It was not exactly Paul Scholes agreeing a new Manchester United contract during a brief chat with Sir Alex Ferguson but there was something wholly reassuring for Liverpool in the process that led to Brendan Rodgers extending his stay at Anfield.
First, Rodgers handled the bulk of negotiations with Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, himself. More importantly, he took charge of talks to ensure the upward trajectory of his two-year Liverpool reign does not rest with a runners-up spot in the Premier League and crucial return to the Champions League. There is substance to the manager lauded for restoring style to Liverpool.
There was never any doubt Rodgers would sign a long-term contract, one that ties him to Anfield until 2018, or that his bargaining position had strengthened immeasurably from the first time he finalised personal terms with FSG as a richly promising but relatively inexperienced Premier League manager in 2012. Then, he accepted a three-year contract with the option of a fourth – albeit with the option belonging entirely to FSG. On Monday the new four-year contract was signed on Rodgers’ terms.
The 41-year-old has been lucratively rewarded for his work, naturally, but how to build on last season’s rise to second in the Premier League from seventh in 2012-13 featured prominently in the talks. Rodgers has removed several high-earners from the wage bill since his arrival and seen the club’s valuation of players, plus lack of Champions League football, undermine the pursuit of many prime transfer targets. He wanted assurances there would be no repeat on that score having comfortably delivered last season’s initial objective of a top-four finish.
“I’ve got absolutely no interest in being anywhere else but I also need to know it’s going to be right as well because I want to succeed,” Rodgers said. “I want to win and I need to know that if I am going to be here I’m going to have the best possibility to win. I need to know that this is an idea and a way of working that’s set up to win. It’s not just to look good. And I need to know that I can have players that can carry out the instructions that we want to work to win trophies.
“The owners have been great. They’re winners themselves. They want to win but we want to work it in a way that makes the club sustainable and I think we’ve clearly shown that it’s about the top quality but it’s also about being strategic in those signings as well, bringing in the right players. It’s key for me that I can speak to the owners like that.”
Adam Lallana, the Southampton captain, represents an early test of that agreement and whether the manager will have a greater sway on the club’s transfer committee. Southampton are demanding £30m for a player Liverpool have valued at £20m, owing to a 25% sell-on clause payable to Lallana’s former club, Bournemouth. The wrangling is jeopardising Roy Hodgson’s wish for players to resolve their futures before the England World Cup squad head to Miami on Sunday.
In fairness to Southampton, and Liverpool’s negotiating tactics, the St Mary’s club have bigger concerns to address, with their manager Mauricio Pochettino in talks with Tottenham Hotspur.
Xherdan Shaqiri of Bayern Munich is an alternative to Lallana and Liverpool have registered their interest with the German champions, so too with Bayer Leverkusen for the midfielder Emre Can. Rodgers wants key targets secured before the World Cup, although that is an ideal rather than the rule, but is adamant Champions League qualification will transform Liverpool’s hand in the transfer market.
“I think the big lure will be Champions League, that’s what I’ve found in my conversations with agents and people,” he said. “The best players want to play in the big competition. There was one player who we offered more money to than he took from the club that he went to just to play Champions League football [last summer]. That’s the fight and I certainly found that last summer but we’ve put Liverpool back on the map now.
“Everyone sees that we’re going to be a threat; that we’re going to go into Europe next year and we’ll have no fear. We need to pay attention in terms of the teams we’ll be playing against but we’ll have no fear.”
First, Rodgers handled the bulk of negotiations with Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, himself. More importantly, he took charge of talks to ensure the upward trajectory of his two-year Liverpool reign does not rest with a runners-up spot in the Premier League and crucial return to the Champions League. There is substance to the manager lauded for restoring style to Liverpool.
There was never any doubt Rodgers would sign a long-term contract, one that ties him to Anfield until 2018, or that his bargaining position had strengthened immeasurably from the first time he finalised personal terms with FSG as a richly promising but relatively inexperienced Premier League manager in 2012. Then, he accepted a three-year contract with the option of a fourth – albeit with the option belonging entirely to FSG. On Monday the new four-year contract was signed on Rodgers’ terms.
The 41-year-old has been lucratively rewarded for his work, naturally, but how to build on last season’s rise to second in the Premier League from seventh in 2012-13 featured prominently in the talks. Rodgers has removed several high-earners from the wage bill since his arrival and seen the club’s valuation of players, plus lack of Champions League football, undermine the pursuit of many prime transfer targets. He wanted assurances there would be no repeat on that score having comfortably delivered last season’s initial objective of a top-four finish.
“I’ve got absolutely no interest in being anywhere else but I also need to know it’s going to be right as well because I want to succeed,” Rodgers said. “I want to win and I need to know that if I am going to be here I’m going to have the best possibility to win. I need to know that this is an idea and a way of working that’s set up to win. It’s not just to look good. And I need to know that I can have players that can carry out the instructions that we want to work to win trophies.
“The owners have been great. They’re winners themselves. They want to win but we want to work it in a way that makes the club sustainable and I think we’ve clearly shown that it’s about the top quality but it’s also about being strategic in those signings as well, bringing in the right players. It’s key for me that I can speak to the owners like that.”
Adam Lallana, the Southampton captain, represents an early test of that agreement and whether the manager will have a greater sway on the club’s transfer committee. Southampton are demanding £30m for a player Liverpool have valued at £20m, owing to a 25% sell-on clause payable to Lallana’s former club, Bournemouth. The wrangling is jeopardising Roy Hodgson’s wish for players to resolve their futures before the England World Cup squad head to Miami on Sunday.
In fairness to Southampton, and Liverpool’s negotiating tactics, the St Mary’s club have bigger concerns to address, with their manager Mauricio Pochettino in talks with Tottenham Hotspur.
Xherdan Shaqiri of Bayern Munich is an alternative to Lallana and Liverpool have registered their interest with the German champions, so too with Bayer Leverkusen for the midfielder Emre Can. Rodgers wants key targets secured before the World Cup, although that is an ideal rather than the rule, but is adamant Champions League qualification will transform Liverpool’s hand in the transfer market.
“I think the big lure will be Champions League, that’s what I’ve found in my conversations with agents and people,” he said. “The best players want to play in the big competition. There was one player who we offered more money to than he took from the club that he went to just to play Champions League football [last summer]. That’s the fight and I certainly found that last summer but we’ve put Liverpool back on the map now.
“Everyone sees that we’re going to be a threat; that we’re going to go into Europe next year and we’ll have no fear. We need to pay attention in terms of the teams we’ll be playing against but we’ll have no fear.”
