FSG decision made in 2013 may be factor behind Liverpool missing out on Moises Caicedo

John Henry might be the first to confess that he's scarcely an expert when it comes to the sport they call soccer in his homeland.

Ask him about the finer details about what's happening during a game on a baseball diamond, ice hockey rink, American Football gridiron or basketball court and his knowledge will likely be sage.

Yet his acumen when it comes to football - certainly making judgements and passing opinion what’s happening on the pitch - may well be limited. Granted, it'll have markedly improved since he purchased Liverpool in 2010 but it'll still be significantly behind the layman on these shores.

From his vantage point at Stamford Bridge, however, as he watched Liverpool's 2023-24 Premier League curtain raiser against Chelsea, even Henry must realise how imperative it is that a new defensive midfielder is recruited.

In truth, the Reds may feel slightly fortunate that they managed to avoid an opening-day loss in the capital. For two-thirds of the game, Liverpool were put on the back foot by a Chelsea side who're very much in transition under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Reds were limited to just 35% possession, although that figure would have been substantially lower in the second half.

Granted, Jurgen Klopp's side weren't forced into a rearguard action with goalline blocks and scrambles aplenty. Yet they were dominated by Chelsea - and chiefly because of their lack of protection in midfield.

A makeshift engine room of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo was deployed. Of the trio, only Szoboszlai lined up in his natural position. With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho being sold to Saudi Arabia outfits Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad respectively, Klopp has been left with no natural option to operate in the number-six position.

Mac Allister was given the remit against Chelsea and, as expected, was eye-catching in possession although tired in the second period. That's no fault of his own. Neither was the under-par performance of Gakpo. Since arriving from PSV Eindhoven in January, he's underlined that his best position is as a centre-forward.

To their credit, Liverpool limited Chelsea to a dearth of clear-cut opportunities. Had Mo Salah not strayed narrowly offside when he thought he'd doubled the Reds' advantage in the first half following Luis Diaz's opener, things might have been different.

Yet their lack of nous protection provided to the back four was stark as the game wore on. A point was a decent result at the final whistle.

Exchanges between Henry and his Chelsea counterpart Todd Boehly in the Stamford Bridge boardroom would have been intriguing. Moises Caicedo, who both clubs were in hot pursuit of, has now agreed to join the Londoners for £115 million from Brighton. Dovetail that with both outfits also chasing Southampton's Romeo Lavia and things could well have been a little edgy when the two Americans came face to face.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have indeed shown they're willing to provide Klopp with the funds to sign a premium midfielder. However, whether they are prepared to match their main rivals when it comes to wages is another question. With Caicedo being handed a eight-year deal by Chelsea, it can only be surmised he'll be handed a substantial contract that marries up with the transfer fee to boot.

The wages Liverpool pay are scarcely meagre but the reported £125,000-per-week Dominik Szoboszlai was reportedly handed after joining from RB Leipzig won't place him among the top earners in the squad. The same can be hypothised about Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, who have all signed in the past 12 months.

A decade ago, the Reds changed their approach to offer more incentives for players to be successful at Anfield, having been stung by paying big money to flops such as Alberto Aquilani and Joe Cole. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in 2013, former CEO Ian Ayre siad: “The attitude I’m trying to put forward when we’re negotiating with agents is that we want to do a contract which is fair for both sides. Fair often means the right amount of reward for a player who delivers. Everyone we bring through the door we expect to perform and and do the best they can. As long as any player does that they should be rewarded for it.

“I’m not one of those who subscribes to the idea that players are necessarily overpaid. I think they make a huge contribution to the biggest league in the world. From the football club’s perspective, our view has to be that people are rewarded for contributing towards what we achieve. As long as contracts are structured in that way then everyone wins. If a player performs then he will be rewarded. That’s the philosophy of the contracts we are offering and signing.”

In fairness to FSG, they have rewarded plenty of the squad with fresh bumper deals for proving their worth Mo Salah was given a £400,000-per-week last summer making him the highest-paid player in the club's history. Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have too been given new terms. If Luis Diaz continues on his upward trajectory, an increase can be expected. The same for Ibrahima Konate.

FSG have their way of working. They run Liverpool on a self-sustainable model that transformed them from perennial underachievers to Premier League and Champions League winners. What's more, dressing room harmony has to be considered.

The fact FSG were willing to break the British transfer record for Caicedo underlines that they're committed to recruiting the right players Klopp covets. Yet when rivals are willing to hand out vast contracts from the outset then Liverpool may always find themselves as second-favourites in any transfer tussle.