Jamie Carragher was adamant that Liverpool had someone lined up to bolster their midfield in the summer transfer window, insisting "they're not daft".
the Reds chose not to bring in anyone to improve their options in the middle of the park before the season began - a decision that has come back to haunt them - but the belief was the club were ready to go all in to capture Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
Now though it has emerged that Liverpool have pulled out of the race to sign the English star, according to ESPN. The funds necessary to finance the deal are beyond what the club want to pay and they will head back to the drawing board in an effort to regenerate their ageing midfield.
Despite several names being linked with a switch to Anfield, it seems as if Liverpool are still deciding on who they will pursue, which makes a mockery of their decision to deprive their midfield of new faces in the summer. The move is set to be a major factor in them missing out on the top four, despite Carragher's confidence in their transfer plan.
He previously said on the Overlap: "Notoriously, how Liverpool have done their transfer business under Klopp, they wait for who they want. When they didn't get Van Dijk that time they waited until January. Most fans were saying you've got to go out and get a centre-half, but no, they don't panic. Even when all their centre-backs got injured in the same season, in the January they bought a couple in on loan.
"They didn't buy anyone because of who they wanted - which was Konate. They waited. I think Liverpool aren't daft, the first choice midfield three is quite old, but Liverpool are prepared to wait, I think that's why they've been so good in the transfer market and they must have someone lined up in the summer."
The likes of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo and Matheus Nunes have all been touted as potentials ins, but some would appear more available than others. Liverpool have persevered with the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, who've been stalwarts of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Nowadays however they're struggling to produce the intensity necessary in a Klopp system, which has seen the club endured the worst campaign of the German's tenure. The Reds boss though has rejected claims he is too loyal to his players: "I heard I'm too loyal but I am not too loyal. The problem is too complex. If you can then go out and bring in another player to replace him, then it makes sense."
Liverpool's summer recruitment will have to be done without the allure of Champions League football unless the club can put together a sensational winning run, which seems unlikely given their inconsistent form this term.
