WHAT WENT WRONG? | Liverpool FC's Transfer Plans Exposed!

0:00Before the season even kicks off, soccer fans are already making predictions. Who wins the league? Who qualifies for Europe? And who's lifting the trophy at seasons end? On Kalshi America's number one prediction market platform, your trading against peers in a live market, meaning there's no house. And as the probability changes, you can buy in and out of your position. For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code CUP26 to get $10 when you trade 10. KALSHI Kalshi trade the beautiful game. 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading and vols risk can may not be suitable for all investors. Prices, values and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see kalshi.com slash regulatory. Cobbcast reaches more than 65 million homes and businesses with the nation's most intelligent network, powered by AI and designed to optimize every connection in real time. And that really matters when millions are tuning in for the biggest live events. With ultra low latency and the capacity to handle massive demand, Cobbcast helps deliver every moment in stunning 4K, so viewers stay close to the action

1:02without missing a minute. Learn more at comcastcorporation.com slash network. Right now, when you buy more carpet at the Home Depot, you save more. During our Buy More save more event going on now, upgrade your carpeting with the top brands and save up to 15% off installed carpet projects. Installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot. Select from a wide assortment of carpet to fit your room, lifestyle and budget during the Buy More save more event at the Home Depot. Offer valid August 27th through September 13th, 2026. Space price for standard installations only excludes traffic master and stock carpet for licenses. See home Depot.com slash license numbers. So let's talk about the window and its experience for Liverpool Football Club. So this was one of the more talked about transfer windows, notably because at the start of the window, we had a change of manager. So Anis Slott was relieved of his duties

2:03and in came the Bournemouth manager and Doni Erohola. And there was much talk that there was a fair bit of work that was required to upgrade in various areas of the squad, most notably because the talismanic Mo Salah moved on in the summer for Nofi and we know that eventually ended up at Trabsonspo in Turkey. On top of that, Andy Robertson moved on as well. And the team already had certain areas of weakness. It is notably at Centreback where the club went through the whole of last season with essentially three centrebacks. And one of those three in Ibu Kanate also was another lever in the summer. He also left

3:04for free, joining Real Madrid as we know. So that was one of a number of areas of weakness. We also know that defensive midfield was another, that was known. It is a problem area. And on top of that, we also know that the right back position was much talked about and the reasons for that are because there was just a revolving door as we saw last season. Frimpong was signed as the right back but he didn't really play that position at Levycuz and where we live up all signed him from. So he struggled when he did play but when he didn't play it was often because he was injured. I think he suffered six different injuries last season. And Conor Bradley, who some preferred in that position, suffered a very horrendous injury

4:13towards the tail end of last season and he's an expected back until at least January, if not much later. So with all that said, the club it was perceived to be before the season even kicks off soccer fans are already making predictions. Who wins the league? Who qualifies for Europe and who's lifting the trophy at seasons end? On Kalshi America's number one prediction market platform, your trading against peers in a live market meaning there's no house and as the probability changes you can buy in and out of your position. For a limited time download the Kalshi app and use code CUP26 to get $10 when you trade 10. KALSHI Kalshi trade the beautiful game. 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading and volsress can may not be suitable for all investors. Prices, values and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information see kalshi.com slash regulatory. Right now when you buy more carpet at the home depot, you save more. During our Buy More, Save More event going on now, upgrade your carpeting with the top brands

5:17and save up to 15% off installed carpet projects. Installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot. Select from a wide assortment of carpet to fit your room, lifestyle and budget during the Buy More, Save More event at the home depot. Offer valid August 27th through September 13th, 2026. Space price for standard installations only excludes traffic master and stock carpet for licenses. See home depot.com slash license numbers. Needed to carry out significant surgery. And a lot of business was required. Well, so it seemed. But the club only ended the transfer window with a fewer set of signings. So the ones that did come in were most notably Bradley Balkola from PSG for a base fee of the 106 million with 17 million of addons. So he was the marquee signing of the window. Jeremy Shakay, though that deal was essentially

6:20locked in back in the January transfer window or in early February, that deal actually in terms of its contract was formalized over the summer. And so Jackay was announced as a signing earlier on in the transfer window. And that was for a base figure of 55 million pounds. Victor Munoz was signed from Ossasuna and that was a very nice deal in that nobody speculated about it whatsoever. And it just was announced. So that was for 35 million. And then we also saw right on the final day a signing of a goalkeeper from Gink and an 18 year old. And so that was also a figure of close to 30 million pounds, which meant that all told the club had an outlay of 227 million

7:24pound in terms of base figures. Whereas in terms of sales, the club didn't have quite as much luck. Only managed to achieve one notable signing in Curtis Jones moving into Milan. For about 20, he said £7 million. And then there were a couple of very minor other sales which were mounted to just over a million pounds for academy players or players that have been in the academy but haven't really come on most notably, a badgetage. So the gross net spend, sorry, I should say, a matter to £199 million, which was the biggest net spend of any Premier League club, surprisingly in the Summer Transfer window. And so from a net spend perspective Liverpool outdid

8:25everyone. And yet most fans, not all, but most fans felt hugely deflated by the end of that transfer window because of the reasons that I just outlined earlier that several key positions were not addressed. The right forward position occupied for many years with distinction by Sala was not filled. Right now when you buy more carpet at the Home Depot, you save more. During our buy more, save more event going on now, upgrade your carpeting with the top brands and save up to 15% off installed carpet projects. Installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot. Select from a wide assortment of carpet to fit your room, lifestyle and budget during the Buy More, save more event at the Home Depot. Offer valid August 27th through September 13th, 2026. Base price for standard installations only excludes traffic master and stock carpet for licenses, see Home Depot.com slash license numbers. Every game day you show up for your team, now it's your time.

9:33Ask your prescriber about We GoVee, some Maglatide Injection 2.4 milligrams, a GLP 1. Call 1-8334 We GoVee or visit We GoVee.com to view the Medication Guide and to learn more about We GoVee. Why wait? We GoVee! Defensive midfield position was not filled for the fourth season running. Yes, three years ago, or Toronto was signed, but very much as a squad player, not as a starting defensive midfielder, and he's still here. The right back position also was not addressed. Again, only people at the club within the club can really answer why that is. Already two games into the season we've seen, opposition teams target that side, knowing that there is glaring weaknesses there, but also through the centre of the park, where we saw on the opening day fixture Liverpool succumb to two goals

10:39that in the days of Fabinho were an extreme rarity. You just never saw goals like that being conceded when he was at his peak, and three in a bit years on, he still hasn't been replaced. A lot of criticism was levelled at Liverpool because of that, and furthermore, the club also attracted significant criticism, and in my view rightly so for the fact that there was a what appeared to be part-time sporting director by Michael Edwards, appointed Richard Hughes. Richard Hughes came into the club just over two years ago in his first trance or window after the departure of George Smachka back to Germany. He had an extremely quiet window. There

11:45were three notable contracts that had only a year to go at that point in Virgil van Dyke, Trent Alexander Arnold and Mo Salah. None of those contracts were renewed in that summer trance or window, and the only incoming was that of Kiezer from Juventus for about 10 million pounds. So at the end of that trance or window two years ago, Liverpool fans were equally despondent, thinking right, we have a new manager, Jürgen Kloppers moved on, and all we can do for this new manager is give him one squad player who's injury prone from Juventus. So there was not a great deal of optimism at that point, fair to say that barely any Liverpool fans expected anything more than a top four challenge at that point. So it was obviously a pleasant surprise

12:51for all Liverpool fans that the club went on to unexpectedly win the Premier League that season outdid, Arsenal outdid Manchester City to lift the 20th lead title of the club's illustrious history. So fast forward on 12 months after that lead title win, the club went into overdrive and carried out some very significant business, high value signings, notably Alexander Esak, Florian Fiatz, Hugo Riccateke, Milos Kerkez, Jeremy Frimpong, also Mamadash Villy. Though again, that was a deal that was agreed, the preceding January, the deal actually only went through in the summer. So huge amounts of money spent, some 450 million or so, but in that window, the club did generate quite significant sales, so the net spend ended

13:59up also around just over 200 million pounds, but that was a window that many rival fans, and even indeed personnel at the club, the rival clubs, fear that Liverpool would kick on and comfortably race away to win a 21st lead title, and as we all know, that certainly didn't transpire. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong and on a slot lost his job as a result. So the approach to that window whilst it appeared strong at the time, history tells us that who really on a number of levels was not the club struggled, it didn't really manage to make the signings working to a cohesive collective, and a lot of the blame on that before that was rightfully pinned on the manager for not being able to make the players work. I think that that

15:06is somewhat unfair. I think that some of that blame also needs to sit with the lights to reach and use and any of the analysts and others involved in recruitment. There were party to those decisions and to bring some of those players in. And perhaps why is the use of that money could have resulted in a stronger right back, a defensive midfielder, and perhaps a second forward to compliment Hugo Eckertike, who may have fitted that system a bit better. All that said, it's just one season and we've got many examples through history of players that had a fairly underwhelming first season at any club, but then to have a quite impressive second season and then kick on to become really strong thereafter. And indeed Liverpool themselves have such a player in more recent times Hugo, sorry Dominic's Hobbeslye, very subdued first season,

16:08and static kick on in season two and really made his mark in season three. Or be it, there were some critics of Dominic's Hobbeslye in his third season, which was last season, some felt that he didn't quite fit that kind of system that slot wanted to kind of see function and perform in the centre of the park, which then left gaping holes which opposition teams exploited time and again. And that is a criticism that several pundits have also leveled at the player. But nonetheless, the window came and went, huge money was spent, there was an expectation that sizeable funds would be spent. This window just gone. The club did spend £230 million,

17:09and if one or two other deals transpired, that figure would have exceeded £300 million. We do know the club putting bids for Ismaila Sarr, the crystal palace, and Yucuba Minte, the injured winger at Brighton. Those bids were not accepted, and the club weren't able to close out those deals through any other bids that may have gone in right at the tail end of the transfer window. And we also know that the club, apparently putting a loan offer for Malagusto at Chelsea, Chelsea were not interested in that, and were only open to a permanent sale in the region, and it's reported to be of around £75 million, which Liverpool clearly were not interested in. So that deal didn't materialize. The only other deal to know is Arayahu arrived on loan

18:10from Barcelona to give Liverpool's backline some much-needed backup, going into a season with otherwise just four centrebacks, three of whom were injured during pretty much the entirety of preseason in Leone, who's not back for a while yet. Joe Gomez, who was injured in one of the earlier preseason games and still hasn't returned. And Jeremy Jacques, who was suffering from an injury from early in the calendar year, and obviously is only just returned back to competitive football in the last couple of games. So the window has been underwhelming, several key positions have not been addressed.

19:28Master in Stock Carpet for licenses, see Home Depot.com slash license numbers. Every game day you show up for your team, now it's your time. Ask your prescriber about We Govie, some Maglatide injection 2.4 milligrams, a GLP one. Call 1-8-3-3-4 We Govie or visit We Govie.com to view the Medication Guide and to learn more about We Govie. We Govie. And furthermore, it appeared that the sporting director was moonlighting working alongside his sporting director role for Liverpool with the equivalent role for allow in Saudi Arabia, which is somewhat of a fastical situation and one that quite frankly is one that I wouldn't expect a major club to entertain. Though Liverpool clearly were open to this and went ahead with it.

20:33And it's something that they perhaps will regret. It is now expected Michael Hughes will move on. So it's just a matter of time before the official announcement is made that his 100% Al Hilal and a search will then begin for a new sporting director. And in recent times, over the last four or five years, the club is generally tended to go in-house or go with recommendations from an inner circle. And so that hasn't really worked well. We saw four changes of sporting directors in the spaces just two years. And for a structure that dictates that the sporting director determines the strategy, the style of play and ultimately recruitment.

21:33For that level of turnover, it's not ideal by any means for a head coach, whether it's an honest lot, whether it's an end only a roller or anyone else for that matter. So that has been clearly very problematic. And I think that the new consortium with their 38% stake in Liverpool now may have somewhat of a say in recruitment matters. And for that, therefore, it perhaps makes sense for them to have also a say in who the new sporting director is. And my view is that the club should certainly be casting the net much further afield far and wide than it certainly has over recent years to try and really find best in class because finding in-house solutions to that very critical role simply hasn't worked well. Yes, we've still seen Liverpool make some

22:37very strong signings over the last three, four years. But we've also seen increasing numbers of poor signings made. Curious decisions around the profile of the player that the club should be looking to sign. And most egregiously allowing multiple contracts for key players wind down to the point that plays who may have been worth £50, £60, £70, £80, £80, £100 were allowed to move on for free. And that is one of the things that really, really does great on many Liverpool fans because the amount of transfer fees that potentially could have been generated over the last few years is eye watering. In fact, just on X in the last couple of days I

23:42published a thread and I listed the players that left for free or virtually left for free. Ginny Wynaldum in 2021, Divock Reighy the following year. In 2023 we saw a maths exodus of midfielders, Milner, Oxlade Chamberlain, Nabikator and Jordan Henderson left for a fee but it wasn't particularly a big one. Bobby Femignia also left for free that same summer. In 2024, Joel Matip and Tiago Alcantara left or rather retired. Trent Alexander Arnold very notably moved for free, sorry for £8 million to round Madrid just over a year ago. And then in this summer, Wynald just gone. We've seen Andy Robertson, Mo Salah and Ibn Khanate

24:47also leave for free. And these are not fringe players. These are players who've played an incredibly prominent role for Liverpool Football Club over the last seven, eight, nine, ten years. So to allow all of those players to leave for free or for next to nothing is scandalous, highly negligent and should be and would be a sackable offence in most other top clubs. And yet it seems to happen season on season. And what makes that even more problematic is that Liverpool Football Club do run or have certainly run up until now a self-sustaining model the owners do not put money into the club, unlike most other clubs. So generating fees from sale of players becomes all the more important. So to not be doing that on a regular basis for key players is almost criminal. And that again is something that I'm sure likes Amit Batti from

25:53this new 1892 Holdings Consortium. We'll be looking to address in the weeks and months to come. Every game day you show up for your team. Now it's your time. Ask your prescriber about Wigovie, some Maglatide Injection 2.4 milligrams, a GOP1. Call 183-3-4 Wigovie or visit Wigovie.com to view the Medication Guide and to learn more about Wigovie. Why wait? This episode is brought to you by State Farm. No two football players are exactly alike, and the same is true off the field. That's why State Farm gifts to know you so they can help personalize coverage for your life and budget. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Labor Day's savings are happening now at the Home Depot with select appliances starting at

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