Posted by Max
Last season, new Liverpool signings Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto grabbed 23 goals and 25 assists for Celta Vigo and Barcelona B respectively, which is clearly an excellent creative return. Together, the Spaniards cost the club a comparatively cheap £14m, yet some fans insist that signing ‘cheap players’ means the Reds have 'no ambition'. Site regular Max disagrees with this, and his is certain that Aspas and Alberto will turn out to be good business for LFC.
Being relatively unknown, Aspas and Alberto may be risks (isn’t every transfer?), but at £7 million each (and affordable wages), they can’t do any worse than Albert Aquilani and Robbie Keane, ‘marquee signings’ who cost of a combined £38 million, and managed 9 goals between them before being sold at a massive loss.
There’s every possibility that Aspas and Alberto will end up being major successes at Liverpool, but if things don’t work out, the club will be able to move them on without struggling to find a team who can afford them, which is a win-win situation.
Value for money is the key phrase when talking about Liverpool’s new recruitment policy. It has nothing to do with the age of the player or ‘moneyball’. Indeed, Kolo Toure is a clear example of FSG’s willingness to add experience to the squad. The Ivorian is in great shape for his age; he captained and won the Premier League with two different clubs; appears to be a perfect replacement for Carragher, and his experience will be crucial to LFC.
Additionally, Aspas will be 26 on the 1st of August 2013, so the theory that Liverpool only buy young players just isn’t accurate, and is manufactured by those who can’t seem to grasp the concept of value for money.
Liverpool also took this this prudent approach during the January 2013 transfer window. The club signed Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, and both players hit the ground running. Coutinho ended the season with 3 goals 7 assists in 13 appearances, and Sturridge grabbed 11 goals/5 assists in 16 appearances. As I’m sure many would concede, 14 goals and 12 assists in 16 matches is an incredible return for a combined fee of £20.5 million.
Compare the signings of Couthino and Sturridge with those of Aquilani and Keane, and it’s clear LFC is doing the smart thing by rejecting big money risks with the potential to cripple the wage bill. Give the club’s recent transfer history, how can this be bad thing?
The £9m signing of Simon Mignolet has also raised eyebrows. Some claim that the Belgian - one of the most promising goalkeepers in Europe - is not capable of filling Pepe Reina’s boots, yet whatever people think about him, he is almost certainly on half Reina’s wages, so once again value for money is the key factor here.
Due to his experience and standing in the game, it’s possible that Toure may be on higher wages than any of the new signings, but as a free transfer, that still makes financial sense.
Only time will tell whether the likes of Aspas and Alberto have the same impact as Coutinho and Sturridge, but after many years of transfer mismanagement, LFC’s new recruitment policy is finally heading in the right direction. Onwards and Upwards!
Crouch was 7m, Kyut 8/9m. One of them 3 take your pick :P