Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern aren’t happy with how the last week of the transfer window has panned out as the fans have seen one of the club’s biggest ever transfer deals collapse.
The Reds made a great start to the summer window, completing a £40m deal for Monaco midfielder Fabinho, under the noses of rivals Manchester United. With Naby Keita’s arrival confirmed, Jurgen Klopp was expected to make Nabil Fekir his next signing before a medical scuppered the deal. Now, it appears top goalkeeping target, Alisson Becker, will make a move to Real Madrid.
Simon Mignolet was dropped earlier in the season after some inconsistent performances and replaced with Loris Karius. After two howlers in the Champions League final, Karius’ position as first-choice is also under threat. Losing out on Alisson will come as a huge blow to Klopp who is searching for a new number one.
Reports suggest that Liverpool will instead target Stoke City keeper – Jack Butland – with the Potters holding out for £35m to sign the England international. Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, signing Butland would not be a smart decision.
The fee quoted by Stoke is a ridiculous price to pay for a goalkeeper who was far from impressive last season. The Potters were relegated from the Premier League with Butland keeping just five clean sheets. Granted, he did not have a great defence in front of him, but the 25-year-old was average at best. His distribution, especially in the fixtures against Liverpool, was extremely poor.
If Liverpool want to be considered title challengers, they need to sign a world-class number one. Butland is not the answer.
Liverpool fans, thoughts?
