Liverpool FC CEO Ian Ayre has clarified that manager Jurgen Klopp will have the final say on any incoming or outgoing transfers at Anfield.
The Transfer Committee has been one of the most controversial pieces of management tactic deployed by the owners of Liverpool FC, with the accountability over the lack of quality transfers being shifted from manager to other members of the committee on a constant basis.
Ayre clarifies Klopp has final say on the transfers
Clarifying the club’s way of functioning in case of transfers, both incoming and outgoing, Ayre was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo:
a Therea s only one person that has the final say over what players [we sign] at Liverpool Football Club and thata s Jurgen Klopp right now.
a Thata s always been the case for as long as Ia ve been here.a
Ayre explains how the committee works
Providing a clearer picture of how they operate, Ayre said: a The point that has been made about the committee, and I dona t think we did anything any different to most football clubs, is that the manager will say we are looking for somebody in this position and a bunch of people a a mix of traditional scouts and more recently analytical and digital-based information a bring all of that together as was always the case.
a Then we look at two, three, four players, the best players for that position, show them to the manager and the manager can go watch or have the scouts go watch those players and narrow it down.
a At that point Ia ll become more involved and start talking to clubs, agents, players on a negotiations basis and then the manager will choose.a
The problem with the transfer committee
The problem with the functioning of the transfer committee is best illustrated in case of the Mario Balotelli transfer.
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Liverpool FC wanted a forward to replace Luis Suarez; they went after Sanchez and failed. James Pearce also confirmed that Liverpool FC missed out on the signing of Wilfred Bony, with the club considering his wage demands too high.
On the final day, as revealed by Steven Gerrard in his autobiography, Rodgers came to him and told him that it was Mario Balotelli or nothing for the rest of the season with the transfer window on its final day, and they went ahead and took the risk.
What is clear here is that the process Ayre detailed while saying, a Then we look at two, three, four players, the best players for that position, show them to the manager”, was not followed in case of Mario Balotelli. The manager had been given the option of Balotelli or nothing on the final day after a series of failed pursuits throughout the summer transfer window.
The persons accountable for poor transfer strategies must face the consequences, considering Liverpool FC have had a recent history of missing out on the likes of Henrik Mkhitaryan, Willian, Diego Costa, Christian Eriksen etc. due to issues in negotiating transfers, despite the club having identified the players as their target.