Rodgers reveals why Liverpool missed out on transfer target

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said that it was financial and not football reasons that cost the reds the signing of Willian.

And the Daily Post reports the Anfield manager has raised concerns about the clubs lack of big spending leading to them being pushed further down the pecking order for the Champions League places.

Falling behind

It was barely a week ago that Liverpool were first linked with the Brazilian winger, making contact and opening talks with his club Anzhi Makhachkala.

But it seems in that short space of time the Merseyside Giants have gone from pole position to third option for the spoilt for choice samba star.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, no agreement was reached and in a matter of days Tottenham Hotspur had agreed a fee thought to be around the £30m mark and he duly passed a medical at the lane.

Then to top it off just as Andre Villas Boas relaxed, thinking Spurs had got their man, in stepped Chelseato gazump everyone with a better offer.

Willian with the juicy offer of a bumper contract  and Champions League football on the table not surprisingly has decided he’ll be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge next season, say the Post.

Frustration

Having missed out on Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donestk and Diego Costa from Athletico Madrid this summer already, Rodgers let a small touch of frustration slip out when asked about failing to land yet another player targeted and seemingly on his way.

The Liverpool manager was asked whether it was for footballing reasons that the reds missed out on Willian and here’s what he had to say on the matter.

“No, it wasn’t a football one and I don’t really want to go into it… that’s for us as a club really.

“The bottom line is he hasn’t come here for whatever reason and we move on.

“We identify the targets and then try and get the deal done financially. That’s how it was. The club has pushed financially as hard as they felt they could but it wasn’t to be.

“It’s disappointing because this was a player who would have been perfect for us.”

The manager continued “The biggest thing you need as a Liverpool manager is perseverance.

“We expect to be the best we can possibly be, but that means getting the best players. It’s not just any player, but the right player. Where they can, the owners will finance that.                                      

“Who makes the call ‘we’re out’? That’s obviously beyond me. It’s the owners’ money and they will always have the final say because it’s they who run the club.

“I can push and do everything to get the player in, but it’s their money.”