
Liverpool spending backed by title win and long-term plan, says CEO
Liverpool's latest acquisition, French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth 79 million pounds ($106.84 million), including add-ons, has taken the club's transfer expenditure this window to nearly 300 million pounds.
Outgoings, six players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, have so far generated around 64 million pounds.
The outlay marks a sharp departure from Liverpool's traditionally measured approach in the market. However, Hogan insists the club has not deviated from the club's policy of financial sustainability.
"It doesn't just happen; it's been years in the making," Hogan told The Athletic in an interview.
"One of the things we're constantly focused on is that 'virtuous circle'. Trying to run the club in the right way to ensure that we can generate as much revenue as we possibly can. That obviously helps in terms of being able to put more back into the team.
"The difficulty is if you just look at one individual summer. That probably skews the data. There were a lot of comments made last summer that we didn't spend enough..."
Hogan explained the approach reflects the ambitions of American-led Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who are seeking to build on last season's Premier League title under manager Arne Slot.
"We also recognise, having won the English league title for the 20th time, that this is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We want to make sure that we are behaving like one," he added.
"Having massive global stars come and play at Anfield, filling out stadiums in Hong Kong and Japan, those are things we expect and want to do."
Liverpool face AC Milan in Kowloon, Hong Kong on Saturday, before taking on Yokohama FM in the J League World Challenge in Yokohama on Wednesday. They begin their Premier League title defence at home against Bournemouth on August 15.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Competition ‘will raise your level' says Arsenal's David Raya on new signing Kepa Arrizabalaga
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya during an open training session at the National Stadium on July 25. SINGAPORE - The battle for Arsenal's No. 1 jersey has heated up with the arrival of new signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, but David Raya welcomes the competition with open arms. On July 1, the English Premier League giants announced the signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from rivals Chelsea, in a deal reportedly worth £5 million (S$8.7 million). With manager Mikel Arteta yet to name his first-choice goalkeeper, both players will be out to impress the Gunners boss. 'A good and competitive partner in every single position will raise your level. So I will raise mine and he will raise his, and that will only benefit the team,' said Raya during a pitch-side interview after Arsenal's open training session at the National Stadium on July 25 . 'There has to be competition in every single position all the time... Knowing how the signings are going – that we have two top players in each position – this is the way that the boss wants to work.' Despite the competition, the shot-stopper remained supportive of his fellow Spaniard. 'I know him from the national team and we are very good friends,' said Raya, 29. 'We have a healthy relationship and partnership in goal… And we know how tough it is to be a goalkeeper – there's only one keeper playing (during the game). Arrizabalaga, who remains the world's most expensive goalkeeper since Chelsea paid £71.6 million to sign him from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, spent his last two seasons on loan to Real Madrid and Bournemouth. Raya added: 'Hopefully he can stay here for many years. We have welcomed him with open arms... He's a top guy, top lad and a top professional, so we're really, really happy to have him with us at Arsenal.' Aside from Arrizabalaga, Arsenal has announced four new signings – midfielders Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi, winger Noni Madueke and defender Cristhian Mosquera. Raya also had warm words for Mosquera, whose deal from Spanish side Valencia was worth a reported £13 million (S$22.4 million). 'He's a young lad, quite experienced for a 21-year-old, so he has very good basics and he's very, very good defensively,' he said. 'As a young player, he has a lot to develop, but he'll be a top player for us.' Mosquera made his first public appearance as a Gunner at the open training session to thunderous cheers from supporters. Fans can look forward to seeing the centre-back in action during Arsenal's pre-season friendly against Premier League rivals Newcastle United at the National Stadium on July 27. They beat AC Milan 1-0 in a friendly at the same venue on July 23. Raya joined Arsenal in 2023 on loan from Brentford and secured a permanent move the following year. He won the EPL Golden Glove the last two seasons for notching the highest number of clean sheets, and he is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Despite the pressure of delivering a title after three runner-up finishes in the EPL, as well as a looming 2026 World Cup call-up, Raya is not feeling the heat. He added: 'I normally don't set too many goals. My expectation is to carry on the way I've played the last two seasons, improve on every single aspect, and of course, collect silverware. 'We haven't even started this season, so let's not think about the World Cup. Let's just think about now… And we will go step by step.'

Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Records, rivalries and races to watch at the World Aquatics Championships
Pan Zhanle of China is set to defend his 100m freestyle title at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. SINGAPORE - As the world's top swimmers line up at the starting blocks for the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) on July 27, fans can expect some thrilling action in the WCH Arena over the next eight days. From world champions to Olympic gold medallists and record holders, the battle for supremacy in the pool looks set to heat up from Day 1. The Straits Times looks at some of the races to watch. 1. Women's 100m butterfly (July 28) American Gretchen Walsh is one of the exciting talents to watch in Singapore after dominating the pool this season. Winner of two golds and a silver at the Paris Olympics, Walsh broke the 50m fly American record at the Pro Swim Series in May after clocking 24.93sec. A day later, the 22-year-old bettered her own world mark in the 100m fly twice at the same meet, first clocking 55.09 before improving her time to 54.60. Out to claim her first individual gold at the world championships, Walsh will face a stiff challenge from Olympic champion Torri Huske (US), 2024 winner Angelina Koehler of Germany and Australia's Alexandria Perkins, who ranks third in the world this year in the event after Walsh and Koehler. 2. Men's 100m freestyle (July 31) In his Olympic debut in Paris 2024, Pan Zhanle made history by clocking 46.40 seconds in the 100m freestyle to claim gold and better his own world record – it was China first-ever gold in the event. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Singapore As Asean looks to nuclear energy, public education efforts are needed: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Shunsaku Tamiya, who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90 Finishing over a second ahead of his rival, Australia's Kyle Chalmers, Pan also delivered one of the largest margins of victory in the event in decades. Impressively, all eight swimmers in the final finished under 48 seconds – another first for an Olympic final. Now, headlining the 34-member Chinese squad, Pan is looking to retain his 100m free gold from the 2024 championships. He will face a tough challenge from 2023 world champion Chalmers and Romania's David Popovici, who was third in Paris and boasts the world-leading time of 46.71sec clocked at the European Aquatics Championships U23 in Slovakia in June. 3. Men's 200m breaststroke (Aug 1) While the focus was initially on Olympic champion Leon Marchand, the Frenchman's decision to skip the breaststroke events has opened up the field in the 200m breaststroke. China's Qin Haiyang, 26, is the favourite for gold after setting the world record time of 2:05.48 at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships. At the meet in Fukuoka, he was also the first swimmer to sweep all the breaststroke golds at a single championships. Qin will also be out for redemption after failing to progress to the final at the Paris Olympics, but he will have to contend with the likes of former world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook (Australia) and teammate Dong Zhihao, who will be gunning for back-to-back titles. 4. Women's 800m freestyle (Aug 2) The clash of the championships will see two of the world's best swimmers facing off in the 800m freestyle for the first time on the world stage. American superstar Ledecky, the veteran at 28, has been unbeatable at the world championships and Olympics for 13 years, barring a sole defeat to Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh at the 2024 Southern Zone meet. While Ledecky's trophy collection includes 13 Olympic medals – nine of them gold, including four in the 800m free – and 21 world championship titles, McIntosh is aiming to give her a run for her money. The 18-year-old has been in red-hot form this season, setting world-best times at the recent Canadian Trials in the 400m freestyle (3:54.18), 200m individual medley (2:05.70) and 400m individual medley (4:23.65). In that meet, she was the first swimmer since American legend Michael Phelps to break three individual world records at a single meet. 5. Men's 50m backstroke, Aug 3 Back in the pool at the world championships, Russia's Kliment Kolesnikov will be looking to make up for lost time in Singapore. The 25-year-old missed out on Paris 2024 owing to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and only received the nod from World Aquatics to compete at the championships this time under neutral status. In 2023, he set the world record of 23.55sec in the 50m backstroke at the Russian National Swimming Cup – the record remains unbroken. Kolesnikov is also expected to challenge for the 100m backstroke title – his best finish in the event was a silver at the 2021 edition in Abu Dhabi.

Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
No Isak, no issue for Eddie Howe and Newcastle players despite transfer saga
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe (left) and captain Bruno Guimaraes say the squad are focused on their pre-season and a game against Arsenal at the National Stadium on July 27. SINGAPORE – In his first 24 hours here, Newcastle United coach Eddie Howe learnt just how unpredictable Singapore's weather can get. The sun was out and blazing when his team arrived on July 25 but the heavens opened, briefly, just before a press conference at the team's Pan Pacific base the next afternoon. By now, though, Howe is adept at taking unexpected twists in his stride, as shown by his deftness at dealing with questions fired at him regarding star striker Alexander Isak. Isak is not with the Newcastle squad who will take on fellow English Premier League side Arsenal in a pre-season friendly at the National Stadium on July 27. The Swede, who scored 23 league goals in 34 games last season, stayed behind in England to nurse a thigh injury, his club said. But rumours in the UK media linking him with a big-money move away – and more pointedly to league champions Liverpool – have gathered intensity over the last 48 hours. More than half the questions in the 15-minute long press conference on July 26 were about Isak. Howe admitted that 'of course, there's things going on behind the scenes', but also said that conversations between the player and the club would remain private. He added: 'We do share a really good relationship with him. He's been magnificent for us for as long as he's joined. 'He's very popular in the dressing room, as I've said before. We'd love him to continue his journey at Newcastle and I think all I would say on the broader picture is whatever happens has to be right for (the club).' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Multimedia Lights dimmed at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Asia Where's Jho Low? Looking for 1MDB fugitive in Shanghai's luxury estate Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur calling for the resignation of PM Anwar Life SG60 F&B icons: Honouring 14 heritage brands that have never lost their charm Business Can STI continue its defiant climb in second half of 2025? He noted that the club are in a 'very strong position financially', suggesting that any deal struck for Isak would be around the British transfer record fee of £120 million (S$206.9 million) that has been bandied about. Newcastle are not holding any talks on extending or improving Isak's contract, which still has three years to run, 'with the situation as it is', added Howe. Despite the noise surrounding their best player, the 47-year-old Englishman insisted his players in Singapore are not distracted and said that the 'feeling during this pre-season has been as good as any other'. Echoing his manager's sentiment, captain Bruno Guimaraes said: 'Of course (Isak) is a top player for us and you can't find someone who can score 20 goals in the Premier League (easily), but it's not a distraction for us. 'We are focused on getting sharp as soon as possible because it's going to be a very tough season ahead for us.' Regardless of Isak's situation, additions to the squad are vital, stressed Howe, who said the club are 'actively in the market' and looking at 'multiple players across multiple positions'. Newcastle have made only one major signing this summer in winger Anthony Elanga, who moved from Nottingham Forest in a £55 million deal. They have also signed promising talents Park Seung-soo and Antonio Cordero, both 18, who are seen as two for the future. Asked how many additions he would ideally like to have, Howe said: 'It's not about numbers, it's about quality… Can we find players of the quality that can make our team better? If they don't make the team better or the squad better, then we won't sign them.' Brazil international Guimaraes remains bullish of Newcastle's chances of building on last season's achievements, where the team ended a 70-year trophy drought when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final at Wembley in March. They went on to finish fifth in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons. 'For me, it's not enough, I want more,' he said. 'If I lose my ambition I can go home to Brazil and chill. It's not what I'm looking for now. I (want) to keep improving, keep winning, and keep making history for this club.' Added Howe: 'Once you experience that feeling of winning… you want it again as quickly as possible. 'There's a lot of ambition within the team. You can see from training, training, it's been very competitive. The lads are very driven to do well, so I see good signs. But obviously, as I said earlier, there's still some work to do with (strengthening) the squad.' There was a moment of levity during the press conference when Howe was asked about whether his team are prepared for the challenge Arsenal, last season's EPL runners-up, will present in Singapore. He said: 'Uhm… My stock answer should be 'yes'. But, because I saw the players training today…' As his voiced trailed off, he exchanged a knowing glance with Guimaraes, and both of them burst out laughing. He said: 'There was a bit of fatigue in the training today. The heat was one thing, but I think the players were still adjusting to time zones. 'So I think a definite advantage for Arsenal tomorrow having been here for much longer than we have. But it's a pre-season game, so we just want to get certain bits from the game… We're still I think we're building towards our best levels. 'The most important thing is how we play against Aston Villa (in the EPL season opener on Aug 16) , not these games, but we need to get something out of them.'