Liverpool would do well to consider Chelsea’s signing of Enzo Fernandez in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup when shaping their own summer business.
Chelsea moved for him after Argentina’s win in Qatar, with Fernandez arriving as the tournament’s Best Young Player and for a British record £106.8 million. Liverpool will have to make a number of signings. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are officially leaving at the end of the season, with more sure to follow.
This is not a summer for drifting into July and hoping the prices stay sensible. The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, and one big tournament can send valuations soaring, especially when elite clubs are already watching the same names. That’s what we saw with the Chelsea midfielder.
Who should Slot start up front against Crystal Palace? 🤔
Alexander Isak pictured with his arms outstretched during Liverpool's Premier League match against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Cody Gakpo reacts during Liverpool's Premier League match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Credit: James Gill/Danehouse/Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Liverpool should try to get ahead of World Cup hype on the transfer market
Fernandez is a decent signing in the sense that Chelsea bought a talented midfielder who can help them. But he has never looked like a £106.8 million player.
In truth, he looks much more like a £50 million footballer whose fee exploded because he shone on the biggest stage and collected the Young Player award in Qatar.
That is the danger in this market. A strong World Cup could easily send certain valuations into another bracket, whether it is Eduardo Camavinga or Bradley Barcola with France, Yan Diomande with Côte d’Ivoire, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton with England, or Nico Schlotterbeck with Germany.
They’re just a few who have been linked. The list will be quite a bit longer.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
You can only pick ONE player for Liverpool to sign this summer, who is it?
Who should Richard Hughes be targeting above all…
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes watching on during the Reds' Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (Credit: Getty Images/Robin Jones).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Robin Jones
Those are exactly the sorts of players who can go from expensive to almost impossible if they put together four or five big games in June and July.
Liverpool will not get all of their business done before the World Cup, but if there are a couple of deals they truly believe in, these are the kinds of names it would be wise to tackle them first.
Spend before the noise gets louder. That should be the lesson from Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez gamble. He arrived with enormous hype and an even bigger fee, and while he has been useful, he has not come close to justifying the price.
Liverpool should make sure they do not pay World Cup tax on their own summer targets.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox