No Guarantees in Liverpool’s Spending Spree: Wirtz, Isak and the Lessons of Minamino and Chiesa

By Davud Muminović

Unpopular Opinion

What do Takumi Minamino and Federico Chiesa have in common?

Both were, if not brilliant, at least decent forwards in their time. Both were versatile players, able to play in multiple positions. Though primarily attacking-minded, they could operate on the left, on the right, sneaking between the opponent’s midfield and defence. They had a feel for passing and could invent assists out of nowhere.

What ties these two together is that both wore the Liverpool shirt. Both arrived at Anfield with modest expectations. Yet even so, fans could not help but have that little “what if” light flicker in the back of their minds.

What if Minamino, who had dazzled against Klopp’s machine just months earlier in a Salzburg jersey, was actually a late bloomer? Some, though only in the solitude of their own rooms, even dared to think: what if Minamino was better than Haaland, his former Salzburg teammate? Maybe Haaland was such a goal machine simply because he received passes not just with vision, but with soul, from the little Japanese playmaker behind him. Maybe Minamino was the real star of the two, only no one had realised it yet.

What if Chiesa, withered and nearly cast out at Juventus, found his 2020 form again, the form that helped Italy win the European Championship? Imagine reigniting the career of a player who was once considered one of Europe’s brightest prospects. That “what if” light shone so brightly that some quietly hoped Chiesa could even challenge the undisputed King of Egypt and Merseyside for a place in the starting eleven.

Liverpool’s What Ifs

Those “what if” lights have since dimmed. Minamino had a respectable career at Liverpool. He scored some lovely and important goals in the cup competitions, but he never came close to breaking into Klopp’s starting eleven, perhaps the best team in the club’s rich history. In the end, sadly, the hopes were misplaced. Minamino is not better than Haaland. Not even close.

Chiesa is still around, but fewer and fewer believe we will see the vibrant young man from 2020 in a red shirt, the one who led Italy to the European throne as their best player. He is charming, clever on the ball, but lacks the strength and stamina needed for the brutal rhythm of the Premier League. A return to Italy seems inevitable.

From Liverpool’s perspective, the most important thing that connects these two players is this: they are both Premier League champions.

Minamino sort of stumbled into the Liverpool machine that racked up 97 points (yes, ninety-seven!), which bizarrely was not enough to win the league, because City had one more. The machine did not stop after that disappointment and with Minamino in the squad they finally won it.

Chiesa was the only reinforcement last season. Yes, Liverpool also added Arne Slot on the bench, but let us be honest: not a single person who follows football thought Slot was an “upgrade” after Klopp.

Spending Big Brings No Certainty

Now we step onto the field of popular knowledge. The loudspeakers of “stating the obvious” toss around phrases like “build from a position of strength.” Even the Captain, Steven Gerrard, talks about “fixing the roof while the sun is shining.” The idea is simple, when you are on top, that is the time to invest, because that is the only way forward.

But football, to the dismay of owners and people who make fortunes from the game, and to the delight of us who live for it, is not a predictable sport.

In 2019/20, Minamino was the only senior signing. He arrived during the winter break for a meagre €8.5 million. Chiesa came last year for even less—€12 million, which, given the runaway inflation in football, is basically pennies.

Which brings us to the current number: €293 million.

That is what Liverpool’s summer spree has cost so far, according to Transfermarkt.

The best player in the Bundesliga, and his teammate, if not the best, then at least the fastest full-back in Germany. On the left side, probably the best full-backs in the Premier League. And in attack, €90 million for a still unproven but promising striker.

But they are not done. If Liverpool also bring in the best striker in the Premier League, which now seems likely, €500 million will not be an unrealistic total.

And what does that mean? The spokespersons for common opinion are already lamenting the “finished” Premier League. Who can stop a team that is already champion, now on financial steroids?

Liverpool fans are gloating: if we won the league without breaking a sweat last season, after being written off, what can possibly stop us now, with €500 million spent?

Football Has No Guarantees

But football is not an exact science.

What if we wake up in a world where we actually miss the crosses and long balls of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?

What if Frimpong is too fast for Salah, and the Egyptian’s numbers drop?

Can Kerkez, as promising as he is, really step into the shoes of arguably the best left-back of the last 30 years?

How much will we miss Díaz, who never fully proved himself but shone brilliantly last season?

Will Salah’s stats suffer because his shots are now shared with the often selfish Ekitike and probably Isak as well?

Wirtz is brilliant, but (can we even say it?) so was Verón, before Sir Ferguson invited him to England.

To paraphrase the most famous Liverpudlians ever:
Money can’t buy you love or titles.

But money does buy you probability. Money increases your chances on dates and on the pitch as well.