James Pearce has sought to ease any worries among Liverpool supporters over the relatively quiet summer transfer window thus far.
In contrast to the £446m spending spree which was in progress last year, FSG have been much more reserved in the market this time around, with Victor Munoz the only newly-signed player nearly a month into the window (Jeremy Jacquet’s move was agreed in the winter and took effect on 1 July).
The biggest change at Anfield so far this summer has come in the dugout, with Arne Slot replaced by Andoni Iraola in early June, although it was reported in recent days that sporting director Richard Hughes is ‘expected’ to leave for Al-Hilal in the near future.
In the latest Transfer DealSheet for The Athletic, Pearce gave two reasons as to why transfer business at Liverpool has been thin on the ground so far.
He outlined: ‘There was always an acceptance at Liverpool that getting most of their business done early was unrealistic this time around because of the World Cup and Iraola’s need to assess the talent he’s inherited.’
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That explanation from Pearce would appear to make sense – players’ ongoing involvement at the World Cup can naturally see decisions on their club futures put on the back burner, while the new head coach will want to form his own opinions on the squad after they’ve checked in for pre-season.
It’s still early in the transfer window, too – it’s only been open for three weeks and won’t shut for nearly two months – so there’s still ample time for Hughes to complete a few more signings prior to the 1 September deadline.
We all like to see business being completed early so that any gaps in squad depth are covered off and the new arrivals have time to settle in and get accustomed to how Iraola works, but the reality is never quite that straightforward.
Liverpool fans may be bristling over the relative inactivity at Anfield thus far when seeing Manchester City splash out £116m on Elliot Anderson, or Tottenham Hotspur go big on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, for fear that Premier League competitors are already stealing a march on the Reds.
There’s no need for Kopites to panic just yet, but hopefully Hughes will get a couple of significant deals completed this month so that the squad is in good shape by the time the Premier League season begins.
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