Werner moving to Chelsea - unjust outrage?

So, Timo Werner won't be signing for Liverpool after all.

What seemed like a certainty proved to be merely a pipe dream.

There have been articles written and YouTube compilations made by Liverpool fans, but the German forward will sign for Chelsea.

A deal to take Werner to Anfield has fallen through due to "financial reasons", according to The Athletic.

By all accounts, Jurgen Klopp wanted the player. The player was practically begging for Liverpool to take him.

Simply put, Liverpool would not pay his €55 million release clause due to the question marks over what the coronavirus means for football finances.

Of course, there is disappointment that Liverpool would not pay what seems like a bargain fee for such a promising player.

Actually, disappointment may be an understatement.

There has been outrage on social media, as Liverpool fans struggle to understand why this much-needed, ideal signing was let slip through their grasp.

To a domestic rival, no less.

But it is not that simple.

Like every story, there are two sides to the 'Timo Werner to Liverpool' tale.

Never a better time to build

Firstly, the outrage.

If one was to open up Twitter on Thursday night, they would have been bombarded with tweets berating the club's owners as fans voiced their anger.

In truth, it is understandable.

Liverpool Football Club has never been in a better position to sign superstar names.

The club has never been as appealing to international talent as it is right now.

The current Champions of Europe. Club World Cup winners.

The Reds are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table. This is the largest gap between first and second in Premier League history.

The team is packed with world-class players, led by the world's best manager.

A kit deal with Nike, the world's largest sports company will come into place next season.

Essentially, the team looks set to dominate for years to come.

So, the world's best players should be wanting to join and the club should be able to afford them.

There is so much opportunity to build on the team's success right now. It simply seems like a shame to miss out on doing so.

Financial Fair Play is not an issue, because funds have been managed spectacularly in recent years. The club has bought well and sold even better (£19 million for Dom Solanke etc.).

The reported €55 million release clause for a player of Werner's calibre should be like peanuts to Liverpool.

Especially considering Antoine Griezmann was signed by Barcelona for over €110 million just last summer. There is no doubt that Werner is a better player than Griezmann.

The caveat to this, of course, is the coronavirus.

The current pandemic means that even Liverpool are missing out on a large amount of income.

But there is the feeling that Liverpool should have bit the bullet and signed the player for the sake of the club's on-field future.

Especially considering he has now joined a domestic rival, bettering Chelsea's squad instead of Liverpool's.

Werner was a necessity

To make matters worse, it does not seem like Liverpool are going to sign an alternative either.

If they would not spend €55 million on Werner, there is no chance of FSG spending the €100m+ needed on the likes of Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz.

Ousmane Dembele has been linked on a loan-to-buy deal, but his injuries make it difficult to get excited about him.

To be frank, Liverpool need a forward.

The current trident is the best in the world, but they are all approaching 30.

Plus, the African Cup of Nations is still scheduled to go ahead in early 2021. This means that Mo Salah and Sadio Mane will likely be missing a large number of mid-season matches.

As it is, the trio simply play too many games.

While Divock Origi is pretty much a club legend, he is not on Werner's level.

Xherdan Shaqiri and Harry Wilson look unlikely to be at the club next season, while Takumi Minamino is still an unknown quantity.

Klopp is a big fan of Rhian Brewster, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones. But they are still very young and surely not ready to receive the minutes that were reserved for Werner.

An interesting shout is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He may be available for around the £20 million mark.

He is of similar quality to Werner and around £30 million cheaper.

However, he is almost 31 and may have to leave for AFCON too.

So, as the likes of James Pearce has said, arrivals in Liverpool look to be few and far between.

There is understandable reason for Liverpool fan frustration, but do the underlying facts make this frustration unwarranted?

Setting ourselves up for a fall

Yes, the press noted Werner's desire to move to Anfield.

They also noted Klopp's fondness of the player and the contact between the two.

Yet, vitally, since the pandemic struck, there has been a lot of talk about Liverpool not being willing to pay over the odds.

The Mirror's usually reliable David Maddock has attempted to stop fans from getting too excited for months now.

Perhaps fans should have listened.

The main cause of anger has been due to the fact that fans were certain that, come next season, Timo Werner would be a Liverpool player.

If fans had listened to the likes of Pearce and Maddock, they would have known to take things with a pinch of salt until the player had signed the contract.

In truth, fans understandably let excitement get the better of them.

Do not doubt Liverpool

Maybe Reds fans should be more trusting.

Since Fenway Sports Group have taken over Liverpool FC, the club has gone from potential relegation candidates in 2010 to world champions in 2019.

They have brought financial stability and unthinkable on-field success.

Yes, they have had their mishaps, but they have ultimately corrected them when they were realised.

A primary factor for the success has been in the transfer market.

Desired players, like Thomas Lemar and Nabil Fekir, were not signed. Unfancied players like Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson were.

Look at what has happened to that quartet since.

The transfer committee members see things that regular fans do not. They understand the potential of not-spoken-about players.

The worrying thing is whether Jurgen Klopp wanted to go all out for the player. Perhaps his demands were denied by the higher-ups.

But, if Klopp and Michael Edwards were happy to let Werner slip away, then fans should have nothing to worry about.

Sit back and relax

Liverpool have nine games to go this season.

Liverpool will be crowned champions of England for the first time in 30 years.

This is the most important thing.

Whatever happens after that in the transfer window, happens.

Yes, you can be disappointed that Timo Werner is not signing for Liverpool. But fans must take the other factors into account.

Liverpool management have built up enough trust for fans to let them do their jobs. To help Liverpool once again become a bastion of invincibility.

Ultimately, the happiness of signing a player is nothing like the happiness of winning a trophy. That is the business that Liverpool Football Club are in.