Liverpool spending backed by title win and long-term plan, says CEO

Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez (R) and Mohamed Salah (C) take part in a training session at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on July Thursday, ahead of a friendly exhibition football match against AC Milan which will be played on Saturday. (AFP)
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Updated 25 July 2025
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Liverpool spending backed by title win and long-term plan, says CEO

  • Svensson’s uphill eagle attempt from just more than 48 feet hit the flagstick and dropped for an eagle, finishing an 11-under round with matching 30s on both nines
  • He broke the previous course record of 62 originally set by Scott Piercy in 2019, and matched by Sam Stevens’ round that was completed just a few groups ahead of Svensson on Thursday

BENGALURU: Liverpool’s big-money investment on transfers is the result of long-term planning, club CEO Billy Hogan said, adding that winning a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title convinced the club it was time to act like a modern powerhouse.

Liverpool’s latest acquisition, French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth £79 million ($106.84 million), including add-ons, has taken the club’s transfer expenditure this window to nearly £300 million.

Outgoings, six players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, have so far generated around £64 million.

The outlay marks a sharp departure from Liverpool’s traditionally measured approach in the market. However, Hogan insists the club has not deviated from the club’s policy of financial sustainability.

“It doesn’t just happen; it’s been years in the making,” Hogan told The Athletic in an interview.

“One of the things we’re constantly focused on is that ‘virtuous circle’. Trying to run the club in the right way to ensure that we can generate as much revenue as we possibly can. That obviously helps in terms of being able to put more back into the team.

“The difficulty is if you just look at one individual summer. That probably skews the data. There were a lot of comments made last summer that we didn’t spend enough...”

Hogan explained the approach reflects the ambitions of American-led Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who are seeking to build on last season’s Premier League title under manager Arne Slot.

“We also recognize, having won the English league title for the 20th time, that this is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We want to make sure that we are behaving like one,” he added.

“Having massive global stars come and play at Anfield, filling out stadiums in Hong Kong and Japan, those are things we expect and want to do.”

Liverpool face AC Milan in Kowloon, Hong Kong on Saturday, before taking on Yokohama FM in the J League World Challenge in Yokohama on Wednesday. They begin their Premier League title defense at home against Bournemouth on Aug. 15.


Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves

Updated 04 March 2026
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Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves

  • Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future

LONDON: Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League’s bottom club on Tuesday.
Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux.
Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November.
But Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool.
It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017.
Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, with only Newcastle shipping more in the same period in the Premier League.
The Reds remain fifth but their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League have been hurt by a defeat that means sixth-placed Chelsea will go above them if they beat Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future.
This was the first of Liverpool’s two trips to Molineux in the space of four days, with an immediate chance for revenge in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday.
Slot this week said he no longer finds Premier League matches a “joy to watch” due to the rise in set-piece goals, and Liverpool supporters took no pleasure from this dismal performance.
Wolves and Liverpool fans joined in a sustained round of applause on 18 minutes in memory of Diogo Jota, who wore that shirt number during his time at Molineux before joining the Reds.
Portugal forward Jota died in a car crash in Spain last year.

Crest-fallen Slot

That emotional tribute seemed to suck the energy from both teams in a scrappy first half.
Liverpool were punished for their lethargy in the 78th minute.
Tolu Arokodare got away with a nudge on Virgil van Dijk to win the ball before playing a superb pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who held off Ibrahima Konate and guided a clinical finish past Alisson Becker.
Liverpool finally awoke from their slumber after that shock, grabbing an equalizer in the 83rd minute with a helping hand from Wolves.
Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was guilty of a woeful pass that Salah intercepted, racing into the area for a shot that eluded Jose Sa’s weak attempted save.
Salah has scored just eight goals — five in the league — during a turbulent season.
Liverpool were still creaky at the back and Andre pounced on Alisson’s poor clearance four minutes to steal the points in stoppage-time.
Andre’s powerful strike deflected off Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and looped over the wrong-footed Alisson as Wolves boss Rob Edwards sprinted down the touchline in a wild celebration while Slot looked on crestfallen.
Wolves are 11 points from safety with eight games left and relegation remains almost certain despite this memorable victory.
Everton ended their dismal home form and pushed Burnley closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Buoyed by their 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend, Everton dispatched second-bottom Burnley with their first win in eight home league matches.
Former Burnley defender James Tarkowski put Everton in front with a powerful header from James Garner’s 32nd minute free-kick.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubled Everton’s advantage on the hour taking Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and clipping a composed finish past Martin Dubravka from six yards.
Everton remain in contention for a European berth, while Burnley are eight points from safety with just nine games left.
Habib Diarra’s penalty fired Sunderland to a 1-0 victory against Leeds on their first Premier League visit to Elland Road since 2002.
Bournemouth and Brentford shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium that did little to improve either side’s hopes of qualifying for Europe.