John Henry needn’t have journeyed across the Atlantic to know what Liverpool require this summer.
But the Fenway Sports Group chief’s latest rare appearance to watch the Reds was a timley reminder of the task at hand to restore the team to former glories under the current ownership.
Henry was sat alongside Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan to take in this hard-earned 2-1 win at West Ham United that keeps alive a flicker of hope of Champions League qualification.
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What will have been surely foremost in his mind, however, was seeing first-hand the need for midfield reinforcements that has been glaringly apparent for much of the campaign.
It’s not that this result - only a fifth Premier League away win of the season - was achieved in spite of the engine room’s performance. But it’s an area for obvious improvement.
Fabinho in particular has had a difficult campaign, epitomised by his fitful performance here. The Brazilian is far from a busted flush, but the fact is Liverpool must prioritise a defensive midfielder to help ease the burden.
The same can be said for Jordan Henderson, whose advancing years mean his minutes need to managed to extract the best impact from him. This was a sixth consecutive start for the skipper and it at times showed.
Then there was Curtis Jones, whose versatility has allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to prosper in a midfield role but understandably is still seeking his level after missing so much of the season.
Of course, FSG – unlike some other Premier League owners – have obvious financial restraints. The search for outside investment has yet to yield any reward, while the decision to step away – at least for now – from the long-term pursuit of Jude Bellingham underlines how an injection of cash is ultimately far more decisive than any groundwork on a potential transfer.
Indeed, that Liverpool’s equaliser against the Hammers came from Cody Gakpo – a player bought in a £44m deal in January - was a reminder to FSG of the benefit of spending big to secure talent, whether it be proven or, in the case of the Dutchman, still with encouraging potential.
Even if the Reds will be busy this summer, there’s no need to usher the midfielders who started here – nor second-half substitute Thiago Alcantara – out the exit. They need assistance, not replacing, particularly given Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arthur Melo – none of whom were involved here – and James Milner are set to leave.
Only six games remain for Liverpool to salvage anything from an occasionally tortuous campaign. But Henry will know the clock is now ticking on arguably the Reds’ most important transfer window in five years.
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