Liverpool Banter 2

26 Aug 2026 13:59:38
Ed1, can you try and explain our transfer strategy? Because I genuinely don't get it.

We look so unprofessional and scatterbrained, seemingly jumping from winger to winger with no coherent plan. How is it possible that a club of our level has come to this when we knew Salah was leaving nearly a year ago?

£50 million for a 28/29-year-old Sarr as our winger option? Why didn't we just pay that, or slightly more, for Mbaye and actually stick to that target? Unfortunately, prices are above market value this summer, so if you identify a player as your genuine target, then within reason, just pay the price and get the deal done.

The club seems very strange at the moment. The priorities are all over the shop and the planning seems non-existent. We, and seemingly everyone else, can see that we need a defensive midfielder, but the club can't? It's like being on the brink of losing your home, suddenly coming into money and, instead of making sure you have a roof over your head, deciding to spend it on a luxury holiday and a new car.

As for Barcola and the other wingers, yes, we need them. But at this point, the delays over Barcola, whether they're down to the club or whoever else, have made the potential signing almost anticlimactic. Hughes couldn't be any more incompetent if he tried. Barcola should have been done and dusted within the first few weeks of the window.

We scrimp and scrape over deals with seemingly no consideration for getting players in for pre-season, integrating them with the team and giving them time to understand the manager's philosophy. The icing on the cake of this chaotic window was bidding twice for an injured Minteh who can't play for another two months at a minimum.

For those saying they're worried about Bezos and co., I'll say this, I'm not. They cannot be worse than what we're seeing right now. Bhatia's first job should be to appoint a competent sporting director.

One final thing I'll add. Why would you keep an outgoing sporting director in Hughes to complete the transfers for a new manager? If he's already leaving and has performed this poorly, I see absolutely no upside in doing so.

This has been one of the worst transfer windows I've seen from us in recent times, unless we somehow pull off a crazy end to the remainder of the window.

{Ed001's Note - I wish I could explain but it just seems Hughes is even more inept then I realised.

26 Aug 2026 16:25:57
Liverpool have been poor operators in the transfer market for a long, long time - pretty much since the 1980s. Aside from 2018 (which, even then, we didn't get everything we wanted), we never have entirely successful transfer windows. Whether taking too long to complete deals, not going after players we should, overpaying, pricing out players from moves, or not even having a plan to get the players we need, Liverpool are just so bad when it comes to transfer dealings.

At a £5bn valuation, Liverpool should be targeting the best people possible for sourcing players, yet we have Richard Hughes, who, at least from my perspective, seems to be buying the highest priced players he can almost as a CV polisher (signed 900m worth of players in 2 years etc).

26 Aug 2026 16:08:10
Why do so many give the club credit, they were inept for many years under Klopp and for some reason we always have to grift for deals. There's been three or four big surprises over the years which nobody anticipated, but on the whole we're always shoddy when it comes to deals.

We draw things out and we've rarely gone into a new season fully prepared. Hughes is a buffoon but so are the people who employ him. There's too many do gooders who give the club credit.

26 Aug 2026 16:28:49
It's not just Hughes though. It is the people above him too. If they cannot see that there is a headless chicken throwing their money around with little thought or planning, then I am at a loss for words.

No board can be that blinkered. Surely?

26 Aug 2026 14:45:50
Maybe Hughes can try the Barcelona approach with PSG: “We’d really like them to accept our offer.” - what a fabulous negotiation tactic. They really are spoilt bullies.

It’s not often I side with Atletico but I hope they stand their ground over Alvarez.

26 Aug 2026 14:32:56
Sorry, but signing Sarr smacks of desperation and makes us a laughing stock.

I would genuinely rather give Munoz and Koumas game time out right and wait for a new DOF to come in who knows what he is doing.

This is just pathetic now, hopping round, scraping the barrel for anyone we can get.

26 Aug 2026 15:48:24
Do try to be kind, BeKInd ;-).

26 Aug 2026 15:48:46
What signing now would not smack of desperation?

26 Aug 2026 16:00:02
I wouldn't mind Sarr.
I haven't seen a lot of him though. If he comes, let's see what he can do.
Maybe he's a player to fit a system rather than build a system around.

26 Aug 2026 16:07:38
Exactly, JLC. Knowing we need a RW since 5 months. Having a window to buy since 3 months. And now a few days left, to go door to door and see who'll sell us one, out of the kindness of their heart.

26 Aug 2026 16:29:46
Whatever happened to the knockers?

26 Aug 2026 13:53:01
If Andoni thinks Sarr will fit into his plans, then let's trust him. Personally, I would prefer we signed a fit player than an injured one. Just because he is a bit older and not seen as a glamour player, people are hating on him.



We need depth, so it's good to make sure we get some decent players in just in case we don't get our 1st choice.

26 Aug 2026 14:40:33
23 G/A last season is not to be sniffed at, although 9 were in the Conference League; at least we know he can do it in Europe, to some level. At the same time, one or more of our own, Vic/Fields etc, said to expect a lot of names to get aimlessly thrown around in the final days of the window, so I'm buying into nothing until I hear they're undergoing the medical.

26 Aug 2026 14:42:11
I have my doubts that Iraola wants Sarr. It just looks like a bit of desperation, scrambling from one club to another, trying to find one that fits the price we are willing to pay right now. Just get Mbaye. He has the highest ceiling. If we do sign Sarr, I'm hoping it's to play as a backup striker and not as a right winger.

26 Aug 2026 14:50:30
Romano saying rejected so Next.

26 Aug 2026 15:29:05
Andoni has made two signings for LFC, Munoz and Arajuo, and, though only early days, they seem to be solid players for the PL. He's already got the message: you don't buy wimps for this league.

If he wants Sarr, you have to back him? (FSG take note.) He looks solid and robust enough as a squad back-up (for Elliot, Chiesa, Jones gone, etc.). Long term/ regular starter is the quality there though?

As his completed passes stats for the last three seasons are 77,71,70 per cent, that suggests he has sloppiness in his passing game, so would fit in ideally with the current sloppy passing in all departments of the team.

Sloppiness (careless work) will cost you dearly if you do not learn the error of repeatedly doing sloppy passes, long or short. You treat the ball as your friend, not an enemy. Be kind to it, and it will be kind to you!

26 Aug 2026 15:33:01
Hello MegAlanna,

"Next" is where we will be shopping shortly?

26 Aug 2026 13:45:31
Ian Graham would love the Sarr signing!

26 Aug 2026 14:48:32
Why, Faith?

26 Aug 2026 15:13:03
Palace dismissed our approach out of hand, only available for a massive fee. Where to now, I wonder?

{Ed0666's Note - Bern and clyne

26 Aug 2026 15:29:51
Nostalgic reasons.

26 Aug 2026 13:43:23
Disgraceful window.
Wish someone would say save the money and wait until there's a new sporting director in.

26 Aug 2026 14:21:13
To be fair, Ron, every 30 minutes since the window opened you've said we should buy a DM.

26 Aug 2026 14:30:01
Palace have rejected the bid.


Groundhog Day.

26 Aug 2026 15:51:36
What kind of knobhead goes into the last week of the window negotiating in desperation with Palace. Absolute shambles.

26 Aug 2026 10:38:30
Ed0666 welcome back to the fold brother 🫡

{Ed0666's Note - thanks Bazza. How’s tricks?

26 Aug 2026 14:59:22
All good here, my friend. 👍 Brilliant to have your input on the site again.

{Ed0666's Note - Thanks Bazza. Love you

26 Aug 2026 14:12:52
Ed666. If you're the Liverpool Ed I'm thinking of, then I remember you be sound as a pound. Welcome back mate.

{Ed0666's Note - thanks mate I’ll take that.

26 Aug 2026 13:15:26
LFC bid 50 million for Ismailla Sarr. The heights of desperation to sign a winger is crazy. From Diomande we have to come to making peace with Ismailla Sarr. The window is just getting worse.

26 Aug 2026 13:24:29
If they do Sarr and Barcola I see no issue with it at all personally.

{Ed0666's Note - I thought Sarr had gone to Turkey? Obviously not.

26 Aug 2026 13:26:33
They have a list, you know. Salah was about 3rd choice, I believe. Klopp wanted Brandt. Sarr would be a good addition at a reasonable price.

26 Aug 2026 13:33:50
Sarr is more like a support striker for Palace, always in the box. Seems more like someone that would play instead of Isak for rotation purposes - and less of that out and out winger like Minteh.

But he will have no sell on value, and for me 50 is too high. I'd rather do 80 for Minteh who's around 22.

26 Aug 2026 13:36:53
Sarr scored 21 goals in all competitions last season. Right now he is a better player than Diomande. The downside is, Sarr is unlikely to improve. He's most likely already at his peak. If he is around the £50m mark that's a snip in this market. Savinho just cost £85m and he's scored 7 goals in 2 years.

26 Aug 2026 13:37:46
Sarr is PL ready and a neat stop gap. I suspect we'll try again for Minteh in January or next summer.

26 Aug 2026 13:43:05
At least we wouldn't have to worry about him scoring against us again 4G / 1A in 7 appearances. 😭😭

26 Aug 2026 13:45:08
It must be 01:45 somewhere. 🫣

26 Aug 2026 13:45:14
Yeah, we definitely need more stop gaps.

26 Aug 2026 13:51:24
He's injured and not training.

Sounds perfect. 👍

26 Aug 2026 13:56:14
Mk, you said earlier, mate, that Spurs had ruined this transfer market with their fees and now you're using them as the guideline.

However, I do agree with you, 50 mill is decent for a PL proven winger in the current market.

Problem is the club have dealt with this window like amateurs.

Telling PSG they won't up their bid and then confirming a consortium with the world's 4th richest man has bought into the club would have had them licking their lips.



Now Brighton are demanding an excessive fee for Mintah and the club have already shown their hand to Palace by demonstrating they are willing to go to 60 mill for a right winger.

26 Aug 2026 13:58:19
Faithinworks, you ceacked me ribs. Thanks, as that's the first real laugh I have had today. Cheers. 🤣

26 Aug 2026 14:04:08
Salah wasn't 3rd choice. We were chasing him for much longer than people think. Klopp himself rubbished the Julian Brandt claims.

26 Aug 2026 14:15:51
JK23, I'm not using them as the guideline, I'm just quantifying £50m in this market. Whether we like it or not, the market has blown up this summer. £100m seems to be the new £35m.

26 Aug 2026 14:53:23
He really isn't a winger anymore. He profiles as a striker.

26 Aug 2026 14:54:46
MK, I said I agreed with you on that.

26 Aug 2026 15:07:13
Been turned down, offer neglected,
Not even our player yet,
And folk are worried about sell on value, or lack of.
Don't our players leave on 'free's'?

26 Aug 2026 15:39:28
Salah wasn't injured and pushing 29.

26 Aug 2026 13:15:09
Moving on to 28yr old Ismaila Sarr now?

Looks like we're just thrashing about hoping to land somewhere.

26 Aug 2026 13:43:30
What's the alternative for you?