Since signing Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for £36m back in May, Liverpool’s focus in the transfer market has been offloading players rather than bolstering their ranks further.
Heading into transfer deadline day they had raised £42.8m by selling Xherdan Shaqiri, Harry Wilson, Taiwo Awoniyi, Marko Grujic, Liam Millar and Kamil Grabara, and were expecting further low-key exits before the window closed.
Considering such a stance, there have been two schools of thought when it comes to the Reds’ subsequent summer transfer business - the need to raise funds and the need to create further space in their squad before dipping their toes back into the market.
However, it appears not even Shaqiri’s £9.5m switch to Lyon last week was enough to open the door to a late Liverpool signing with club insiders not expecting any new arrivals.
Having seen Gini Wijnaldum depart for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer and with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane set to depart in January for the Africa Cup of Nations mid-season in January, supporters’ thirst for new recruits in midfield and upfront looks set to go unquenched.
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Such a stance is no doubt frustrating when a quick look around the Premier League shows Man City spending a record £100m on Jack Grealish, Manchester United parting with just shy of £120m to bring in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea re-signing Romelu Lukaku for £97.5m.
But it’s not just Liverpool’s top four rivals’ transfer business that is making Reds fans ask questions.
Despite Jurgen Klopp ’s side repeatedly being linked with Patson Daka last season, it was Leicester City who ended up signing the striker from Red Bull Salzburg in a £23m deal.
Meanwhile, reports on transfer deadline day suggested Wolves were in talks to sign Renato Sanches on loan from Lille, despite previous reported interest from Liverpool, though the latest update suggested the Portugal international’s move currently looks set to fall through.
But the fact that the Reds weren’t in the conversation for either, with both players seemingly available in affordable deals, will have no doubt caused raised eyebrows.
One deadline day deal that might not have attracted their same level of attention is Odsonne Edouard’s imminent switch to Crystal Palace.
The Celtic striker has loosely been linked with Liverpool on a number of occasions in the past, though the Reds have never shown any concrete interest in his services.
Boasting 88 goals from 179 appearances for the Hoops since being signed by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers from PSG, initially on loan, in the summer of 2017, the 23-year-old is now undergoing a medical at Selhurst Park ahead of a reported £15m move.
Should he replicate that goal-return in the Premier League, such a move will be a steal for Patrick Vieira’s side and could see the Eagles easily double their money in a short space of time.
Signing from Celtic, question marks over whether the striker can replicate such standards in the Premier League will continue to hang over his head as he settles into life in England.
But with Edouard on the move for such a meagre fee, should the Reds have considered making a transfer gamble themselves to enhance their attacking options?
Predominantly a striker though capable of playing outside, the forward is known for his finishing and dribbling attributes, with WhoScored also listing his passing as a particular strength.
Such traits against his age would make him appear to suit the profile of players Liverpool like to sign, even when taking into consideration his lack of Premier League experience.
But his time at Celtic cannot be sniffed at, with Virgil van Dijk the perfect proof of such a fact.
The Dutchman joined the Reds in a club-record £75m deal from Southampton in January 2018, just two and a half years after leaving Celtic for £13m.
Yet Liverpool could have easily signed the centre-back directly from Celtic, with former Hoops assistant boss John Collins confirming they had offered Van Dijk to the Reds prior to his move to St. Mary’s.
“Gary Mac (McAllister) was with Brendan at Liverpool and I phoned him and said 'are you going to come and take Virgil?', Collins told Bein Sports back in 2018.
"Gary said he had mentioned him to Brendan, but Brendan had said he wasn't sure if he was better than they already had.
"Arsenal’s chief scout [Steve Rowley] thought he was too nonchalant. Maybe that was part of his game but he ticks so many of the other boxes.
"He’s got pace, power, balance, distribution and he’s good in the air. He can be a bit nonchalant but he is a quality player.
“The price? It was £12million at the time. Every team in England watched him regularly, but they all had their doubts. The worry was he was showing all the qualities against Scottish players but could he do it against English clubs?
“But as soon as I saw him, you could tell he was well balanced, strong football player with composure. That costs money.
“Southampton were smart. They knew they were getting a cracking deal. I was surprised he went, I was really shocked none of the big boys came in for him.”
“I said at the time Van Dijk would make any team better, and I included Barcelona and Real Madrid, and was ridiculed,” he said.
“Thankfully, he has proved me right. He is playing at the top level week in week out and looking like a Rolls Royce.
“If you watch him closely, he doesn't tackle, he doesn't slide. He intercepts, he has a football brain, he looks at the pass, looks at the opponent and steps in front.
"Who is better than him at centre-back? He's better than (Gerard) Pique - and he's as good as (Sergio) Ramos. And he'll get better."
And not signing Van Dijk is a decision Rodgers perhaps regrets, having also monitored Van Dijk when he was at FC Groningen before signing for Celtic in a £2.6m deal in June 2013 ahead of a season which would see a leaky defence cost Liverpool a maiden Premier League title.
“It’s about where the player is at, at the time of their ability," the Northern Irishman told the Evening Times back in 2017.
“Virgil van Dijk could have jumped from Celtic to a Liverpool. Some clubs will want to see the players tested at certain arenas first.
“But if there is enough belief in the player then that counts. The key for scouting is trying to predict when the player is peaking.
“You could see with van Dijk that he was quick, strong, good on the ball and decent in the air.
“So what more do you need to see? You could see him playing international football and, okay, clubs may want to see him in Champions League.
“Wanyama left and then made the jump but he was a good player at Celtic, showing up well in the Champions League.
“There is maybe an issue with scouts. When I was at Liverpool I asked about van Dijk and he was at Groningen and then at Celtic. But I was told he wouldn’t be for us at the time.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers later told the BBC in August 2020 when reflecting on the Reds’ 2013/14 campaign: “I’ve got no doubt that if we had Virgil van Dijk in our back four at that point we would have won the league.”
Van Dijk eventually got his Liverpool move and Jurgen Klopp’s side haven’t looked back since, with the Dutchman playing a vital role in their Premier League and Champions League glory in recent years.
Now with Edouard on the verge of following the centre-back to the English top-flight, the Reds will be left hoping they haven’t made the same Celtic transfer mistake twice.
