Harry Wilson’s inexpensive transfer to Fulham may have been a rare error for the Reds, who are frequently praised as one of the shrewdest clubs in the transfer market
Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, always appeared to hold Harry Wilson in high regard. He waxed poetic about the young player when he began a loan stint with Bournemouth in the summer of 2019.
When questioned back then if Wilson might have a future at Anfield, Klopp responded emphatically, implying that he had made a mistake by allowing him to go out on loan.
“He can succeed at Liverpool, without a doubt.” That’s why we gave him a loan—so he could take the steps, according to Klopp. Harry and I would have preferred to have had him here if we had had a choice, particularly when Shaq [Xherdan Shaqiri] was injured.
Even Klopp expressed his satisfaction at Wilson’s ineligibility to play against the Reds at the time. “To be honest, I’m glad he can’t play against us; every free-kick is a legitimate threat.
“But there was never any question about Harry’s shooting prowess; he has world-class, unmatched ability in that area of the game. However, Harry is at Bournemouth to hone the rest of his skills as well, including involvement, decisiveness, playing inside the lines, utilising his pace, and other things.”
Wilson did indeed improve, but sadly not enough for the Liverpool hierarchy to consider trying to keep him around. Instead, the midfielder had a second loan stint, this time with Cardiff, until the Reds decided to cash in on him and authorized his transfer to Fulham for a sum of £12 million last year.
The Wales international is yet to make an appearance for Marco Silva’s team this year after suffering a significant knee injury in a preseason friendly played behind closed doors.
Wilson still possessed the kind of talent that could one day enable him to earn more money for Liverpool, as evidenced by the fact that Klopp and company included a 15% sell-on provision in the agreement with the Cottagers.
The fact that the Reds, who are renowned for their ability to sell high, allowed Wilson to leave for such a modest price may potentially be interpreted as some measure of regret on their part.
Wilson spent 16 years at Liverpool before leaving, but even when their current midfield options were healthy, they might have used him at times.
Wilson possesses the capacity to score goals from midfield, something this Liverpool team lacks because players like Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, and Naby Keita are all notably reticent to score goals.
Leave a Reply