15 Aug 2026 11:05:24
Forever the optimist, I believe the following will happen.
1. Barcola and Mdaye will be a double transfer announced at the same time.
2. I think Gakpo will go with non mentioned player coming in not necessarily like for like.
3. I expect us to start slow but stay with the pack then when the players start filtering back in fully fit and with a Amazon packed Jan transfer window we will start to see the team as the real deal and I can see us really kicking on.
4. I expect VVD to have a cracking season and roll back the years. Bringing the youngsters with him.
They you go manifest that people.
{Ed025's Note - Jackanory, Jackanory.. :)
15 Aug 2026 11:37:58
Dean, you do realise they can't just put their own money into the club for transfers, the only way the investment will benefit Liverpool is possible better commercial deals in the future.
15 Aug 2026 11:42:30
I do, Jota. And I can see that happening in bucket loads of commercial opportunities.
15 Aug 2026 11:50:44
Something tells me the Standard Chartered deal won't be getting renewed.
15 Aug 2026 12:01:05
Would be cool if the new shirt sponsor was just a big photo of Jeff Bezos' shiny head and face.
15 Aug 2026 12:01:35
Do like City did with Emirates, we get Amazon to sponsor us for £500 million for 4 years as naming rights and our commercial values have increased straight away.
15 Aug 2026 12:02:21
Yeah, Florian, same feeling too. Amazon Prime with their logo???
15 Aug 2026 12:05:38
After this season we go to the new FFP rules or whatever you want to call them with more wiggle room for owners to invest their money.
I see a chance there might be more stadium upgrades with more money available.
I don't think them coming in will be as easily swayed by fans and local residents, and the SKD stand getting a main stand upgrade.
If they add another 10k on there, like the main stand upgrade, I bet 80% of the tickets go to people travelling into the city, and the council will only see that as a good thing long term for extra money coming into the city.
{Ed001's Note - they can't add 10k without building new infrastructure for fans to get there. That is a massive project.
15 Aug 2026 12:11:03
I think we'll start top 5 thanks to Isak and Wirtz clicking, but still struggle with conceding goals as our two fullbacks are very attack minded, we lack a top CDM and we don't have a settled CB pairing.
About halfway through the season the team press will really start to click under AI which will help the defence, Jacquet/Leoni will have settled in, Ekitike will be coming back, Rio and Barcola will be tearing up the wings and we'll push on to challenge top 3 with an outside chance of a run at the PL or a deep run in CL.
Personally, I'd be happy with a cup, a top 3 finish and a run to the semis in the CL.
15 Aug 2026 12:27:42
Yes, that's right. And we end up with Kvaratskhelia on the left, Mbappe in the middle and Olise on the right. ???
15 Aug 2026 12:50:00
Ed001 - regarding infrastructure would the council/government aid with this as the area would benefit from regeneration?
{Ed001's Note - they would be the ones who do it.
15 Aug 2026 13:41:09
The only real change I would like to see is the unwillingness to go into seasons short in one or two crucial positions. Other than that, no real complaints about how we operate.
In an ideal world there would be money to expand the stadium and upgrade the local infrastructure. Not impossible, but certainly not easy.
At least we know steel supply wouldn't be an issue. Lol.
Beyond that, a second club might come back on the agenda at some point. The only real reason to pursue this is because the gap between U21 and the first team is massive and the loan system doesn't really work that well. Good loans are like hen's teeth these days.
15 Aug 2026 13:41:40
I don't know much about infrastructure etc, but I know the area, and a train line runs close to Anfield.
I genuinely think it's an easy solution, albeit an expensive one, but upgrading the area with easier links to the city centre will only benefit Liverpool as a City, and its main football team.
15 Aug 2026 13:53:25
Tris, you're saying the council/government would need to do it.
Have there ever been discussions about attempting to do it?
Surely it could only be good for the city, jobs, infrastructure, etc?
And, if big if it was agreed, how big do you think we could go with seat-wise? Kop End and the Kenny, and extra 10/15k onto what's there, possibly?
{Ed001's Note - they have been in discussions for years. Unfortunately councils move very very slowly. The aim is to build the biggest stadium in the Prem. It will have to be done in stages so most likely an extra ten thousand at a time. A rail link would be a huge step and probably the easiest to achieve.
15 Aug 2026 14:23:02
We added 15 thousand roughly, didn't we, with Annie and Main Stand revamps? So you would think, if we did something with the Sir Kenny and Kop stands, we could go to 75k, maybe nearer 80k if they wanted the Kop stand to be slightly bigger than the rest?
15 Aug 2026 14:33:19
I like part 1 and 2, so long as Gakpo's being replaced by a decent striker, but the part about the January window is nonsense, it's way too soon for the new shareholders to have any influence over that sort of thing; there first needs to be major investment into revenue-generating infrastructure.
Grino75, how do the new rules allow more wiggle room for investment? Whilst the new rules will allow for increased transfer budgets and operating more freely at a loss, the amount of cash owners can directly inject has been reduced by nearly 60%, and they're tightening rules on all the loopholes.
15 Aug 2026 15:12:10
They need to clear the season ticket list and fabuck the outside revenue! All me mates have been on for 25 odd years now, all married with kids, and the spark is sizzling out. Priorities first, and then dedicated seating areas every home game for local kids, the very local ones who gave the club its identity.
15 Aug 2026 15:15:36
The new investment will push us to be the most marketable team in the USA. Will lead to influx of interest and cash.
Honestly? It's nice to get new shiny players but I couldn't give a toss about what it means for the club as a business.
I want my club back, I want football back, the fact we discuss owners etc is insane. I'd kill for a German system.
15 Aug 2026 15:22:42
Local politics kills many a sporting ambition.
I doubt we're going to be able to significantly increase capacity.
15 Aug 2026 14:06:36
Could the club go to the council and offer to pay a portion/all of the costs towards the job ed? what kind of money would we be talking about? millions? tens of millions?
{Ed001's Note - yes, but you would be talking hundreds of millions I would think. The whole road system would need to be redone, which would be difficult unless they buy the land surrounding the stadium. I am told it also requires a rail link to go much higher, which is expensive.}
15 Aug 2026 14:37:42
Ed001 Mersey rail have some government funding and there has been talks about a couple of locations to open up old stations.
Think the kop would be the hardest with the A road behind it but if you are going to try it with this government in best chance.
15 Aug 2026 16:03:04
Surely even hundreds of millions would be better than £1-2bn? And would allow us to stay at Anfield. For me that's massive.
15 Aug 2026 17:07:29
I'm involved in construction for my entire life. I know the Anfield and Liverpool City area. Building anything at this moment in time has never been as expensive. That fact, plus the huge shortage of skilled labour/management, will easily bring any complex urban infrastructure project upwards of half a billion minimum.
We built a bloody children's hospital in Dublin, and it's now over 2 years behind handover and costing over 2 billion euros. Not cheap by any means.
15 Aug 2026 17:11:44
Love the optimism, Dean! I'd ride on that train.
Would love for Gakpo to stay until January and we get Rayan as replacement. Young, well build, pacey, direct and can play ST (better stature compared to Munoz, Barcola or Mbaye).
Love the look of Sadiki after many mentioned him especially Ed001. Maybe he would be a better fit compared to Camara. Wharton is good, don't get me wrong but I agree with many posters and members here, we desperately need a proper 6. If we sell Macca, Wharton can replace him but Sadiki, he screams the 6 we have been missing and comes with PL experience too.
If not, why don't VVD play the DM position and let Jacquet and Araujo play CB. VVD can drop in between them to make a 325 when on the ball further up the pitch.
Not too bothered with a new RB as long as we play AI style of football, counterpressing and aggressive in opposition half, Frimpong has the speed to cover transitions and counterattacks. Just to shadow and delay while everyone comes down to defend as a unit. Jacquet and Araujo can cover too.
15 Aug 2026 17:24:45
Shanklys ghost, do u want to tell posters on here how much the bike shed cost in Dublin?!
15 Aug 2026 17:42:46
The bike shed!!!! Some project!!!. ????? I'll let you disclose the costs of that one, Digger!!!. ??????
15 Aug 2026 20:04:44
The Kop End would need to take up the road and face the church and land, and apparently that's a no go. A tram idea was mentioned apparently a few times, but not sure if that can happen or not.
The Kenny Stand, the 2 streets behind, won't sell up even with years of pressuring and other annoyances.
Other talks of the docks are still ongoing apparently. Now, with the WEF bunch part of LFC, you never know how this will go, Anfield upgrades or a new ground that could be part of the mega new docking structure Merseyside will be pushing for 2030.
16 Aug 2026 08:23:16
There's some kick back about the consortium investment of £1.3bn, which values the club at about 4bn. Truth is, we're now such a valuable club, only a limited number of non-state groups could afford to own us, and FSG won't hold our investment forever.
I don't know how tax works in the US and how they'll exit without incurring a huge tax penalty, but the likelihood is the new consortium will probably up their stake and be the outright owner in the next five years.
If they can kick us on to another level and help get the stadium up to 80k capacity, that side of things would be welcomed. If they can also help regenerate parts of the city in the process, even better.
The city council needs to pull their finger out and start helping move the vision forward, the improvements in the north end of the city have been way too slow, and the presence of a truly global business based there should have been a catalyst a long time ago.
16 Aug 2026 09:20:55
I won't Shankly as they will think I'm a troll!
16 Aug 2026 09:44:32
@ShaklysGhost, the children's hospital debacle was mostly because of corruption and back handers. Way too many pigs in the trough.
But to be fair, most likely it will be no different for this. Liverpool council will only care what they can get out of it for themselves, and not what's best for the city, sadly.