Jamie Carragher has offered a withering verdict on Liverpool's transfer business in the summer of 2025, with the pressure on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz this season
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher says the Reds' transfer business last summer could go down as the worst window in Premier League history if things don't change dramatically in the next couple of months.
Spending around $600M on new signings, Liverpool broke its transfer record twice to bring in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in an exciting spree, but left itself short by selling key men including Luis Diaz and losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.
While Liverpool spent big, it also brought back in around half of that outlay through sales. Hugo Ekitike was the only true success story, but Giovanni Leoni has only played an hour for the Reds to date and is very highly regarded.
"My fear is this window 12 months ago could set Liverpool back a year or two," Carragher outlined on Sky Sports Monday Night Football.
"Don't forget, last season it was not about these players. (Gary Neville) said on the podcast yesterday that these players have got off lightly, and you're right.
"It was all about Arne Slot and his style of play and he's not like Jurgen Klopp, and he's holding these players back. Yes, it is one game with Iraola, but it is 12 months of underperformance from all of these players except Ekitike.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC
Alexander Isak has been criticized following his performance for Liverpool against Newcastle(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
"If this doesn't change in the next two or three months under Iraola, with these players improving, I think we are going to be looking at that as arguably the worst transfer window we have seen in Premier League history.
"When you consider the fees and what it was going to do for Liverpool, the idea that these players can just come in and be good players, it was to create a dynasty for Liverpool.
"Let's not forget that Liverpool won the league two years ago. These were supposed to do what City had done in recent years or United had done in the past where they go and win two or three leagues in five years."
In time, Andoni Iraola will have to get more out of Isak and Wirtz, in particular. The pair were anonymous at Newcastle, with the latter getting hooked around two-thirds of the way through.
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Liverpool will not face many more difficult games in terms of the intensity and the atmosphere, however, and came away with a point, which was a relief in the circumstances.
Liverpool.com says: Carragher is right, clearly, that things have not gone to plan for the Reds in the last year. However, the hope is that all changes.
Isak and Wirtz, for instance, could very easily turn that around. We know how good both of them are. Ekitike and Leoni have both been incredibly unfortunate with injuries.
The players who were sold have to be factored into any assessment of last year's window as well to give a full picture.