi or Jude Bellingham. But judging on what Liverpool usually do, Klopp is going to wait until the right player is available. He won’t sign an alternative like Declan Rice just so he can get someone now. He will wait until the right player is available at the right time, and I agree with that.”
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