Rousing the Kop

It's already clear what Richard Hughes' biggest mistake of this summer's transfer window has been - opinion

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Liverpool face a race against the clock as there is just a week left for them to get any deals over the line.

The Reds are widely regarded as shrewd operators in the transfer market and they very rarely get things wrong.

This summer they have asserted their dominance in the market and made signings of the highest order, leaving many to fear facing Liverpool this season.



However, despite all their plaudits, they do make mistakes and there appears to be a glaringly obvious one that Richard Hughes has made this summer.



Although at the time it may have looked like a good decision, with just a week left of the window, it now looks like it might have come back to bite them.

Photo by Gerrit van Keulen/Soccrates/Getty Images

As well as buying extremely well over the last few months, Liverpool have also sold to good effect and made over £200m from outgoings.

Just one player who has departed is Jarell Quansah, with the Englishman joining Bayer Leverkusen for £35m.

On paper, this looks like a fantastic deal as it is pure profit for a homegrown talent and a player who was not guaranteed to start every game this season.

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However, based on the situation Liverpool are currently in now, looking back on it would indicate that they have made a huge mistake.

The Reds are now very short of options at the back and they are wanting to bring in another body before the window shuts, although this is becoming increasingly unlikely due to the lack of movement on that front.

Giovanni Leoni has arrived but at just 18 with little to no experience, he would be a huge risk to bring on in games towards the start of the new season.

As well as this, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are very injury prone, leaving just Virgil van Dijk as a first-team option, highlighting the need for Quansah.

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He is young and already has a good amount of experience under his belt, giving him the perfect blend to really excel at Liverpool for years to come.

And, with the 22-year-old now impressing at Leverkusen, he is proving further why he should have been kept, indicating that, for once, Hughes has made an error.

One good thing about Hughes is that as well as only making one error this summer, he can also atone for it to some extent after putting a buy-back clause in Quansah’s contract.

The clause is for £51m but it cannot be activated until 2027, meaning Liverpool may have to rue their mistake for at least a few years first.

By then, however, the Reds may have their issues sorted, with the futures of van Dijk and Konate both likely dealt with.

2027 is the year the Liverpool captain’s contract runs out, while Konate will either be a year into his new deal or elsewhere by then, very likely being Real Madrid.

If everything has gone to plan too, Leoni should be ready to take over at the back for Liverpool, meaning Quansah could very well return to partner him.