Richard Hughes has a big job on his hands as Liverpool’s sporting director.
Not only does he have to negotiate key contracts with captain Virgil van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and the legendary Mohamed Salah, while ensuring new manager Arne Slot has a squad capable of competing in the coming season, he also has to ensure the club sells well.
The Reds have struggled in the transfer market in recent years.
While it used to be one of their strengths during Michael Edwards’ first spell at the club, Liverpool have struggled to cash in on their squad players. Nico Williams was sold to Nottingham Forest in 2022 for £20m, but he is the exception rather than the norm.
Players like Nathaniel Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher have been left out of transfer plans on multiple occasions, and it looks like the same is happening this summer.
The Reds have rejected a £4m bid for the centre-back, while no club appear willing to match the £25m valuation placed on the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper.
Sepp Van Den Berg can also be included in the equation. The Dutchman is believed to be valued at around £20m and this has left Mainz out of the running, while PSV Eindhoven are only interested in the centre-back for a fee in the region of £14m.
Van den Berg and Phillips discounted
On the one hand, Liverpool’s firm stance is positive. They won’t be intimidated in the market, but they are not in a position of strength at the moment and that is what makes their stance so problematic this summer.
For example, Van Den Berg, who joined Liverpool for £1.3m, is under contract until 2026. Having impressed in the Bundesliga last season, his value has never been higher. Anything over £10m should be considered unless there are genuine plans to give him a first-team chance next season. If not, it seems like a wasted opportunity to get decent money for a squad player.
After all, if he sits around playing random cup games next season, his value will drop as his contract expires.
Nat Phillips Liverpool
That’s what happened with Phillips. At one point, it looked like he could command a fee in the region of £20m after helping Liverpool to the Champions League title. A few years later, the Reds are hoping to get £8m for him before his contract expires next summer.
For a smart club, they have made some stupid decisions in the transfer market in recent years, especially when it comes to sales, and this brings us straight to Kelleher.
No team wants to pay Kelleher’s fee
There has been talk of a possible exit from Anfield for almost three summers. With each season he spends as a bit player, his price tag decreases.
Liverpool will cite the James Trafford deal as the reason for their valuation of Kelleher. The 21-year-old moved to Burnley from Manchester City for £19m last summer. However, he was playing regularly and was impressing for Bolton before his move. The Clarets paid too much for him, but they were paying for his potential as well as his quality.
Photo: Cheering after the final whistle at Sepp van den Berg / Mainz Football 1. Bundesliga on Saturday 18.05.2024 VfL Wolfsburg – Mainz 1 – 3 *** Photo cheering after the final whistle at Sepp van den Berg Mainz Football 1 Bundesliga on Saturday 18.05.2024 VfL Wolfsburg Mainz 1 – 3
Kelleher barely plays. Yes, he played well last season as a replacement for Alisson, but he has been essentially an unknown throughout the campaign. Clubs are not going to pay a premium for a player whose best season to date includes just 10 league starts.
They’re not going to pay a high price for a player who only has two years left on his contract. They’re not going to pay a lot of money for a player who has basically said openly that he wants to go to the first team. Liverpool want as much as they can get for Kelleher, but they need to be reasonable.
Everyone knows he wants to be a starter. The new Republic of Ireland manager even said he should play as often as possible.
How long can this continue?
Asked about Kelleher, Heimir Hallgrimsson said: “Of course, especially when he proved to everyone that he can play at the highest level. It would be a shame if he doesn’t play regularly after he has shown everyone how good he is, the level he played at.”
Celtic were in need of a goalkeeper this summer after Joe Hart retired and Kelleher was considered a possibility. The Scottish champions opted to sign Kasper Schmeichel on a free transfer and Aston Villa youngster Viljami Sinisalo for £1m.
Unless a goalkeeper is playing regularly, it is difficult to command such a high price. Liverpool know this and yet their stance seems unwavering. But how long can this continue? The longer it goes on, the weaker their position will become. They need to start investing money in these assets.
