“It’s just clear: there are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It’s legal, everything is fine, but they can do whatever they want. Competing with them? It’s not possible to deal with that.”
There was a level of exasperation to Jürgen Klopp when he was asked how his side could compete with Manchester City last season. The question came on the eve of a clash at Anfield in which Liverpool started 13 points behind its rival.
The Reds had been the biggest threat to Pep Guardiola’s side over the past few years, but with the signing of Erling Haaland, City flexed its financial might once again to produce yet another barrier to success. What’s more, another side looked to be following a similar formula.
Newcastle was reaping the rewards of its Saudi takeover, with the influx of cash and new signings ultimately leading it to a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Klopp was left wondering just how he was going to get his side back in contention as an aging squad struggled to a fifth-place finish, thanks in no small part to a late burst at the end of the season.
It seemed at that point that Liverpool could be in danger of being left behind. City and Newcastle were two of the three teams mentioned by Klopp who could do as they please in the transfer market — who the third was isn’t abundantly clear, although if it wasn’t another Premier League side, there were certainly a few candidates to run them close.
The last thing anyone at Anfield might have expected at that point would have been the Premier League evening out the playing field. Nearly a year and a half later though, Klopp and FSG might have finally got the helping hand they wanted.
Of course, there is plenty of debate as to the league’s motives for suddenly starting to take Financial Fair Play recently. The timing of charges against Everton and Nottingham Forest this season when discussions around an independent regulator abound doesn’t seem to be all that coincidental.
And nor do those charges, and the punishment already doled out to Everton, mean that the elephant in the room that is Man City’s 115 charges is going to be addressed anytime soon. In the grand scheme of things, that is the one verdict that Liverpool fans and supporters across the world are waiting to hear.
But as possibly the quietest January transfer window in recent memory draws to a close, the Premier League’s recent actions do seem to have had an effect. And it’s one that Liverpool would no doubt have liked to have been in effect much sooner.
The lack of spending over the past month can be put largely down to the newly realized fears over the stricter enforcement of Profit and Sustainability regulations. Teams like City, Arsenal and Manchester United that are sailing close to the wind don’t want to rock the boat, especially when the former already finds itself in hot water.
There are no such fears for Liverpool, and yet the Reds still haven’t dipped into the market, even in the midst of a title challenge. But then, why should they?
Liverpool is not only back competing with its rivals at the top of the table, but it is leading them. Some would argue it is therefore the perfect time to bring in a new signing or two, but you’re your closest challengers aren’t in a position to address the holes in their squads, what’s the rush?
By hook or by crook, Liverpool and FSG find themselves in the position they always wanted by not being pressured to keep pace with the likes of City in the transfer market. Klopp now has his solution — it’s just a shame his mind is already made up on leaving the club.
