Much like Brendan Rodgers tried (if sometimes failed) to do, Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool’s transfer business this summer completed early so as to maximise the integration time of the new players.
Liverpool have been active early in in the last few summer windows. In 2014, we acquired Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Emre Can, Rickie Lambert and Lazar Markovic relatively early, and only signed Mario Balotelli towards deadline day as a last minute gamble.
Last summer, we got the James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez and Roberto Firmino deals over the line sharpish – while waited a while to sign Christian Benteke as we were trying to barter Aston Villa down.
For this reason, our business in terms of players in has been done by August really, and we’ve not moved much in the winter window either.
Smith reckons that this summer will be no different, although he hasn’t countered in for Euro 2016 and the disruption that’ll cause to plans.
“One thing I do know is that Klopp is very keen to have his new look squad ready for pre-season, ready for July 1st,” he began.
“That timeframe as opposed to having to wait and bring players in nearer the deadline – which is always harder as they take time to integrate and you don’t necessarily get the time that you do in pre-season to make sure you are building a unit that not only gets on with themselves but also understands how the manager wants to play – and I think he is very aware that any of the restructuring that he does want to do he will want to do before pre-season. He has been given the green light to overall the squad. I don’t think it will be a huge summer of change but certainly there will be significant changes and he has been given the green light to do that, but he wants to get on and do it quickly.”
Already, Liverpool have finalised deals for exciting Serbian teenager Marko Grujic and Cameroonian defender Joel Matip, while there’s heavy suggestions Mario Gotze will arrive as the marquee signing.
Piotr Zielinski is also speaking up a move while German left-back Jonas Hector is as well. It’s quite possible we’ll have five deals over the line before the Euros start on June 10. That would be ideal, and probably the right number of arrivals, as we’ll surely offload a hatful as well.
