Liverpool’s £210m transfer decision is vindicated following summer business so far

Liverpool’s signings of Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister and RB Leipzig’s Dominic Szoboszlai during the summer window have cost a combined £95m, whereas Jude Bellingham completed his switch to Real Madrid for an initial fee of £88.5m, but do Liverpool have the better deal?

Mac Allister has just enjoyed the season of his career and Szoboszlai looks like a player who could add real creativity and both constitute shrewd business from the club. Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that Liverpool’s primary target in Bellingham eluded them. He opted for Real, making it two summers in a row that they were forced to miss out to Los Blancos for a key midfield signing. The former being Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Instead of resting on their laurels this time round, they acted quickly to sign the aforementioned duo for a combined total which works to a similar total fee that the Spanish club paid for the 19-year-old Englishman. Whilst signing Bellingham, a young star touted as one of the best youngsters in world football who grew up idolising Steven Gerrard was a mouthwatering prospect, their ‘Plan B’ option was perhaps just as good, if not better.

Financially, it clearly makes sense. Two very good players for the price of one is certainly something that their owners would have pushed for. But the main positive here is the fact that they didn’t allow the window to pass them by, as they have in previous years. However, with four midfielders departing before the window opened, the club was always going to recruit, but the swiftness to complete both deals showed they weren’t about to repeat the same mistakes as previous windows.

Both signings also possess a terrific availability record which will please Jurgen Klopp, with Mac Allister playing 35 league games and registering nearly 3,000 minutes whilst the Hungarian managed 46 games in all competitions, with over 3,700 minutes played. Those are key stats given the frailties shown by Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur Melo last season who were rarely available and it’s been an issue that’s plagued their midfield for several seasons due to the intensity of playing in Liverpool’s system.

Fresh legs was something that all of their midfield targets had in common this summer and it’s evident with their two signings here.

Another similarity they share is their set-piece ability; both displayed that last season and across their careers to date and are accomplished penalty takers as well. They could also both operate within the same starting eleven which is an exciting prospect for fans.

The duo tick a lot of boxes, fulfilling more requirements for the greater good of the squad than Bellingham could have managed on his own. Madrid could eventually be forced to pay £114m for the player if all add-ons are met, meaning the Reds could end up paying less for their two latest signings - who they hope will vindicate that decision next season.