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New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Premier League champions Liverpool go all out in transfer spree
LIVERPOOL: Fresh from storming to a record-equalling 19th English top-flight title, Liverpool have not held back in transforming Arne Slot's squad in pursuit of an era of Premier League dominance. On top of retaining veteran stars Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts, the Reds have splashed out £260 million (US$350 million) and are reportedly far from finished in the transfer market. Two of the Bundesliga's most promising talents Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike have arrived at Anfield to add extra creativity and goals. Jeremie Frimpong has also made the move from Germany with the daunting task of replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, while Milos Kerkez joined from Bournemouth as the long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back. More defensive reinforcements are imminent with the club closing in on deals for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and 18-year-old Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Parma. But it is the potential addition of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak for a British transfer record fee in excess of £115 million that is the transfer saga of the English summer. Liverpool were among the lowest Premier League spenders last year as Slot oversaw a steady transition from Jurgen Klopp in spectacular style. A huge investment this time round is also possible because the Reds are among the slickest movers in the market when it comes to sales. The departures of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold and Tyler Morton have raised around £200 million. Liverpool's bold strategy of tearing up a title-winning team is a risky and rare experiment. Only once, Manchester City in 2019, have the Premier League champions been the biggest spending English club in the market since 2007. After years of battling against the financial power of Abu Dhabi-backed City, Liverpool are now flexing their muscles thanks to years of commercial growth and prudent ownership. "It doesn't feel Liverpool-like to me," said former defender Jamie Carragher at the thought of a new £69 million striker Ekitike playing second fiddle to Isak. After decades in the doldrums prior to Klopp's arrival, Liverpool are aiming to bring back glory days the club has not since the 1980s. The last time Liverpool won back-to-back titles was in 1984 and doing so this season would come with the added bonus of overtaking Manchester United as English football's top dogs. To do so, Slot has recognised the need to strike the right balance that still harnesses the best from his side's extra firepower. A pre-season trend of high-scoring encounters continued in losing the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on penalties after twice blowing the lead. "Now we are better in creating and getting promising situations than we were, in my opinion, throughout the whole of last season," said Slot. "What made us really strong last season was we only won mostly by a margin of one goal and that had mostly to do with us keeping a clean sheet or as a maximum conceding one goal." Liverpool also have extra motivation to defend their title as they try to honour a lost friend and team-mate in Diogo Jota. The Portuguese international was killed aged just 28 alongside his brother after a car accident in northern Spain last month. Tributes to Jota will continue throughout the season with "Forever 20" – his shirt number, which the club have now retired – printed on Liverpool's jerseys.--AFP
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Premier League boss: No control over timing of Man City charges verdict
LONDON, Aug 14 — Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said his 'frustration' at waiting for a verdict in a series of financial charges against Manchester City is irrelevant as the case is in the hands of an independent hearing. The Premier League issued more than 100 charges against City in February 2023 related to alleged breaches of its financial rules and with allegedly failing to co-operate with the subsequent investigation. The case was heard by a commission between September and December last year but no decision has been published. The issue continues to hang over the league as the 2025/26 season gets underway this weekend, but Masters said his organisation has no control over when a verdict will be reached. 'Once the allegations, the charge has been put forward, they go before an independent panel, which is independently selected, and they are then in charge of the process and its timings,' Masters told Sky Sports News. 'They hear the case, they decide the outcome, and we have no influence over that, over it or its timing. 'And that's right, if you think from an independence point of view, that there is independent people making those decisions, and we just have to be waiting. 'My frustration is irrelevant, really. I mean, I just have to wait, and legal processes rarely take less time than you anticipated, but we have to be patient.' City deny any wrongdoing and have said they have a 'comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence' to clear their name. But if they are found guilty, they could face a range of punishments, including a severe points penalty, or even be kicked out of the Premier League. City were charged with failing to report accurate financial information for nine seasons stretching from 2009/10 to 2017/18, as well as failing to provide full details of former manager Roberto Mancini's pay between 2009/10 and 2012/13. They are also charged with failing to provide full details of remuneration in contracts with players between 2010/11 and 2015/16, and with failing to co-operate with the investigation over a period from 2018 to 2023. Since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008, City's fortunes have been transformed on the field from also-rans to the dominant force in English football. Eight of their 10 top-flight league titles have come since 2012 and they also won the Champions League for the first time in 2023. — AFP
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Liverpool spend big in bid to cement Premier League supremacy
LIVERPOOL, Aug 14 — Fresh from storming to a record-equalling 19th English top-flight title, Liverpool have not held back in transforming Arne Slot's squad in pursuit of an era of Premier League dominance. On top of retaining veteran stars Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts, the Reds have splashed out £260 million (RM1.5 billion) and are reportedly far from finished in the transfer market. Two of the Bundesliga's most promising talents Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike have arrived at Anfield to add extra creativity and goals. Jeremie Frimpong has also made the move from Germany with the daunting task of replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, while Milos Kerkez joined from Bournemouth as the long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back. More defensive reinforcements are imminent with the club closing in on deals for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and 18-year-old Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Parma. But it is the potential addition of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak for a British transfer record fee in excess of £115 million that is the transfer saga of the English summer. Risky and rare strategy Liverpool were among the lowest Premier League spenders last year as Slot oversaw a steady transition from Jurgen Klopp in spectacular style. A huge investment this time round is also possible because the Reds are among the slickest movers in the market when it comes to sales. The departures of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold and Tyler Morton have raised around £200 million. Liverpool's bold strategy of tearing up a title-winning team is a risky and rare experiment. Only once, Manchester City in 2019, have the Premier League champions been the biggest spending English club in the market since 2007. After years of battling against the financial power of Abu Dhabi-backed City, Liverpool are now flexing their muscles thanks to years of commercial growth and prudent ownership. 'It doesn't feel Liverpool-like to me,' said former defender Jamie Carragher at the thought of a new £69 million striker Ekitike playing second fiddle to Isak. After decades in the doldrums prior to Klopp's arrival, Liverpool are aiming to bring back glory days the club has not since the 1980s. The last time Liverpool won back-to-back titles was in 1984 and doing so this season would come with the added bonus of overtaking Manchester United as English football's top dogs. To do so, Slot has recognised the need to strike the right balance that still harnesses the best from his side's extra firepower. A pre-season trend of high-scoring encounters continued in losing the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on penalties after twice blowing the lead. 'Now we are better in creating and getting promising situations than we were, in my opinion, throughout the whole of last season,' said Slot. 'What made us really strong last season was we only won mostly by a margin of one goal and that had mostly to do with us keeping a clean sheet or as a maximum conceding one goal.' Liverpool also have extra motivation to defend their title as they try to honour a lost friend and team-mate in Diogo Jota. The Portuguese international was killed aged just 28 alongside his brother after a car accident in northern Spain last month. Tributes to Jota will continue throughout the season with 'Forever 20' — his shirt number, which the club have now retired — printed on Liverpool's jerseys. — AFP
