Liverpool’s $90m War Fund

IT’S the calm before the storm in Manchester, with United signing off at Old Trafford in a low-key affair today before all eyes focus on Etihad Stadium for Manchester City’s clash with Aston Villa.
PLAY FAIR, CITY & PSG?
City, PSG, Chelsea - everyone seems to be frollicking along in the transfer market still, so what exactly is this FFP - Financial Fair Play - all about, that is about to come down like a tonne of bricks on Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain?
UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body has been working recently to see which clubs breached the threshold of losing $82m over two years of European competitions.
It has been reported that City and PSG will cop $90m fines and a squad-size reduction in Europe next year - but, both clubs can settle with the CFCB, and reduce its punishment. If they don’t, then a verdict will handed down to them.
But watch this space, because there’s a pandoras box waiting to be opened. There’s a possibility “affected teams” - and that’s a very loose term at the moment - can appeal any settlements. So could we come to a point where fifth-placed Everton appeals because it missed out on fourth spot because of Manchester City’s spending? It was something Rodgers acknowledged even before the collapse at Selhurst Park.
“What we have put in place over the last couple of seasons prepares us now for bringing in this calibre of player and sets us up for a real crack at every competition we’re in,” he said earlier in the week.
“The squad isn’t big enough to play in the Champions League, it needs to be improved.
“But the owners recognise that, we all recognise that.”
Some names? Previous targets Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Dnipro winger Yevhen Konoplyanka and Borussia Dortmund’s Henrik Mkhitaryan remain on the radar.