Liverpool's Summer Transfer Record
Rafa Benitez signed Fernando Torres,Ryan Babel,Voronin and Benayoun
Over £50 million expenditure during the summer transfer window to make Liverpool competitive in the Premier League. Rafa Benitez will be under great pressure to succeed.
Liverpool last won the league title in 1989-90, seventeen years ago, although they won the Champions League in 2005 and were runners-up to AC Milan last year. However, in domestic football they finished a distant third behind champions, Manchester United.
American Takeover:
In February 2007, the club's lengthy search for investment came to an end when American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks became the owners of Liverpool Football Club in a deal worth £470 million.
Following the take-over, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez spoke out frequently about the need for an input of funds to strengthen the team in order to provide him with the players capable of making an impact on the title race.
Initially, the response of the new owners appeared cautious although they assured everyone that funds would be available. After an initial assessment of the club they have been as good as their word. Money has been provided for the manager who has spent approximately £50 million in signing new players during the summer transfer window.
This expenditure has been going on alongside work on building a new stadium. Plans were unveiled in July which would provide a 60,000-seater stadium, with the ability to increase to 78,000 in the future.
Strong Defensive:
Liverpool have always built their teams on a solid defensive formation. Rafa Benitez already has an experienced defensive set-up in place as is shown by last season’s defensive statistics, conceding only 27 goals in 38 League games, an identical record to the champions. Where Liverpool have failed in the past is in goal scoring and last year they scored only 57, twenty six less than United.
For a number of years Liverpool have attempted to sign a consistent goal scorer but have been unable to find the player who could score regularly in the Premier League. In the past they signed Djibril Cisse and Craig Bellamy and even their former player, Robbie Fowler was re-signed.
However, having decided that those players were unable to fulfil Liverpool’s requirements, Benitez immediately set out to improve the strike force and creative aspect of the team.
New Signings:
He invested a record £26.5 million on signing Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid. He also acquired Andrey Veronin from Bayer Leverkusen on a Bosman free. Ryan Babel cost £13.5 million from Ajax while Yossi Benayoun from West Ham United appears inexpensive at £5 million. These players will be in competition with the existing strikers, Dirk Kuyt who was signed last summer and England international, Peter Crouch, for a place in the starting line up.
Leaving Liverpool:
Benitez has recouped some money in transfer fees. Those players who were surplus to Liverpool’s requirements included Djibril Cisse and Bolo Zenden who signed for Marseille for £6 million and on a free respectively, Robbie Fowler went to Cardiff City, Florent Sinama Pongolle was transferred to Recreativo Huelva for £2.7million, Luis Garcia went to Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee while Craig Bellamy has joined West Ham United for £7.5million.
Benitez Facing Pressure:
Following such massive investment during the summer, manager Benitez will now be under pressure to produce a team to challenge for the top place in English football. He will no longer have any excuse about not being able to sign the quality players he needed. The first major test for Liverpool will come in the Champions League, third qualifying round where they have a difficult two-legged tie against Toulouse. Failure to progress to the group stages of the competition would be a considerable blow to the club and raise the inevitable questions about Benitez’s position.
