With James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all out of contract and scheduled to leave at the end of last season, Liverpool moved vigorously in the transfer market this summer to replace a generation of midfielders.
England midfielder Mason Mount, whose contract extension talks with Chelsea had stalled, was one of the candidates and was reportedly a top target at one point. Some reports said that he is demanding £80 million despite the fact that the player has one year remaining on his contract.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool were not swayed by such unstable information and were not prepared to pay more than £40 million for the transfer. Even if the Englishman’s special price is added on, it is a reasonable valuation for a player who will be available on a free next year.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who had his heart set on leaving the London club and also because he plays in the Champions League, was transferred to Manchester United for around £60 million and had agreed to a long-term contract until 2028.
Liverpool was also hit by the unexpected departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, but they successfully renewed their midfield with four midfielders, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch.
While the Japanese and Dutch internationals, which have been reinforced since the start of the season, have yet to show their capabilities, the Argentine and Hungarian internationals have already established themselves as regulars and are putting in impressive performances in every game.
Mount as well as Jude Bellingham and others missed out, but their successes have made that a thing of the past. After the first few games of the domestic league, the aggressiveness of the midfield has returned, and even in games where they conceded first, they have the strength to turn the tables instead of cheating and conceding goals.
It is only a result of this, but it was the right decision for Liverpool not to sign the former Chelsea midfielder, who has been out injured since the second round of the competition.