Why signing Daniel Sturridge and Adam Johnson isn't right for Liverpool

Don't get us wrong, Daniel Sturridge and Adam Johnson would both improve the Liverpool squad.

In Sturridge they could get a player who is a natural finisher- who outscored both Drogba and Torres last season, while Johnson would offer natural width and be an instant productive step up on Stewart Downing.

Both are young, English, and pacy, but are they the best Liverpool can get, and are they the best use of the club's transfer budget?

Fans may be divided on that, but one thing is for sure, neither Chelsea or City are in any desperate need to let either player go, so Liverpool will need to stump up big money for the pair.

Both are expected to cost £15 million each, and then instantly Liverpool have blown £30 million. It has been speculated that is their whole budget this summer.

Last summer Liverpool spent £56 million on players, raising £20 million on player sales, making the total net spend £36 million, even though it was blown out of proportion in many quarters.

Is there anything to suggest the American will front up a net spend above that figure this summer? And importantly there are very few players Liverpool are willing to sell that they could get decent cash for. Even Kuyt left for just £1 million.

So to spend the majority of the transfer budget on two players would be a mistake, especially overpriced English players; It would be straight out of the Kenny Dalglish transfer textbook.

Liverpool must move on from the failed policy of last summer, and look for value in the market instead. If they could somehow pick up either player for under £10 million then fine, but otherwise they should look at alternatives.

Last week they were linked with freescoring Trabzonspor striker Burak Yilmaz for just £5 million, a bargain if ever there was one. Athletic Bilbao winger Markel Susaeta could be picked up for £6 million, with his contract running out next summer.

These two, just examples, would cost £11 million and still give Liverpool almost £20 million spend, even after adding a striker and winger to their squad. Salomon Kalou is also linked today on a free, he would be an astute addition, a player that really flourished towards the end of the season with Chelsea.

It would too give Rodgers money to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson for £7 million to bolster the midfield, a must with Lucas and Steven Gerrard both missing chunks of last season with injuries, and Charlie Adam failing to convince even the most rose-tinted of observers.

It is time for Liverpool to be a bit more creative in the transfer market than they were last summer, and look abroad rather than concentrating on spending the majority of their cash on overpriced Premier League footballers.

image: © Vincent Teeuwen