Liverpool set to spend £180m on only three players and their fans can’t cope

This is a game-changing summer for Liverpool Football Club.

JOE

Liverpool set to spend £180m on only three players and their fans can’t cope

What the hell is happening at Anfield?

For so long their fans have half dismayed and half almost bragged about their lack of spending in the transfer market. Not being able to compete for top end players with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United was both a cause of major consternation and something of a justification for a lack of silverware when compared to their far more cash rich rivals.

But that’s all set to change this summer as Liverpool’s owners have clearly told manager Jurgen Klopp to go all out there and spend, spend, spend ahead of a new season that will involve both Premier League and Champions League challenges. The Merseyside club’s previous record transfer was a relatively paltry £35m for Andy Carroll, but this summer has already overshadowed that expenditure.

They’ve already forked out just under £40m for Egyptian speedster Mohamed Salah, and now Klopp is ready to bid in the region of £70m each on two further recruits in coming weeks. We know that the German is keen to go back in for Virgil van Dijk and test Southampton’s angry resolve with a record bid, but that could be matched with another record transfer.

It is an open secret that Liverpool have been pursuing RB Leipzig’s Naby Keïta for some time now. The 22-year-old Guinea international has been compared to Michael Essien at his peak and would add a dynamic box-to-box presence in the Anfield engine room. But thus far the Bundesliga outfit have refused to play ball – despite the player wanting to leave.

In order to put off potential suitors, they slapped a £70m price on the midfielder’s head and thought that was that. But Paul Joyce reports in The Times that Liverpool are not put off by that astronomical demand are ready to pay in full. That a respected journalist has gone so big on the story has got the Anfield faithful extremely excited…and well as rather confused about the sudden unprecedented spending spree.

.@ManuelVeth's reaction when Liverpool call RBL's bluff and bid £70m for Keita pic.twitter.com/AMheRosLO1

— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) June 29, 2017

£70m Keita & £70m Dijk. Clichy on a free. Sell Moreno Markovic Sakho. Approx £100m net spend only. Boss summer. Cheers @PeterMooreLFC

— Andy G (@6times2019__) June 25, 2017