Warchest available as Liverpool plan summer squad revamp | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Big Budget Summer Backed by a Clever Warchest Strategy

Words matter when Liverpool talk about spending

When Dave Davis quoted the now-infamous line from Lewis Steele’s recent Mail Sport piece—“The club is expected to spend big to capitalise on the success”—he knew exactly what he was doing. Speaking on the Media Matters Podcast for Anfield Index, Davis laughed, “Those are big words, Mr Lewis Steele, and you know they’ll cause a fanfare in this fan base.”

The idea of a Liverpool warchest is one that stirs the blood. The thought of backing Arne Slot with a proper summer budget is enough to fill column inches and dominate phone-ins. But as Steele was quick to clarify: “I could have worded that bit stronger if I wanted to. I nearly wrote the word transfer warchest, but I thought that’s just going to get absolutely torn apart on the aggregators.”

Budget available but measured approach expected

So, are Liverpool really preparing to unleash a big budget in the transfer window? Steele explained the nuance: “It’s not necessarily saying Liverpool are going to spend, you know, 300–400 million. It’s saying that there is money to spend, and they will spend it.”

This is Liverpool, not a club known for recklessness. Steele acknowledged the club’s business-first mindset while making it clear that support will be there for Slot: “FSG are happy to back Slot. Michael Edwards is going to give him the funds he deserves.” But he added the inevitable caveat: “They will still follow their business model… they’re not suddenly going to be going 150 million there, 150 million there.”

Photo: IMAGO

In essence, yes, there’s a warchest. But don’t expect it to be opened without thought. This is not Abramovich-era Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour’s early Manchester City. It’s Liverpool—strategic, efficient, and driven by value.

Targeted spending to reshape key areas

The podcast conversation turned to the specifics of where that big budget might be deployed. Steele revealed: “I think the recruitment team has identified two or three areas that need to be addressed this summer.”

Among those priorities are striker, left-back and central defence. “A striker is definitely top of the priority list,” said Steele. “Slot has said, ‘Yes, we are winning games, but we’re not absolutely hammering teams.’” That kind of comment matters. It’s a clear message from the manager: the squad needs sharpening, not just sustaining.

Steele continued: “I think striker and left-back are the definite. Then the others are—let’s see what we can do.” It’s the modern Liverpool approach. Plan. Execute. React opportunistically when the right player emerges.

Summer of exits to balance the warchest

While Liverpool are expected to spend, outgoings will play a part. “I think outgoings will happen though. They will need to balance the books,” Steele added. The idea isn’t just about splashing a big budget, but about keeping the club’s financial model intact while upgrading the squad.

Last summer, Liverpool spent just £10 million. That won’t happen again. “The money’s there. That’s no problem,” said Steele. But measured spending remains the order of the day.