This time last year eyebrows were raised at the sum forked out for Sadio Mane by Liverpool However, any doubts were soon put to rest with Mane's bursting impact on Merseyside. Mane ended the season with a handsome 13 goals and eight assists for the Reds in all competitions; quite an impressive return for a winger who only appeared 27 times.
The similarities between Mane and Salah have already been noticed by many onlookers and the prospect of a pairing of these two on the wings next season has Liverpool fans drooling.
Boring, frustrating and typical – all three words that have been used to describe the negotiation tactics employed by Liverpool trying to secure the deal for Salah. A common approach in Liverpool's recent transfer dealings has been the attempt to secure top targets for the cheapest price and it has often led to the hijacking of deals from other clubs or plain and simply missing out.
In this case, it has led to hard and long talks with Roma, but the Italian club stood firm and got what they wanted and the Premier League side’s negotiating tactics have once again failed despite getting their man.
The list is never ending for the Reds’ missed targets but it looks like Mohamed Salah could be the first top target Liverpool have landed in a while and it shows promising signs for the rest of the window.
The failings are far too common for a big club like Liverpool and it is an issue that clearly has to be dealt with and after the farce of the Van Dijk saga, they really have to crack on and get the deals done quickly before they receive further criticism. Reds around the world will be hoping that this deal kick-starts a successful transfer window, but the men in charge of making the deals have big lessons to learn: If you want the top players, you have to pay up!
Liverpool have been desperate for depth in wide areas for a number of years with their attacking midfielders and forwards often having to sacrifice themselves for the team and play in a less favoured position on the wing, the effects of this on individual performances and team performances has been obvious to many as the players simply lack the positional awareness to play in a position that is not their own.
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There are many examples for this, such as Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi and Philippe Coutinho, all three exceptional attacking talents but are often limited when used out wide and this ultimately takes its toll on the team as the lack of defensive cover and creativity from wide positions limits the Reds.
When Sadio Mane went off to the African Cup of Nations last season, Liverpool’s lack of depth out wide was exposed as Mane was sorely missed with Jurgen Klopp’s men going the whole month without a league win and suffering two embarrassing cup exits.
One thing is clear – Klopp is trying to plug the gaps in his current squad with the signing of Salah appearing to be the start of what is to be a busy summer with three key positions still left to sort. It is reported by journalists close to the club that the essentials for Klopp this summer are a first team quality centre back, a left back and a holding midfielder.
Salah is one step in the right direction for the Reds dealing with one of the underlining issues in the current squad ensuring quality and depth in the wide areas for Liverpool and adding to an already frightening attack. Since his departure from Chelsea, Salah has clocked up 34 goals and 27 assists.
And Liverpool will be hoping his rise continues upon joining the Reds and hope for a similar impact than the one of Mane 12 months ago, but the Reds have to follow this move up with similar deals and improved negotiation skills.
What do you make of Liverpool's transfer tactics?
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