What started as a hugely optimistic week in Liverpool’s summer transfer plans has come crashing down in the most embarrassing fashion.
On Monday, Liverpool were hopeful of agreeing a fee for Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian high on the list of priorities to add some extra fire power to Jurgen’s team ahead of a new campaign. With 19 goals this season in all competitions, Salah would bring acceleration and flair to the table – two ideal assets in breaking down packed defences at home.
That was swiftly followed by Tuesday’s news that Virgil Van Dijk had chosen Liverpool over Chelsea and Manchester City as his preferred destination. The Dutchman was reportedly keen to work under Klopp’s guidance as part of the German’s long-term project and the prospect of being the linchpin of the side was clearly one that watered his appetite.
With the transfer window bringing rife hysteria among fans despite it only being June 7th, this was obviously a time of huge relief. Klopp was set to bag his primary defensive target in order to stabilise what has been a rocky and unreliable back four in recent years.
But Liverpool fans never get a happy ending, do they?
Such seems the case here, with the club issuing a formal statement declaring they have now dropped interest in the Dutch international after Southampton reported them for an ‘illegal approach’.
The Saints do have somewhat of a history to their name of threatening legal action, with deals for Callum Chambers, Toby Alderweireld and Nathaniel Clyne all venturing down a similar path. However, this time they seem to have had the ammunition to scare The Reds.
It has been reported that Van Dijk met Klopp in Blackpool to discuss a possible transfer to Merseyside this summer, thereby compromising the Premier League’s rules on tapping up. Consequently, Liverpool have since released a statement apologising to Southampton over a “misunderstanding” regarding their pursuit of the defender.
“Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs.”
“We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk. We respect Southampton’s position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.”
Embarrassing for all involved with the club, serious questions must be asked as to how on earth Liverpool let such leaks end what looked a really promising summer acquisition.
An astronomical fee for Van Dijk aside, Liverpool would have looked a completely different prospect with such an authoritative figurehead at the spine of their defence. Thus, to lose out on such a quality layer represents a hammer blow for the club – not to mention that the whole situation has been handled with such indignity.
What’s more worrying is the amount of times this has happened – an embarrassing apology was given to Fulham over Clint Dempsey back in December 2012 after a similar tapping up complaint, while Liverpool were recently banned from signing academy players and fined £100,000 over their pursuit of a 12-year-old Stoke City player in April.
Enough is enough now. Once a team with a reputation for their impeccable and highly professional business, Liverpool now find themselves looking more and more amateurish by the hour.
That cannot be allowed to continue going forward. Jurgen will demand better, and Jurgen deserves better. Us fans deserve better.
This summer was always going to be a huge one for Liverpool and having got off to such a catastrophic start, the pressure just continues to mount. The club need to come out swinging and get down to business now – preferably without any more embarrassment.
No longer a big club. Bad history of tapping up players! We March on!
Another embarrassment for the once mighty LFC. I had such high hopes that finally we were willing to pay big money for a quality player in Van Dijk. Isnt it more a case of our American owners just weren’t prepared to stump up that type of money for one player when they could buy 3 second rate also rans for the same amount? Roll on yet another season of being the ‘Nearly Men’ Shameful Liverpool, your loyal fans deserve more!!!!
Not sure about Jurgen deserving better – isn’t the issue here that he met with the player when he shouldn’t have done? Seems like he’s the problem in this instance…
Any transfer involving a quality player to Liverpool always seems to be a ball ache due to the crass incompetence and negotiating abilities of our hierarchy. From Konoplyanka to Salah to Virgil.
I suspect that the club just feed these rumours of signing players to the media to pacify the fans, when the real targets this summer are in fact Danny Shittu, Akinfenwa & Demrai Gray.
Actually i am more amazed that the owners still let those responsible for these kind of cock ups time and again still remain at the club, or it is the owners themselves that is responsible for these sorry state of affairs?
How can we be surprised it’s the Liverpool way. I would have been more surprised if we had sealed the deal. Too much info is leaked to the press. It’s simple. Just do the deal how we did with Firminho.
The Club has let the fans down and should really issue an apology to us as well.
Royal mess is what I call it .
Unbelievable!!
Believe it or not, this is a great blessing in disguise to lfc. One which calls for champaign and ….. among genuine lfc fans. If the Virgil deal has gone through, lfc have been in the footballing campaign come 2017/18 season. We would have crashed out of the CL and ended up mid table in the epl and at the end of it all fans would call for a new coach. Just like I have been doing in the past, I posted in many forum advice against interest in Van Dijk to lfc but they did not listen. Just like in Brendan Rogers’ day when I did all I had to in order to stop lfc from signing Mario. (for proof go to lfc facebook page and you’ll see my reason why I adviced against Mario. And it happened as I predicted) please note: I am not advertising myself here rather am interested in helping my team. I am a 21st century numerologist with a database of information that is over 100% perfect. From my source of information, this single signing would have brought serious confusion, and negative feelings to the club and this would affect team performance generally. At this point, we should try and see if we can bring Sala to the club. If you doubt me, here is a curious question. Why injury issues with Dany Inge and Daniel Sturridge?
Read that Michael Edwards is a stats guru…. combing numbers Polar opposites too brokering multi million dollars deals with sharks and competition…this is not exactly CM….. does anyone really know how the deal
Actually Got to this state?
Very good article bar one thing ” jurgen deserves better, jurgen demands better … ” i don’t agree with this mate…. when does the buck stop with Klopp ? what has he achieved seriously ? is he exempt of any criticism ? why is he given a god status for winning zero trophies so far ? why is it supposed that Klopp hasn’t done anything wrong in this latest fiasco ? why Klopp wants to teach and impose discipline to Sakho when he is himself acting above the rules with transfers ? No for me Klopp is responsible as much as the owners for this latest fiasco . and the buck has got to stop with them otherwise this already fallen giant that LFC was will fall even lower sadly
I wish people would use their braincells and think for themselves, instead of being sheep and following along with whatever is being said, unless they actually do agree with the statement. Sooooo you are going on a job interview and the company you are leaving decide to report the company you got interviewed by, to a higher authority, for trying to find out more about you and if you would be willing to accept a position with them…………. for fs grow up… cheap journalism to fill the white space with total bull… the world if full of Van Dijk’s and a lot of them are much cheaper that Southamptons exploitation of the situation.. so good on LFC, don’t be bullied by the sellers.. look for fair deals…
Christopher, What has Klopp achieved …………Seriously? LOL
Ger O’neill what is so funny about what i said ? what has Klopp done since he arrived ? 4th ? 2 finals ? good, are you satisified with this ? Does he deserve God status for this ? for me sorry no. Not saying sack him, just saying he is being given too much of an easy ride for me. He hasn’t won anything yet, zero trophies. Again not saying Klopp should be sacked yet, but he’ll need to deliver very very soon… and i don’t find this funny at all
FSG are not serious as club owners…..i just curse the day they decided to buy and bought LFC
Christopher, do you really watch the team play or is it just your beer days out away from the wife. Or you probably blind. Give the manager his fair share of credit, or go support Mourinho and co