In many ways, Jurgen Klopp’s main task at Liverpool has been putting right what Brendan Rodgers got so wrong.
The German boss has mainly been charged with changing the Reds’ system and injecting new belief into the squad, but it has now been revealed he’s also had to rectify one of Rodgers’ biggest mistakes in the transfer window.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Rodgers rejected the chance to sign Sadio Mane during his time in the Anfield hot seat.
That was when Mane was with Red Bull Salzburg and would have cost considerably less than the £30million+ the Reds have now had to fork out for him.
Rodgers, now with Celtic, has happily watched on as Liverpool engaged in a lengthy transfer saga trying to ply Mane away from Southampton, with a deal finally completed earlier this week.
Liverpool fans have had a pretty unhappy summer so far, aiming their fury at the club’s hierarchy, or whoever it is that is actually responsible for consistently identifying some pretty underwhelming targets.
Mane is not really a £30million player, but now that it has emerged they could have got him on the cheap a couple of years ago, Reds fans will be even more disappointed at the club’s perceived lack of vision.
The reality, perhaps, is that unless Klopp can get Liverpool back near the top of the table, they are simply not capable of attracting the top, top players, many of whom have chosen to go elsewhere.
Somehow, they will need to rectify that situation first and then the transfers will follow – but they seriously need to reconsider their recruitment policy regardless.
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