This week saw seven Liverpool players named on the 30 man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or. The individual award is organised by France Football and will be handed to the best player in the world on the 2nd of December. Virgil van Dijk is the nailed on favourite for the award, having picked up the UEFA award for the best men’s player. The fact that so many Liverpool players have been shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or should attract world class players to Anfield.
In recent years Liverpool has been treated as somewhat of a stepping stone. In recent memory the Reds have had to sell Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres. The Spaniard moved to Chelsea in 2011 for £50m, citing domestic and continental ambitions as motivation for the move. Suarez delighted Kopites with his other worldly form whilst with the Reds, he eventually forced through a £75m move to Barcelona in 2014. Coutinho followed Suarez to the Camp Nou in 2018 in a £142m deal.
All of these players left Liverpool due to lofty ambitions. Ironically, Coutinho left the club to win the Champions League, only to watch the Reds lift the trophy the following season after knocking Barcelona out of the competition in dramatic circumstances. The fact that the Ballon d’Or shortlist is dominated by Liverpool players should tell top talents in the world that Anfield is the destination, not a stop along the way.
At a time when Jürgen Klopp has been linked with megabucks moves for the likes of Jadon Sancho and Kylian Mbappe, the Reds are looking like a place that helps players fulfil their potential. Klopp looks like a manager every player should want to play for. Liverpool look like a side set to dominate for years to come.
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