Why Liverpool’s non-homegrown quota is not an excuse for failing to make a deadline day signing
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Liverpool appear determined not to do any incoming transfer business on deadline day, with fans pointing to the club’s bulging non-homegrown quota as a potential reason for the inactivity.The Reds currently have all 17 of their overseas spots accounted for, and as a result, any new arrival would have to be a homegrown player.However, while this is technically the case, Liverpool have an easy workaround which could see them sign a new player before the 11pm deadline. The Frenchman has joined in a whopping £123m move from PSG Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC Liverpool should not register Hugo EkitikeThere are two windows in which Liverpool can register players for the Premier League, with one of them closing after Tuesday’s deadline.The other is in January, when changes can once again be made in line with the winter window.This is reportedly around the time that Hugo Ekitike will be beginning to return following his Achilles rupture, and Liverpool could use that to make room on the list for the first half of the season.Given he is highly unlikely to play before January, there is no reason why Ekitike cannot be left off the soon-to-be published list and put back on it in the new year.READ MORE: Liverpool look set to take a risk and ignore Andoni Iraola’s transfer wishes on deadline dayPhoto by Xavier Laine/Getty ImagesThat would then free up one spot for Liverpool to sign Ismaila Sarr, Yankuba Minteh, or, as unlikely as it might seem, a new midfielder.Obviously this would just be kicking the problem down the road somewhat, as the Reds would still then be in need of another spot when Ekitike came back to fitness.However, the window would be open for a full month, with the possibility to move on any one of Federico Chiesa, Kostas Tsimikas or Wataru Endo.Chiesa is probably the most likely candidate to be sold, especially if a new forward does come in, and even if Liverpool can’t get the Italian off the books, they retain the option to de-register him from the Premier League.
Who should be Liverpool’s designated penalty-taker this season? Plenty of fans seem to think Alexander Isak should have stepped up against Newcastle… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto/Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA While that would be a last resort, that is January’s problem.
For now, Liverpool are very much short and very much in need of some smarter thinking.On paper, they have an issue here, but Ekitike’s injury gives them some wiggle room, wiggle room which they must take advantage of.They may have other reasons for not doing the business required this summer, but not having spaces available in the squad should not be one of them. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox