Manchester United and Liverpool are worlds apart, both in quality and in the Premier League table. But both clubs are financial powerhouses, so we’ve had a look at their net transfer spend since Jurgen Klopp took over at the Merseyside club in October 2015.
United are known for spending huge amounts of money, but their inconsistent transfer policy has meant that their huge squad is overpaid and underperforming.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have leapfrogged their rivals since Klopp arrived at Anfield, in part thanks to the club’s more careful transfer decisions.
Liverpool clinched the Champions League in 2018-19 and then went on to finally win their first Premier League the following season. In this campaign, they’ve already won the League Cup and are competing on all three fronts for a historic quadruple.
For Manchester United’s current interim manager, Ralf Ragnick, one of the reasons the Red Devils have fallen behind is the structure behind the scenes at the club.
“In Germany, we have a head coach and then there is usually a minimum of two skilled people continuously in the club on a longer-term basis responsible for recruitment, scouting, and any daily operation,” he told Sky Sports ahead of the North West derby.
“This still hasn’t got a big tradition here and so the job of a sporting director or director of football – only a few clubs have that.
“I know Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea also have smart people who take care of recruitment, scouting, the medical department… I think this is also an issue for our club, where they have to pay attention to.”
But just how big is the difference in transfer spending between United and Liverpool?
We’ve had a look at the figures from Transmarkt and found out the five biggest purchases and five biggest sales for both clubs since Klopp arrived in October 2015, as well as figured out the net spend for both clubs.
Look away now, United fans.
Liverpool
Five Biggest Purchases
1. Virgil van Dijk –…