Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the Reds are unlikely to do further business during the current transfer window due to the reality of the club’s financial position.

Rodgers has brought in Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Oussama Assaidi on permanent deals since arriving from Swansea City, but says the club “is in need of repair” before it is able to purchase more expensive players.

In comparison, the Northern Irishman’s predecessor, Kenny Dalglish, oversaw the spending of eight-figure fees on four players in the six months leading up to his departure from Anfield.

“No, not at this stage,” Rodgers told reporters when asked about further signings. “I am aware of the links and it is great that those players want to come here but the reality is that we are not in a position to do deals like that.

“The club, in financial terms, is in need of repair so those players linked and for those sums linked, I don’t have the ability to do that unfortunately. Certainly not in this transfer window anyway. That is the reality of it. Unfortunately it is going to take more than one window.

“The transition of the squad is probably going to take this window and through to next summer. This is an incredible club and so some players who come here, even if you want to move them on, are not going to just walk out of the door because of wages and other factors.

“It is going to take us a wee bit of time to build the squad that we want but, in the meantime, we just have to keep our heads down and work hard to get results.”

Rodgers went on to hint that it was unfeasible to retain players such as Andy Carroll, who has been linked with a move away from Liverpool during the summer, in a role as a backup player when so much money in transfer fees and wages had been spent on him.

“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that Andy has been a cover player for us,” he continued.

“He has been excellent in terms of his attitude and his acceptance of where he is at but, for us as a football club, and I am talking generically here, I’m not sure we are in a position to have £35 million players as third-choice strikers or wingers who might be on £5m-£6m a year. I don’t think the football club is in that position.

“This is the challenge that I have to work something but it is not going to be done overnight.”

COMMENT
By David Lynch

There was a collective sharp intake of breath at Anfield the moment it became clear that Lucas Leiva was to be withdrawn against Manchester City on Sunday.

Just five minutes had passed of what is, in theory at least, the hardest game the Reds should face at home this season and already their defensive shield had been punctured. The club’s fans are fully aware of the decline which began with Lucas’ injury last season, and here they were about to go 85 minutes against the champions without their Brazilian safeguard.

But something was different this time. The Anfield outfit did not rock helplessly without their anchor and, though they conceded two goals, the strikes certainly did not originate from the area the midfielder so expertly prowls.

Much of the praise for that must go to the tenacious Joe Allen, a ball-playing Iniesta-lite – in the most complimentary sense of the phrase – who was given the opportunity to drop deep and snap at the ankles of man mountain Yaya Toure and his cohorts.

It is not a role that the Welshman was built for, nor bought for, but he proved himself an able deputy as City toiled in the centre of the park, despite their numerical advantage through the use of a 3-5-2 system.

Meanwhile, the man who replaced Lucas, Jonjo Shelvey, did his bit in filling Allen’s post further up the pitch. Following a poor performance against Hearts in the Europa League just three days prior, many might have been sceptical about the Romford-born midfielder’s introduction.

The Anfield faithful’s fears were allayed, however, as the former Charlton player evidenced his intelligent movement and passing range before coming inches from scoring a winner with minutes remaining. In short, he looked like he’d been coached.

Now, following the news that Lucas is set to be out for up to three months, Rodgers is likely to use those performances against Roberto Mancini’s side as a source of comfort. While the Northern Irishman may not have a ready-made replacement for the former Gremio man, he will feel he can at least cope. And that in itself is an improvement upon last term.

Dalglish’s squad was left woefully exposed following the injury to Lucas’ anterior cruciate ligament in December, as the man who had been tasked with taking his place, Jay Spearing, came up short. Charlie Adam had also patently failed to make the jump in quality following his move from Blackpool, and it is no coincidence that both are expected to leave the club by Friday’s transfer deadline.

Despite those imminent departures, Rodgers has inherited an encouraging base from which his Scottish predecessor may not have benefited. Both Shelvey and Jordan Henderson are wiser for their experiences during a difficult season last time around and have the opportunity to flourish in bit-part roles this term. And it is the fact that Rodgers has recruited so intelligently for the first team gives the young pair the time they require to develop.

Allen already appears to be an astute buy; an answer to the Reds’ poor ball retention and lack of cool heads in the middle. The loan signing of Nuri Sahin also represents the perfect deal for a club of Liverpool’s stature; a way to secure top-four standard players without having yet qualified for the Champions League.

The Turkey international’s quality was never in doubt during his brief cameos for Real Madrid last year but his fitness, following a long injury lay-off, was. At Anfield he has the perfect opportunity, particularly with Lucas out, to evidence the skills which saw him orchestrate Borussia Dortmund’s 2011 Bundesliga win – starting with Arsenal on Sunday.

If Rodgers can coax that form from the Germany-born playmaker then an argument can be made for the Merseyside club having their strongest midfield line-up since Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Momo Sissoko were on the books.

The Kop hailed that quartet, only partially tongue and cheek, as “the best midfield in the world” and while they may have had some competition, their record in the Champions League certainly backed it up.

Of course, the club’s current options only look as attractive on paper, and there is a long way to go before judgements over their effectiveness can be made. But the reaction amongst the fans to Lucas’ injury points to a change in attitude around Anfield borne out of some clever transfer work.

There is still hope.Follow David Lynch on

Ashley Cole has revealed his regret that Chelsea failed to sign Steven Gerrard from Liverpool in 2005.

The England defender faced a grilling from his Twitter followers on Wednesday afternoon, with many using it as an opportunity to bait the former Arsenal left-back.

But besides describing Ryan Bertrand and Daniel Sturridge as his best friends at Stamford Bridge, Cole admitted that he would have loved the chance to link up with Gerrard at club level.  

“Who’s the player who didn’t join Chelsea you wanted to see him in a chelsea shirt?” asked ‘True Blue’.

“I think that would be Steven Gerrard, about 5 years ago. Great player for Liverpool & England,” Cole replied.

Gerrard has twice came close to moving to Stamford Bridge – in 2004 and 2005 – but opted to stay at his hometown club instead.

Cole also revealed that he is enjoying the new style of play under boss Roberto Di Matteo following the arrival of the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar.

“Yeah with the new signings we’ve got we’re playing v attacking fball, so I hope it entertains!” he wrote.

Cole caused controversy in 2006 when he turned down a new contract worth a reported £55,000 a week at boyhood club Arsenal to join Chelsea.

But while he was bombarded with insults from Gunners fans, the 31-year-old admitted that Arsenal legend David Rocastle – who died of cancer in 2001 – was his biggest hero as a child.

He wrote: “David Rocastle. He was a winger like I was and took time to chat when I met him as a kid. I miss him.”