In Jurgen we trust

Liverpool is one of the biggest teams in world football. The fan base is immense and spans the entire globe. The club has won the 2 nd most trophies in English football history. Yet despite this vaunted legacy, the club has struggled to beat out rivals and sign the best talent on the market in recent times. And when the big money has been spent, there have been some major mistakes made (Christian Benteke, Andy Carroll, and Stewart Downing are just 3 from a list of flops that doesn’t make for happy reading for fans). When the club has decided to spend significant money, the inability to attract the very best has led to shelling out entirely too much for players who aren’t quite at the top level.

And when the big money has been spent, there have been some major mistakes made (Christian Benteke, Andy Carroll, and Stewart Downing are just 3 from a list of flops that doesn’t make for happy reading for fans). When the club has decided to spend significant money, the inability to attract the very best has led to shelling out entirely too much for players who aren’t quite at the top level.

At time of writing Klopp, has yet to bring in top tier talent this transfer window. Dominic Solanke, the first confirmed signing of the summer, just won Player of the U20 World Cup but is not yet at an elite level. Last week this looked set to change as reports emanated from Anfield suggesting two such big name players were coming.

The first, Mohamed Salah, is an Egyptian winger currently at Roma. While he had an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea earlier in his career, he has blossomed in Italy. Salah looks poised to become the alternative to Sadio Mane that the club so desperately needed last season. The other player heavily rumored to be joining was none other than the Dutch, all-action center back, Virgil van Dijk. While van Dijk’s sheer quality is enough reason for excitement, the fact that both Chelsea and Manchester City are competing for his signature was encouraging. Both clubs are ideal examples of the competition that Liverpool simply couldn’t match in the transfer market in recent years.

Both clubs are ideal examples of the competition that Liverpool simply couldn’t match in the transfer market in recent years.

In classic Liverpool fashion, reality has scuppered fan enthusiasm, and neither Salah or van Dijk could end up at the club. Roma is asking for a fee rumored to be as high as £45 million, which Liverpool ownership, at least so far, has been unwilling to agree too.  The van Dijk saga has taken a stranger turn, as Southampton reported Liverpool for a transfer violation, prompting LFC to officially pull out of the race to sign the player. The club has moved on to other targets but do not be surprised if LFC renews its interest later in the transfer window.

Both instances are undeniably disheartening. Just a week ago they looked nailed on as sure fire additions to the squad. While fans have been quick to lambast the ownership (a significant portion of this is criticism is fair), there is a silver lining. Both Salah and van Dijk expressed genuine desire to play for Liverpool, while rejecting some of the biggest clubs in the world.

The club may not get these transfers over the line but there has been a clear shift in the way top-class players now view Liverpool.

While a return to the Champions League and top tier talent in the team’s starting 11 should both be seen as factors in attracting big players, one person has been the main catalyst behind this shift. Obviously, it’s Jurgen Klopp. His first 18 months at the club proved he could bring success. Now he’s proving he can entice talent that can drastically change the on field product. Not only is he a proven winner (2 time winner of the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund), he is an incredibly charismatic manager, evidenced by the extremely close bond he seems to have with the entire squad (Mamadou Sakho not included).

Klopp has shown he’s bringing the good times back to the red half of Merseyside. The best advice for Liverpool fans is to take a deep breath. There is still plenty of time left for the manager to assemble the squad he needs.