It’s the most vital transfer period in Liverpool’s recent history. If they are to ‘win’ the summer window, they should perhaps take heed of the works of the late, great John Nash…
Nash was a giant of mathematics and sadly passed away at the weekend. His work on game theory and governing dynamics flew in the face of conventional wisdom and changed economic thinking forever. So let’s celebrate his genius by dumbing his life’s work down to transfers.
Liverpool are in desperate need of quality recruits if they are to have any chance of usurping the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs next season. Sadly, each of these rivals can offer prospective targets much more in terms of money and the lure of the Champions League.
It means Liverpool have to be incredibly smart about their transfer business. They cannot focus on the highest calibre solutions for their needs; these will also be the optimum options of others. Instead the Anfield club must direct all their efforts and resources on securing the best of the rest.
It’s very much like the bar scene from A Beautiful Mind, the 2002 biopic of John Nash’s life starring Russell Crowe. In the scene, Nash and four pals are faced with the prospect of chatting up a group of girls. They all fancy the blonde, yet would be more than happy to cop off with her brunette friends.
One of Nash’s mates suggests they apply Adam Smith’s dictum “in competition, individual ambition serves the common good”, in pursuit of the blonde. Nash contests this and claims the key to success is not cock-blocking each other, but instead focusing on the surer bets.
As simplistic and assumptive as the movie conceit may be, it can be mapped on to Liverpool’s current predicament. Brendan Rodgers (and his transfer committee) must forget about the ‘blonde’. All their rivals will be after the most obvious targets in a battle the Reds will surely lose.
Liverpool must instead treat lesser options as their number-one targets. Whilst the likes of United, City, Arsenal and Chelsea play the long Smithian game of ‘every man for himself’ for top-drawer talent, Liverpool must act quickly and decisively pursuing more unfashionable names.
They must chase less high-profile players with the same urgency as if they were world-class. Only then can they secure their best possible outcomes, before those failing in pursuit of Ilkay Gundogan and Karim Benzema turn their attentions to the likes of James Milner and Danny Ings.
It may require the Merseysiders to pay over the odds in terms of transfer fees and wages to secure players who are not universally deemed ‘Liverpool standard’, but needs must. The false economy of negotiating the odd million or two off the price of a player may cost the club dear.
Liverpool cannot delay; nor can they waste time on pipe dreams. They must seize the moment and go after their own best case scenarios, factoring in the competition. In short, they have to sign the Christian Benteke, and forget about the blonde.
