Rodgers, who was at helm of Liverpool from 2012 until 2015, made 33 incoming signings in this period, with Philippe Coutinho, James Milner and Roberto Firmino three of his most impressive acquisitions.
In defence, left-back Alberto Moreno was signed from Sevilla for £12m in 2014, with centre halve Mamadou Sakho signing from Paris Saint Germain a year earlier. Neither player really made a positive impact at Anfield though, with Sakho leaving for Crystal Palace in 2017 after 56 appearances for Liverpool, with Moreno joining Villarreal in July after having limited playing time under Jurgen Klopp in recent seasons.
However, according to The Athletic as reported by the Leicester Mercury, the Northern Irishman had been on keen for moves for then Swansea City defender Ashley Williams and former Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand, who has been playing his trade at Southampton since 2015. The board blocked both of these moves though, meaning Sakho and Moreno were purchased instead.
The report states: “No-one was ever brought in against Rodgers’ will, but he was regularly frustrated by a process which meant he had to try to convince others that a target met the club’s requirements and was worth pursuing.
“There were times he was blocked from signing his first pick. For example, he wanted Williams and Bertrand, but got Sakho and Moreno. Trust was an issue and within three-and-a-half years it had evaporated completely.”
Brendan Rodgers was sacked two months into the 2015/16 season with the Reds sitting tenth, and this is not the first time it has come to light that Rodgers seemingly had disagreements with the board over signings. It was also revealed last month that he was also unsure on signing Roberto Firmino, with the board forcing the move through.
Source : 90min