It wasn’t just incomings that Liverpool were focused on this summer and one Reds star has now revealed he had the chance to leave the club.
Liverpool's transformative summer defined by clever selling
Liverpool have been accused of standing still when crowned Premier League champions in the past, almost settling for what they had earned. This time, such accusations would be incredibly far-fetched. Sat atop their throne after becoming champions last season, the Reds have enjoyed a transformative summer — spending over £400m and ruthlessly selling a number of stars to fund it.
In came Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz , Giovanni Leoni and Jeremie Frimpong, and out went Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez , plus more. It was about as ruthless as it gets from Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, who have created a side capable of enjoying an era of dominance at Anfield, keeping Liverpool second in the net spend pile despite breaking the British transfer record twice.
A lot has been made of Liverpool’s spending and why they’ve suddenly spent more than ever, but one look at their summer sales will provide an emphatic answer. They’re one of the smartest clubs in European football and that was on show for all to see in the summer window.
The Reds didn’t just sell for any offer that came in, either. They were tactical. The likes of Nunez and Diaz were seen as players that should be moved on, but only for the right price, with the club even happy to let Diaz run his contract down rather than sell too soon for too little. Hughes and Edwards simply waited for that price to come before cashing in.
What Diaz’s move allowed them to do was also keep hold of another star, who has now spoken about interest from Bayern Munich.
Gakpo admits Bayern interest was "difficult"
Whilst it was Diaz that moved on in the end, the story could have been very different. Cody Gakpo has admitted that Bayern Munich “did come” in for his signature, but he chose to stay put at Liverpool in a “difficult” saga.
It’s a decision that would have been a relief to Arne Slot too, given just how emphatically the Dutchman has started the current campaign.
“From what I understand, they did come, but they ended up buying Luis Diaz. A transfer window like this can be hectic and stressful for a player and everyone around them. I don’t have that problem anymore.
“It’s difficult, because so much is happening. Other clubs are coming at you, but you might want to stay with your own club. Everyone deals with that in their own way, but it’s definitely difficult. If the future is uncertain, it just becomes a very difficult story.”
For all of Liverpool’s standout business, keeping hold of Gakpo will prove to be of underrated importance, with the Netherlands star signing a new contract that will keep him in red until 2030.
The winger has scored once and assisted twice in just four Premier League games this season and will be looking to keep hold of his place following the arrival of Isak on deadline day.
