Chairman Tom Werner insists it was in Liverpool’s “best interests” to sell Raheem Sterling this summer.
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There were calls for the Northern Irishman to be fired, as the Reds suffered a dramatic slump towards the end of last season.
The Merseysider’s poor league finish and inability to claim any silverware for a third straight season resulted in manager Brendan Rodgers’ position coming under pressure, with speculation linking Liverpool with a move for German coach Jurgen Klopp. That was only a year earlier when he was awarded that compliment.
Werner said: “I think our track record demonstrates that our approach and attitude is very much focused on stability”.
“We have strengthened the club both on and off the pitch”.
And while they still feel Rodgers is the right man to lead the club, they have also made it clear that they expect a return to the Champions League next season, with fourth place (or higher) their target for this term.
Werner explained that they “had some very constructive discussions with Brendan” and that he “expects to see a strong improvement”.
In the 77 days since their shambolic 6-1 defeat at Stoke City on the final day of the campaign, change has swept through Liverpool, from the overhaul of their training centre to the seven new faces that have been added to the squad.
This summer, the owners have also begun redevelopment work on Anfield’s main stand, a process which will make our famous old ground all the more impressive to those that visit us on Merseyside.
The Chile global was in deadly form last season, scoring 16 goals in the league and chipping in with a further eight assists as he topped the Gunners’ scoring charts.
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“What I will say is that the review was no different from the review we do at the end of every season”. There are a lot of strong clubs but I do believe we’ll be in the mix. “We are confident that we have the talent and the strategy to deliver”, he concluded.
