Summer is only just started and already it’s been a busy one for Liverpool with six new players on the books and no indication that they’ll be slowing down any time soon. While only two players thus far have seen the Reds dip into the coffers, CEO Ian Ayre believes their much discussed transfer policy will ensure that they can keep right on spending.
“I stood on the Kop for many years as a fan, and like everyone else I’d love to buy all the greatest players, regardless of price,” he explained in a recent interview with The Manager, a magazine run by the League Managers’ Association. “But, as we saw under the club’s previous ownership, things can all go very wrong financially; then people will hold you accountable for not running the club in the right way,” he continued. “You can’t work that way. You have to have a very detailed, thought-out plan and ensure everyone buys into it and adheres to it. That is what we have been doing and will continue to do.”
After the sale of Luis Suarez to treble winners Barcelona last summer netted the Anfield outfit a substantial sum of money, Liverpool made sweeping changes to the squad, bringing in eight players at a reported cost of £115mil — though only a few looked to have made the grade on Merseyside thus far. While time will truly tell the tale of their policy of buying young, promising players with the potential to grow into world class talent, the Reds have yet to reap the fruit of their endeavours. That being said, Ayre believes that they’re cultivating something that’s really going to work for the club in the future.
“It doesn’t mean we are not investing in or buying good players; we are just doing it in a smart and sustainable way,” enthused Liverpool’s CEO. “We may not be competing in the Champions League this year but we are still making progress as a club and continuing to add quality to our squad. We are also improving financially, which means that as we go forward with the plan we will have more resources and will be able to invest more than we have in the past.”
