Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted the Reds must splash the cash on finished-product players, after captain Steven Gerrad plans to quit the club at the end of the season, Information Nigeria understands.
Liverpool have seen former defender Jamie Carragher retire, talisman Luis Suarez depart for Spain and Gerrard confirm that he is leaving the club he joined at a young age.
Exacerbating the disaster sees the Reds unable to match last season’s remarkable feat that saw them come close to winning the English Premier League title, and a return to club’s football most prestigious tournament, the Uefa Champions League.
The Merseyside club sit eight on the Premier League log this season, and have already been eliminated from the Champions League.
Rodgers, 41, is heaping pressure on owner John W Henry and his Boston-based Fenway Sports Group to invest more on readily-made players, amid the club’s policy of signing young players and turning them to World Class stars, that saw them lavish £113m on signing Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Lazar Markovic, Mario Balotelli, Alberto Moreno, Emre Can and Divock Origi after the sale of Suarez.
“A large part of our squad is young players but there’s no doubt that if you want to take steps forward, you need to sign ready-made players,” said Rogers.
“The model at the football club is clear in that the owners want to bring in young players in order to develop and create them into world class players.
“Of course, that can be a longer and more difficult process. It is certainly something I know the owners look at. They know that not every player can be a developer.
“If you’re going to keep progressing, you also need those ready-made players.”
Analysis: Information Nigeria writer, Femi
The gamble of Balotelli hasn’t paid off as Rodgers might have expected. The Italian striker isn’t suited to Liverpool’s pressing game, and it’s no new story that the Irish manager prefers Sterling as the main-striker in his team.
Gerrad’s imminent departure is most certainly a setback, but not a disaster as it may seem. The club must now spend big in the transfer market for his replacement.
Unfortunately, Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic among others have been unable to match the impact of Suarez. Alexis Sanchez would have been a like for like replacement but the Chilean decided to join Arsenal.
Liverpool will ostensibly not be participating in the January transfer market. With Daniel Sturridge close to first team action, Rodgers has enough ammunition to see the season through. The summer transfer will mostly likely be the busy period for the club.
