Editor’s Column: Lack of Liverpool transfers is worrying

Only Liverpool and Fulham of all 20 Premier League clubs have so far failed to sign a first-team player this summer.

And the Cottagers have just bid £35m for Emile Smith-Rowe, so pretty soon we might be on our own with that one.

On Saturday we play a friendly with Real Betis on the pre-season tour of America, before two more against Arsenal and Manchester United a few days later.

Realistically, there feels like there is now very little chance a new signing will come in, complete his medical and formalities, head to South Carolina and make his non-competitive debut all in the next week.

So if Liverpool are to sign anyone, it’s looking like their only friendly before the campaign kicks off will be on August 11 against Sevilla, six days before the Premier League begins.

Now, there are obviously mitigating factors. Arne Slot has come in to a squad that is still not fully assembled. Liverpool had countless players away with their countries this summer at both the Euros and the Copa America, and the ones who made the latter stages are still not back from their holidays.

Naturally, he needs time to assess his playing staff. He needs to speak with them all; get a sense of whether they have a future under him. There will be players who were regular under Jurgen Klopp who might not fit him so well; as well as ones who couldn’t get minutes who suit Slot better. (Fabio Carvalho? Who knows..)

But on the other hand, it doesn’t require Slot to see his entire squad training for a summer to realise we’re short at centre-back. He doesn’t need to watch Tyler Morton and Stefan Bajcetic in the friendlies to realise we are very short in terms of elite holding midfield options. With Mo Salah almost certainly departing next summer, he knows we need a right-winger at some point, too.

The way Liverpool have handled transfers recently can be frustrating. Last summer we made a £110m bid for Moises Caicedo. It was accepted. Chelsea ended up stealing his signature via one trick or another, but we never went out and spent that money elsewhere.

So, we acknowledged the need for a world-class holding midfielder but haven’t made it happen.

There aren’t many on the market, granted. But there are still a number of good, young defensive midfielders who would bolster us. Manchester United are in talks for Manuel Ugarte, for instance. He’s solid. He’s better than what we have. But Liverpool are seemingly not keen.

Other clubs are moving quickly. Aston Villa have signed eight first-team players, for example. Bournemouth have spent £40m. Brighton around £90m.

It’s now so common for small clubs to outspend us it goes relatively unnoticed.

There was an expectation that when Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes joined forces we’d be acquiring fast, clever signings almost immediately. This hasn’t happened and it’s by no means a disaster, but it does potentially make the beginning of the season a little harder – especially for Slot.

In an ideal world, Liverpool would sign a centre-back, a no.6 and an attacker, while selling a number of players who simply won’t play minutes.

The clock is ticking.

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