Liverpool owners FSG prevented the Reds from signing an "incredible" player in the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist James Pearce.
Liverpool transfer updates: Caicedo and Lavia
The Reds started last season as one of the leading Premier League title challengers, but instead, a really poor campaign materialised, seeing them finish fifth in the table in the end. It was clear that numerous new signings were required during the summer, in order to rebuild an ageing squad, and huge surgery was done to the midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all coming in.
Liverpool were also pushing hard to sign both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia from Brighton and Southampton respectively, but in the end it was Chelsea who snapped up the pair, outbidding the Reds and seemingly coming across as a better proposition for both players.
The duo have made a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, however, with the latter not yet playing a single minute of action for his new club due to injury, and it remains to be seen if they made the right decision in not joining the Reds.
FSG prevented Liverpool from signing Lavia
According to The Athletic's Pearce, FSG stopped Lavia to Liverpool happening in the summer, not allowing them to bid more than the Reds' valuation of him:
"It was a challenging summer, with the midfield rebuild proving to be bigger than anyone had anticipated after Jordan Henderson and Fabinho sought lucrative moves to Saudi Arabia.Schmadtke came in for criticism externally in August when Liverpool missed out on the signings of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both joined Chelsea instead.
"That was not the case internally given that Liverpool were late entrants into the race for Caicedo and the fee was agreed with Brighton before the player turned them down. As for the failed Lavia bids, Schmadtke was restricted by the owners’ reluctance to go beyond their valuation of the young Belgium midfielder."
This is an update that could easily cause frustration among Liverpool fans, especially those who accuse FSG of being too frugal, not to mention the fact that Jurgen Klopp is currently lacking an out-and-out defensive midfielder.
Granted, Lavia is still very much a work in progress, considering he is still only 19 years of age, but Pep Guardiola has described the former Liverpool transfer target as "incredible" – the Belgian was at Manchester City before his move to St Mary's Stadium – so it could have been fantastic business in the middle of the park.
In fairness, FSG did still provide Klopp with plenty of funds to build a new midfield, with the new signings look like strong additions, especially Szoboszlai, but that lack of a natural No.6 is still something that looks as though it could hold the Reds back this season.
Endo hasn't yet fully impressed and looks like nothing more than a squad player, while Mac Allister is more at home as a No.8, with a lack of pace and dynamism exposed too often in a deeper position.
