Liverpool strengthening squad ahead of new season

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has already been active in the transfer market this summer

There have been many false dawns at Liverpool in recent years. When every new manager arrives the Reds fans think here we go the glory days are about to return.

Current boss Brendan Rodgers arrived with a promise that he would restore pride to the red shirt, but it would take time.

Progress

I do believe that Liverpool have made progress since the arrival of Rodgers. The style of football is now much more fluent than is was under previous bosses and last season the Reds also remained solid at the back.

Rodgers’ has put his stamp on the team and his style of play started to pay-off at times last season.

The free-flowing, passing football was there for all to see in certain games, but at times, the Reds lacked that killer instinct in front of goal.

Signings

Rodgers transfer record at Liverpool is decent so far. The former-Swansea boss brought in the likes of Joe Allen and Fabio Borini last summer. Both were big money signings and both had injury-hit seasons that prevented them from really making their marks.

Some people have rather harshly labelled the pair flops. However, both players are still in their early twenties and still have time to develop into good players, injuries permitting of course.

I do not think many could argue that the January signings of Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge were a resounding success.  The pair are both loaded full of untapped potential and I am sure there is lots more to come from them.

Last season they showed enough in their performances to hint that they will very shrewd signings from Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers has already been busy in the transfer market. Manchester City centre-back Kolo Toure will arrive on a free transfer, which really is a no-brainer signing. An experienced centre-back to fill the void left by Jamie Carragher, perfect signing for the Reds.

The Reds will reportedly complete the £7.6million signing of Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas next week. According to Merseyside radio station Radio City, the deal has been held up due to a complication in the players’ paperwork.

The deal for Aspas has been in-place for more than a week or so. This player intrigues me. I have seen a lot of Aspas in La Liga and he is a player that seems very erratic in his performances.

He started the season in fine form for Celta, but then halfway through the season his form went off the boil, with reports from Spain saying that speculation over a January transfer went to the players head.

Aspas does have talent, but the 25-year-old will need to find the right boss to get any sort of consistency out of him. Liverpool fans will be hoping that Rodgers is the right boss for the job.

Sevilla striker Luis Alberto is heading to Merseyside today to complete a £7million move, according to Sky Sports. I have to admit I do not know a lot about the youngster. What I do know is that the 20-year-old spent last season on-loan at Barcelona B and scored 11 in the Spanish second tier.

The Spanish under-21 is obviously one for the future. Rodgers must know a lot about the player if he is willing to pay £7million for the youngster.

Suarez

Rodgers was reported to have a small transfer budget this summer, which has been supplemented by the £15million sale of Andy Carroll to West Ham. However, much will hinge on whether Luis Suarez is sold or not.

If the Uruguayan is sold then Rodgers is likely to have far more money to spend on proven talent, rather than untested youngsters like Alberto.

Rodgers will be keen to sort Suarez’s future out as soon as he can, so he can plan for next season. The highly rated boss has been told by the Reds hierarchy that he will be given any money raised from the sale of Suarez, and that could prove be a massive amount.

For now though, the Reds boss has ploughed on with his transfer plans, bringing in players that are within his current budget. I am sure in an ideal world he would be looking at proven world-class stars, but the Reds no longer have the big financial resources to do so and Rodgers has to be shrewd in the transfer market.

Unconvinced

Liverpool fans will be encouraged by the fact that their club are making moves so early in the summer. However, I am not convinced that the players that are heading to Anfield will give the Reds enough to challenge for the Champions League places next season.

Liverpool may bring in bigger players as the summer progresses and that could be enough for the Reds to challenge for the top four, but at the moment they look like a team that will fall just short of the Champions League spots next season.

Are Liverpool strong enough to challenge for the Champions League spots next season?