Liverpool had known for a while that it needed to change. Its front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané was one of the most potent attacking tridents in the history of the game, their complementary skills elevating each of the three individuals. But all three have turned 30 in the past year; quite apart from concerns that familiarity could breed staleness, it is dangerous to let a team grow old together.
Evolution is perhaps the hardest task facing a manager who would oversee a dynasty. It takes remarkable clear-sightedness to take apart something that has worked and begin to rebuild it. Liverpool as a club has managed those transitions extremely well, which is why it has been able to just about keep pace with Manchester City despite far less expenditure. But where resources really matter is that Liverpool can’t afford mistakes. City can buy a player who doesn’t work out and then simply replace him; if Liverpool squandered $50 million, it would have a knock-on effect that might potentially last seasons.
The pace of change at Anfield has perhaps been slightly quicker than Liverpool would have liked. Luis Díaz arrived in January, but the intention had been to wait at least six months. Liverpool had been tracking the Colombian for a while but was forced to act when Tottenham emerged as a potential buyer.
