Paul Merson has his verdict on Sadio Mane transfer on his column for the Daily Star
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| Paul Merson isn't a fan of Liverpool's transfer business this summer because of the sale of Sadio Mane |
Liverpool didn't bothered too much about selling Sadio Mane after they clinched the signing of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez this year.
However, the Reds have struggled at the beginning of their new season and that has drawn the attention of many football enthusiasts and pundits to the verdict of Sadio Mane's sale to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Writing on his column for the Daily Star, Arsenal legend Paul Merson highlighted "a wrong decision made by Liverpool".
He wrote: "Liverpool were my tip for the Premier League title but they've been shaken to their core in their opening three matches. So many of their big players just haven't got going and weirdly, I could never see them beating Man United.
"Offloading Sadio Mane was the worst business in the world. It was a terrible sale. Even if you kept him for another season and let him go for free, you've got a world-class forward for another 12 months.
"For that amount of money - £35m - you can't tell me Liverpool think that's a lot because they went and bought Darwin Nunez for £85m. They could have delayed that and kept Mane. He's a big-game player that makes things and Liverpool are currently missing those.
"Virgil van Dijk is a Rolls-Royce and never in your wildest dreams would you imagine him to do what he did the other night at Old Trafford. If he was on trial at Liverpool and that was a practise match, he wouldn't be coming back next week. That's how bad it was.
"We have seen over time that Liverpool can still reel games off, they can win seven on the trot and we wouldn't even blink so it's not time to panic, yet. Then again, that was with a razor-sharp Mane. He was such an integral player to everything that's been so good about Liverpool.
Merson also questioned Klopp's approach when making substitute
"I'm starting to wonder whether Jurgen Klopp fancies Andy Robertson anymore. He keeps on being subbed for Kostas Tsimikas while Harvey Elliott looks like their best player and he's only a kid. Klopp is also bringing off his captain Jordan Henderson after an hour. If you're the skipper, you'd be shocked at that.
"Henderson is 32 and Milner is 36 - not much has changed in this game but it has definitely gotten quicker. They've got slower. Liverpool always do their homework on signings so they won't just sign somebody for the sake of it. They have to suit the way they play.
"One name that keeps cropping up is Youri Tielemans, who was dropped to the bench by Leicester last weekend as he continues to angle for a move. I'm just not sure if he suits Liverpool. I might be wrong but if they do go for him, it's a panic buy. There hasn't been any interest in him before this mini-crisis.
Merson believes Liverpool can still come back to winning ways while they're looking at the market for answers
"I don't like that - when you lose a couple of games and all of a sudden, you buy someone who wasn't even on the radar. You don't just become a bad team overnight. Key players haven't got started and injuries have played their part. The Nunez red card was also a massive kick in the teeth.
"Trent Alexander-Arnold has also been getting loads of stick, he's all over the place defensively right now but you have to take the rough with the smooth. He's a special player. People are quick to flag his poor performances but when you're getting assists like he does, he is such an asset. He is going to have off days, just like his unbelievable days.
"Last week against Crystal Palace, he put a ball through to Mohammed Salah that only Dennis Bergkamp could do. The criticism is over the top. The title isn't gone for Liverpool just yet but it will be soon if they don't up their game..."