लिवरपूल की ‘गलैक्टिकोस’ विफलता: नई कोच पर भारी बोझ

The former Reds captain does not blame new coach Andoni Iraola. Instead, he points the finger at what he sees as Liverpool's botched transfer policy in recent years. The former centre-back even compares it to Real Madrid's ultimately inglorious Galacticos era in the 2000s, when Los Blancos built huge expectations around superstars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and David Beckham but failed to deliver over the long term.

"The new coach must deal diplomatically with the consequences of a Liverpool transfer policy that has led the club down a risky and unfamiliar path, one that is more akin to Real Madrid's. As things stand, we are in the middle of Anfield's failed 'Galacticos' era," the 48-year-old wrote in his column for the Telegraph.

Carragher pointed in particular to the huge spending in recent transfer windows. In the summer of 2025 alone, Liverpool spent almost €500 million on new players. The most high-profile signings included Alexander Isak (€145 million), Florian Wirtz (€125 million) and Hugo Ekitike (€95 million). Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong also arrived for more than €40 million each, among others. Liverpool's 2025 summer transfer window was the second most expensive in football history. Only Manchester City spent more in 2026.

Liverpool then spent heavily again in the summer of 2026. Among the arrivals, Bradley Barcola moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield for a fee of around €120 million. The Reds also signed Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennes for €63 million and Victor Munoz for a further €40 million.

For Carragher, that transfer offensive has had one striking consequence. "An incredible fact when you consider how much has already been invested. The Basque coach is the first at Liverpool to be working with new signings worth more than £700 million (€815 million, editor's note) - and can rightly feel that he has been dealt a bad hand," he explained.

How have Liverpool started the new season?

Liverpool have made a sluggish start to the new season. The Reds are still unbeaten across their six competitive matches so far, but their Premier League return has been modest. After four matchdays, they have just one win and three draws, which leaves Liverpool in eighth place.

Getty ImagesLast season offered little encouragement too. Liverpool finished without a trophy and only just qualified for the Champions League in fifth place. As things stand, the club would now even miss out on qualification for Europe's top competition. The season, though, is still long.

Sunday brings the next chance to put that right. Liverpool face AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

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