Over the years, Liverpool has used data, relegated players, and Red Bull starlets to gain an advantage in the transfer market, and a new trend may be on the horizon.
When Jürgen Klopp took over as manager of Liverpool in 2015, the Reds had a number of advantages in the transfer market. As sporting director Michael Edwards oversaw the club’s recruitment, many decisions regarding players were made in order to advance.
Data, for example, was a relatively new concept at the time. Following their takeover of the Merseyside club in 2010, Fenway Sports Group fostered an evidence-based culture, allowing Liverpool to become data pioneers while stealing a march on their Premier League rivals.
Mohamed Salah is perhaps the best example of a player who was targeted by the Reds due to his ability to shine in the numbers, posting impressive returns for AS Roma before being (re)signed by the club. Andy Robertson is another player who has caught the eye of the data, as have Naby Keta, Roberto Firmino, and Alisson Becker, to name a few.
Over the years, Liverpool has repeatedly consulted the numbers, with that scientific approach allowing the Reds to make very few mistakes in the market. Edwards also used relegated players to gain an advantage, signing players like Robertson, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Gini Wijnaldum after they were demoted to the division below.
Those players’ prices dropped after moving to the Championship rather than the Premier League, and Liverpool subsequently brought them to Merseyside. Each time, Klopp integrated his new players into his squad before integrating them into his team, with Robertson and Wijnaldum in particular going down in history as key figures who won it all.
Liverpool has also used the cheat code of chasing players from the Red Bull network on several occasions. In Europe, the energy drink company has Salzburg and Leipzig under its wing, with both teams expected to showcase an intense and offensive brand of football in order to represent the famous drink’s core values.
The typical Red Bull player is proactive, youthful, physical, and direct. Klopp is also known for wanting those qualities on the field, which is why he has wanted to bring several of them to Anfield over the years.
Keïta, Ibrahima Konaté, Sadio Mané, Takumi Minamino and Dominik Szoboszlai all played in Salzburg, Leipzig or both at one stage or another before moving to Liverpool. Overall, the Reds have explored plenty of secrets to deliver in the market for Klopp, with a new trend emerging of late.
Not long ago, a job opening emerged from within Liverpool’s infamous data science department. The club wished to add a scientist to its ranks who would focus on academy matches, with the Reds hoping to target wonderkids from the Premier League 2 in particular.
Brexit has impacted the landscape of the transfer world in England, with more and more clubs dedicating attention to homegrown prospects with bags of potential. Harvey Elliott is a perfect example, having joined Liverpool as a teenager from Fulham in 2019 before evolving and becoming a first-team regular.
Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold are two more. Those two players have been integral to Klopp’s outfit over the past 12 months in particular, with the duo originating from inside the club’s own academy, allowing Liverpool to avoid the impact of any potential transfer fee by nurturing them from a young age.
Just a few days ago, a youngster by the name of Trey Nyoni was awarded with a place on the bench for the Reds against Brentford. He didn’t feature in the bout, but still just 16 years old, he is one to watch as a player who was poached by the club from Leicester City in September.
He’s since made a real impression behind the scenes and looks destined for big things. Liverpool is also getting linked with Leeds United’s Archie Gray right now, with the 17-year-old making his professional debut on the opening day of the campaign for the Whites this term. The fact that the Reds are being quoted $50m (£40m/€46m) — per the Mail —shows that this recruitment avenue is far from a hidden gem, but the club might still feel it is worth it.
It is drifting under the radar, but Liverpool seems to be in the process of navigating a subtle scouting shift. Quietly, there appears to be more of an emphasis being placed on youth and homegrown starlets who are already competing in England, but not quite at the top —at least not yet.
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