It is the autumn of 2010 and Liverpool are in a mess. The team had been in poor form for quite some time and the sale of the club had to be forced upon the owners.
In came New England Sports Ventures, later to become Fenway Sports Group. They were led by successful American businessman John Henry, with their initial priority to save Liverpool from their impending financial doom.
While the Reds’ squad was not without talented players, it was clear that they needed to do some important transfer business and fast. Despite a background in baseball and having no prior football experience, Henry installed himself as sporting director to take charge of the club’s transfer activity.
READ MORE: Liverpool might have just forced Man City to replace 'exceptional' player Pep Guardiola loves
READ MORE: Paul Merson makes 'controversial' Fabinho Liverpool transfer claim and slams Sadio Mane stance
Wait, what? That didn’t happen. Henry hired Damien Comolli as his director of football strategy within a month of taking charge, and while the Frenchman’s time with Liverpool ultimately didn’t work out, the new owner left the Reds’ transfers business in the hands of someone who had worked in that field before.
Yet it seems the deliberate error in the opening paragraphs was not merely included to check you are paying attention, it actually has a basis in reality. But thankfully for Liverpool, it’s not their reality but that of one of their main rivals at the top end of the Premier League.
Replace a few key words in the introduction and it would become a reasonably accurate description of recent events at Chelsea. The reasons for the sale might be different but the club now finds itself in the hands of Todd Boehly, part of the ownership group which controls the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
And it was announced on Wednesday via a statement on the Chelsea website that “Boehly will operate as interim sporting director… continuing the club’s work towards its targets during the current transfer window.” The Blues need to name a full-time replacement for Marina Granovskaia, who was until recently a director at the club, so the new owner is stepping into the breach for the time being.
Needs must and all that, but can you imagine the reaction on social media if Henry had ever done that at Liverpool, even on a temporary basis? Meltdown would be putting it kindly. But while this is the dawning of a new era at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have generally lagged behind Liverpool in the Jurgen Klopp era and it’s hard to see that changing soon.
Granted, both clubs can point to one Premier League and one Champions League title each across the last seven campaigns, but the Reds have finished the higher in the table in six of those seasons. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel admitted last month that his side would struggle to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City in 2022/23, and with the current state of play it’s hard to see him being proved wrong.
After all, Chelsea appear to have completed perhaps the worst piece of transfer business English football has ever seen in the last year. Having spent £97.5million on Romelu Lukaku despite him not fitting into their Champions League-winning manager’s style of play or plans, they have now loaned him back to former club Inter Milan. It’s hard to see anything other than the Blues suffering an enormous financial loss on the deal once the Belgian’s second spell at the club is over.
As much as supporters love to see their team invest eye watering sums, the Lukaku signing was the type which Liverpool would simply never make. Darwin Nunez may end up becoming the Reds’ costliest ever signing, but he was signed with Klopp’s thorough endorsement and will have ample resale value should anything go awry as his best years lie in the future.
You can’t blame Chelsea for reportedly approaching Michael Edwards to be their new sporting director, nor him for rejecting their offer. The Blues are in an awkward period of transition and it should aid the Reds’ hopes of securing further trophies at their expense next season.
READ NEXT
- Bayern Munich chief sends Serge Gnabry transfer message after Liverpool 'talks'
- 'There’s talk' - Steve McManaman makes Liverpool transfer prediction and bold Darwin Nunez point
- Ben Davies becomes unlikely Liverpool transfer success as talks held with champions
- Roberto Firmino Liverpool 'leaving date' named by Sir Kenny Dalglish signing
- Mohamed Salah and two others could lose out in new Liverpool formation
