The Merseysiders spent the summer focusing on the rebuilding their midfield, with four new players arriving on Merseyside to the combined total of £145.2m. However, it seems their plans to bring in more reinforcements into their engine room is not yet complete, with six players having left Anfield in that department since last season.
And while the departures to James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and loan flop Arthur Melo were long in the planning, the sudden exits of both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both came out of the blue.
Indeed, Jurgen Klopp and Co will not have gone into the summer window expecting to lose either of those two midfield stalwarts. But when the pair were the subject of big-money offers from Saudi Arabia, Liverpool felt the offers were too good to refuse given the ages of both players and their apparent fading influence.
However, they were far from the only players Liverpool could have moved on to the Gulf State. Al-Ittihad’s efforts to prise Mo Salah away were well documented; their £150m offer ultimately seeing their attempts to sign Liverpool’s Egyptian king come to nothing.
Discussing the Saudi approach and why Alisson was happy to stay, Pearce told The Athletic how Liverpool managed to rebuff the approach.
Pearce wrote: “Alisson was also the subject of serious interest from Saudi, but Liverpool’s owners made it clear no offers would be entertained. Their stance was unequivocal – just as it was over Al Ittihad’s pursuit of Salah.
“The Brazilian goalkeeper is happy and settled at the club. Before the interest from Saudi, he received a considerable pay rise this summer after a clause was triggered in his existing contract which runs until 2027. He’s understood to be the squad’s third-highest earner behind Salah and [Virgil] Van Dijk.
“It proved a smart move, given that Alisson, who has been in outstanding form, felt fully appreciated at a time when eye-watering sums of cash were being offered in an attempt to attract players to the Saudi Pro League.”
Indeed, resisting the approach for Alisson from Saudi was just as important for Klopp as it was in keeping Salah.
The 30-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League and world football, with statistics revealing he outperformed the number of ‘expected goals on target’ against him last season by 10.52 – a figure bettered by just one other Premier League goalkeeper.
The 61-times capped Brazil stopper has been a vastly-influential figure for Klopp since his arrival in an initial £56m deal from Roma back in 2018.
