Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has insisted owners Fenway Sports Group “do not meddle” when it comes to new transfers as he explained the timing of the club’s statement signings.
With Arne Slot having only added Federico Chiesa to his squad last summer, Premier League title success was not on the agenda in his first season at Anfield.
The Dutchman defied all expectations, however, and is now building from a position of strength having already added Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez to his squad.
Liverpool have spent £186 million on the trio and are still on the hunt for a No. 9 and a centre-back in what is already a statement window for the club.
Speaking to members of the Merseyside press, including the Liverpool Echo, Werner, chairman of Liverpool and FSG founder, explained why the club are acting decisively now.
“There’s a lot of noise every transfer window, right?” Werner said. “There was a lot of noise last year that we didn’t go out and sign somebody for £100 million but Arne felt the right thing to do was work with the squad he has.
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“He also feels it is the right thing to do now to bring in some fresh faces and if Wirtz is half the talent that the media and the analysts say then it will be the right decision!
“It is exciting and I hope in a year we can say it was the right decision, I hope so.
On the significant spending on new players, Werner added: “We (FSG) do not meddle in those kinds of decisions.
“We have full confidence that Richard [Hughes] and Arne are being extremely careful and that if they bless something or recommend something then we are going to support.
“There was a point in the process that we thought we had stretched to a generous proposal and if we thought Leverkusen wanted 20 percent more then we may not have been able to get there.
“We don’t take anything for granted but [Wirtz] has been the greatest player in the Bundesliga last season but playing in the Premier League, it will be a different challenge and a new opportunity for him.
“Those signings (Virgil van Dijk and Alisson) were certainly critical to our success but, you know, I am too experienced, you have to make your own decisions and trust the people that make them but they don’t always work out right and we have a lot of competitors as well.”
FSG have not always got it right when it comes to key decisions at the club but they have overseen Liverpool’s return to the top and are now playing their part in keeping them there.
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