Michael Edwards may have just repeated his best transfer lap at Liverpool

It was a deal that sparked some mockery from some rival fans when it was announced in July 2017.

Liverpool had followed Andrew Robertson’s progress at Hull City, the Scotsman a beacon in an otherwise miserable 2016/17 campaign that ended in relegation from the Premier League to the Tigers.

Then 23-year-old left-back had done enough to convince Reds boss Jurgen Klopp and Anfield makers that he had what it took to cut him off on Merseyside and tick the boxes of what Michael Edwards and FSG did were looking for newcomers.

The £ 10million fee seems like one of the biggest deals in Premier League history when you look back.

A Premier League winner’s medal and a Champions League winner’s medal from a player who came back to Alberto Moreno. If a team wants to test Liverpool’s resolve in the transfer market in the current climate, they would likely have to spend over £ 70million on one of Europe’s best left-backs.

A £ 60million increase in spending for a player who still has room to develop and plenty of football ahead of him has to be seen as a remarkable undertaking.

Liverpool have had some joy in this department before and so are looking to try and replicate that formula again with the signing of Ben Davies, the 25-year-old center-back arriving for a around £ 1.6million deal on the side of the Preston North Fin Championship, with £ 500,000 due in advance.

Despite being older than Robertson when he arrived at Liverpool, Davies is seen as someone who still has room to develop, anchored in the lower rungs of the pyramid through loans at Southport , Fleetwood Town and York City served him well. his journey into one of the best second-row center-backs.

Robertson also knew what it was like to hone his skills in this way, his spells at Queens Park and Dundee United before his move to Hull giving him the tools to hit the ground while running on Humberside.

While the addition of Davies may not be the answer to Liverpool’s immediate needs, there is no financial risk involved in such a move.

There are clauses included in the deal for Davies that will be activated if he makes an appearance in England, a clear indication that there is the talent to make such a progression.

His value will likely double just by moving to Liverpool and if he didn’t get the note for some reason it would be highly unlikely the Reds would make a loss if they did pass him.

The objective, however, will be to try to find a piece of jewelry at a reduced price.

Getting Davies for such a sum could prove to be a masterstroke if it works, especially considering that the transfer market has even become bloated at the league level with clubs able to order big fees for their talent, as evidenced by Aston Villa’s £ 11million move to Brentford. defenseman Ezri Konsa in 2019, a move that paid off for Dean Smith’s side.

For Davies, he doesn’t need loan time away from the club just like Robertson didn’t, he paid his dues and worked with Klopp and his team behind the scenes and hang out with some of the greatest players. of world football day in and day out means he’s getting ready to contribute. He is, after all, 25 years old.

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It’s a low-risk move that has the potential for major gains for the Reds, both on and off the pitch.

If that turns out to be a move that works, Klopp and Liverpool might well have denied the need to lose a lot of money in another 12 or 18 months, depending on whether they can strike a deal for another center-back either in that window or this summer.

It also means that the burden on the payroll will be less.

Shkrodan Mustafi, a name linked to the Reds in this window, was earning around £ 90,000 a week at Arsenal. By comparison, Davies was by some estimates bringing in around £ 84,000 less in Deepdale.

If that doesn’t work, Liverpool will get their money back and more. In the meantime, having another experienced player in the ranks means the pressure is on Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips, both of whom could benefit from regular football away from the limelight and the burden of having to deliver to keep the Reds on. track to retain their Premier League crown.

While getting the most out of FSG might seem tricky to Klopp at times, it would have been obvious.