It looks like Fenway Sports Group have decided on their manager for next season, as the Belfast Telegraph is reporting that Brendan Rodgers has been given a transfer budget of £45 million.
Despite a poor season, which will probably see Liverpool miss out on Champions League football again, and with Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp waiting in the wings, FSG are keeping their faith with Rodgers, by offering him a strong starting point to rebuild the first team at Anfield.
The £45 million is a net number, and considering the expected exodus of players from Anfield this summer, Rodgers could have as much as £65-70 million to spend.
This is a bold move by Liverpool’s owners, entrusting Rodgers with another sizable transfer budget as his history since arriving at Anfield as manager has very much been hit and miss. While Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho have been successes at the club, recent signings such as Dejan Lovren and Mario Balotelli have been notable disappointments. Meanwhile, the jury is still out on the likes of Lazar Markovic, and Simon Mignolet could be sold at the end of this season after just two years with the club.
Rodgers has commented that one of the problems this season will trying to incorporate so many new faces into the squad and that resulted in the Reds slow start to the season. But with as many as ten first team squad members expected to leave Liverpool this summer, it looks like Rodgers will once again be needing to bed a whole new group of players into his squad this summer. And that could cause problems for the Liverpool manager, who will be under a lot of pressure to get off to a good start to the new season.
