This summer, Liverpool surprised many by making significant financial moves to assemble a team reminiscent of the famed Galacticos, after clinching their 20th league title last season.
A record-breaking £446 million was invested in players during the club’s most costly transfer window to date. Central to this were the high-profile acquisitions of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Richard Hughes, the sporting director, made a bold start to the summer window by acquiring the much-coveted Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, in a deal valued at a then-British record £116 million.
The transfer saga that spanned the entire summer was finally concluded on deadline day. Liverpool shattered their club record and the British record for a second time that summer to secure their top striker target, Isak, for £125 million.
On the surface, this amounts to £241 million for merely two forward players. However, the financial outlay was not disbursed in a single sum; rather, the deal’s structure results in Liverpool committing to spend only £51.25 million on the two players this summer, as reported by The Times.
Alexander Isak signed for a Liverpool in a British record package deal worth £125million
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Florian Wirtz (right) cost £100m up front, but Liverpool have reportedly split that into five instalments
As for Wirtz, Liverpool has agreed to pay Leverkusen a guaranteed £100 million, irrespective of the German attacking midfielder’s success in England.
That large sum of money will be split into five equal instalments over time, something negotiated by Hughes to ease ‘the strain on finances’.
The add-ons agreed in the deal, which are worth an extra £16m to Leverkusen, will only be paid if Liverpool win the Champions League or the Premier League on four separate occasions during Wirtz’s time at Anfield.
The negotiations to bring Isak through the door proved much tougher for Hughes, with a deal looking unlikely at times before Newcastle finally loosened their grip on the Swede on the Sunday night ahead of the deadline.
Liverpool initially bid £110m for the striker, a fee they deemed as respectable at the time, but it was rejected almost immediately by the Magpies hierarchy, and then ensued a four-week saga in which Isak pushed hard for his dream move, while Hughes and Co stood back and waited for the all clear to launch a second bid.
That second bid came after encouragement on 31 August, just hours after Arne Slot’s side had dispatched of their title rivals Arsenal at Anfield, with the two clubs agreeing on a record-breaking £125m fee.
The Times has revealed that the deal will be paid in four instalments, meaning that Liverpool have only had to fork out £31.25m for Isak this summer.
There is a possibility that Isak, who netted 23 Premier League goals last term, could make his debut for the club at Turf Moor on Sunday, as Liverpool take on Burnley looking for their fourth successive league win.
Richard Hughes has reportedly negotiated the two deals so that Liverpool only spend £51.25m on teh two players this summer
However, due to his lack of pre-season and the form of fellow new striker Hugo Ekitike, who cost Liverpool £79m this window, it is likely that the Swedish star will have to settle for the bench.
Another arrival, Milos Kerkez, will also be involved, with summer signings Giovanni Leoni, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and the returning Jeremie Frimpong, all in training.
Slot’s side are the only side left in the Premier League yet to drop a point, despite not having played their best football, having beaten Bournemouth and Newcastle, as well as the Gunners.
