Rodgers Insists Liverpool Are Looking to Buy, Not Sell

Following the events of the summer transfer window, which kicked off with Ian Ayre claiming Liverpool had the resources to compete with anybody in football and ended with two senior strikers on the squad, fans have wondered whether Fenway Sports Group is in fact willing and able to live up to the promises of the club's managing director.

Taking outgoings and wage savings into account, so far the club has seen a net spend of roughly £30M on the playing staff beyond what the owners inherited. Across four transfer windows, that's hardly the outlay of a club eager to return to the top ranks of English and European football. And it's hardly the kind of outlay David Moores felt Liverpool needed to be able to compete with the top sides in the Premier League and that motivated him to sell the club in 2007.

However, despite that the recent history of the club's transfer dealings providing ample cause for doubt, Brendan Rodgers is certain when January rolls around FSG will be both willing and able to spend what it takes to strengthen a dangerously thin squad and give Liverpool a legitimate chance of competing for the top four in England once again.

"We'll have funds," said the manager at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's tie against Newcastle United. "I'm in talks with the owners at the moment along with our recruitment team. We know we need to reinforce the group, so that's something that is ongoing."

Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that Liverpool is desperately seeking striker reinforcements in January, though given the club's obvious shortcomings in attack it hardly takes a genius or inside information to expect Rodgers will want to bring a forward or two in. More interesting are suggestions that the club could look to offload Jordan Henderson to raise funds for such a purchase.

If true, it would lend credence to the rumours that Rodgers attempted to offer Henderson to Fulham near the end of the summer window as a make-weight for the ageing Clint Dempsey. But at the same time it would hardly do anything to counter growing concerns that Liverpool's owners don't have the resources to buy without selling first. Rodgers, though, suggested this isn't the case:

"The priority is to get players into the building. Our squad is very small, very thin on the ground, and the players have performed admirably up until now. They have been terrific in their mentality considering the games they've been playing.

"At this moment in time, it really is about reinforcing the group rather than looking too much at people going the other way."

If true, Liverpool fans might have an exciting January window to look forward to. Though after the way the summer and last January's transfer windows went, many will be waiting to see tangible results before allowing themselves to get carried away by excitement and speculation.