Distance Covered

For the love of God, please relax. Social media was packed full of your usual suspects last week. The guys who always seem to think the world is ending. Those panic merchants feasted because Liverpool announced the departure of Michael Edwards, who’s been operating as Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football for the past two years. Big news on the face of things, but really not that big of a deal once you delve a bit deeper. So Edwards essentially returned for two reasons.

So I want to cover something that I’m growing increasingly concerned about in this post. We all want Liverpool to press on with their summer transfer business, but at the same time, the list of potential targets looks pretty dry right now. If you’ve followed this Substack over the past few months, you’ll know my thoughts on the right-back market. You’ll know my thoughts on the right winger market, too. Two important areas of need for the Reds.

So I thought about writing about the World Cup in this piece. That’s how dry the current landscape seems to be regarding Liverpool, the transfer market and the club scene as a whole. But fear not. I won’t be stooping that low just yet. Your piece on Ingerlund will have to wait for another week. This post is on the suits. The guys who must deliver for Liverpool to stand any chance of improving next term. Even though they probably won’t be here. So there’s lots of noise surrounding these guys right now.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -10:00 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Episode #121 covers right wingers who Liverpool could sign, and players of interest to the Reds at the World Cup. Why should Liverpool chase Ayyoub Bouaddi? Did we learn anything about Florian Wirtz at the World Cup? Should Richard Hughes target Pedro Neto? Which Manchester City player could Liverpool sign? Should we worry about Hughes moving to Saudi Arabia?

We’re in a funny place at the moment. A few years ago, Ian Graham explained in his book — How to Win the Premier League — that Liverpool eventually reached a point whereby they intentionally avoided the transfer market as a subtle means of gaining an edge over their competitors. The market was that daft and unpredictable — with one in two transfers generally failing — that Jürgen Klopp almost benefited from the Reds not getting involved in the circus that surrounded them.

Episode #120 covers Liverpool’s failed pursuit of Yan Diomandé, and how the transfer window is shaping up for the Reds. How will Richard Hughes navigate losing out on Diomandé? Who might Liverpool target instead? Could Bradley Barcola play on the right? Is Hughes already swimming against the tide? Will Andoni Iraola have enough players next term?

So I delayed writing this piece until Sunday night, and I’m glad I did. Because just as I sat down to put some words together, news broke that Yan Diomande has opted to join Paris Saint-Germain rather than Liverpool this summer. Not good. Not good at all. Where do we go from here? So before I delve into the latest developments, I want to cover a bit of background information for those who haven’t followed this Substack every single week for the past year.

So after going on holiday just 24 hours before Liverpool signed him, I kinda feel like I’ve arrived late to the party regarding Víctor Muñoz. As crazy as it sounds, he’s almost old news already. For that reason, I’m going to overlook Distance Covered tradition by writing an overview piece on him on this occasion. You guys already know plenty by now, and I recorded this little scouting report on him just a few days ago.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -1:30 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. A fresh instalment of my mini podcast. The idea is a 10-minute chat reacting to any breaking news on the scene. Casual, immediate and informal. So Liverpool signed Víctor Muñoz while I was on holiday last week. Why has Richard Hughes invested in the Spaniard? To gain access to all of my written content and my occasional mini podcasts, upgrade your subscription for just £5.99 per month.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -13:16 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. A different sort of Mini this time. Just a little end-of-season catch up, reflecting on the past year from a personal perspective while walking the dog. Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while to thank you for your support over the past 12 months. Free to listen. Love you all.