Your Transfer Rumour is Accurate: Signing Sancho Would Be ‘Difficult’

Despite taking point in ill-advised attempts at establishing a European Super League recently and what that might indicate, FSG have learned much about football in the decade since they bought Liverpool. Where their early decision-making appeared typified by narrow and shortsighted thinking, they have at this point built one of the most sustainable organisations in football.

As the Reds squad ages, plans will certainly have been in the works to revamp the team, turning over older players before their value plummets, trusting long-term projections about market value and development. For those kinds of long-term planners, without the requisite wealth to simply shrug off the financial impact of a global pandemic, the past year has thrown a sturdy wrench in the gears of the operation.

Melissa Reddy confirmed as much today, as she claimed plans were in the works to sign generational talent in the near future prior to the emergence of Covid-19, but that those plans had naturally taken a hit.

“[They] acted cautiously in the transfer market to create reserves should a generational talent or a real difference-maker be available at the right time for the right price,” Reddy explained.

“[Sancho] is an unlikely deal because of the financial situation as a result of Covid,” she added, expounding on the idea of selling one of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah. “It’s not a buyer’s market.”

“Real Madrid and Barcelona, usually targets of such top talent, are deep in debt. Liverpool have more pressing priorities to improve their squad, such as in defence, so it would be difficult to picture Sancho at Anfield.”

None of this is particularly revelatory to fans who have been paying attention, of course, but getting confirmation from a relatively reliable club-connected journalist is always useful to bolster established notions. The mention of defensive priorities also further entrenches the idea that Ibrahima Konaté or a similar player is likely to find his way to Anfield this summer.

For the Reds to make any major moves beyond that, in what looks certain to be a far less explosive summer transfer window than is usually the case, the dominoes will have to begin falling somewhere else first.