Has Liverpool Done The Worst Transfer Business In January 2014?

Top 3 worst business in January 2014

3. Swansea City

Swansea had a fairly unspectacular window in which they managed to land only one of their major targets in former Liverpool striker David N’Gog. Even N’Gog is a backup option at best, having failed to find his feet at Liverpool who felt he was not good enough for them even as a backup option.

Marvin Emnes too will offer a decent option as backup, but will not seriously push any of Swansea’s other strikers, and will probably have to slug it out with N’Gog for playing time. The focus for Swansea was to increase squad depth given the plethora of injuries currently ailing their squad, and although Swansea have done that, the quality of their strength in depth is questionable.

Laudrup had said that he would not be forced into making signings, but after a bad run of form he has worked hard to bring in the right men. However, he, and the fans alike, will be disappointed with the way the window worked out.

2. Newcastle United

A positively horrible window for Newcastle in which they were forced to part ways with their most influential midfielder so close to the end of the window, leaving them no time to look for a quality replacement. They did try to spend the £19m that they received from PSG for Yohan Cabaye to bring in Clement Grenier from Lyon, but a deal could not be arranged in the short duration remaining in the window.

Newcastle’s strikers, barring Loic Remy, have not found their scoring boots till date and Newcastle needed striking reinforcements. They brought in Dutch striker Luuk de Jong from Borussia Monchengladbach on loan, but the striker has been out of form and he too has struggled for goals this season.

Geordie fans would have been left exasperated by yet another poor showing in the transfer window, and the low morale translated into a 3-0 thumping by Sunderland in the derby, at home no less.

1. Liverpool

Liverpool’s performance in the transfer window was shambolic to say the least. They have a paper thin squad ravaged by injuries, and yet they failed to bring in any replacements in three areas where they are clearly struggling to put out names on the team sheet.

Mamadou Sakho and Daniel Agger are both out injured and yet they allowed summer signing Tiago Ilori to leave on loan, while they failed to address the issues at the middle of the park and on the wings. Liverpool had been linked with a host of midfielders throughout the window, the likes of Nigel De Jong, Yann M’Vila, Fernando Reges were all mentioned, and yet they did not bring in anybody to provide cover for the oft-crocked Lucas.

Yevhen Konoplyanka was their number one transfer target of the window after they lost out to Chelsea in a bidding for Basel winger Mohamed Salah, and the deal fell through in the wee hours of deadline day, as the club failed to reach an agreement with Dnipro for the fee of the player, even after the medical and personal terms had been completed.

Fans will be hoping that this lack of activity does not come back to haunt them as they continue to press their claim for the fourth place in the table, and a spot in next seasons Champions League.

All the player values are taken from squawka