Michael Owen's Concerns Over Liverpool's Transfer Strategy

Michael Owen has watched this Liverpool summer with a raised eyebrow and a growing sense of unease.

A club that has just lost Mohamed Salah – its defining attacker of the last decade – has, in his view, tiptoed rather than strode into the transfer market. And for Owen, one missed opportunity stands out above the rest.

Owen: Liverpool “missed a trick” on Bowen

Liverpool have already moved once in attack, paying £34.5million for Victor Munoz from Osasuna to bolster the left flank. Talks continue with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola, and there is firm interest in Champions League winners’ teenager Ibrahim Mbaye as the recruitment team searches for the next wave of firepower.

Yet Owen cannot shake the feeling that the obvious answer slipped by when West Ham United went down.

He believes Liverpool should have pounced on Jarrod Bowen before the England international signed a new deal at the London Stadium.

“Absolutely, yes,” he said when asked if he was surprised by Liverpool’s low-key business so far. “Losing Mo Salah and his goals and assists must be a concern right now. Liverpool need to look to add more depth in the forward areas.

“I would have gone more Jarrod Bowen as one player to come in as I believe he is very talented, Premier League-proven and could have fitted in really well and could have scored plenty of goals.”

Instead, Liverpool’s energy is being poured into Barcola, a highly regarded France international but one who will not come cheap.

“Right now it seems Liverpool are putting all their time in looking to secure Barcola from PSG, although at a huge price tag it may mean that one of the attacking players may have to make way for him to join,” Owen said.

His message is blunt: Salah’s exit leaves a crater, not a gap.

“I expect Liverpool to sign another attacking player as Mo leaves a big void and Liverpool do need to strengthen.”

Isak and Wirtz under the microscope

Owen’s scrutiny does not stop at the wings. He has also turned his attention to Liverpool’s two marquee attacking investments, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, a duo that cost north of £100million but has yet to fully ignite under Andoni Iraola.

Last season was disjointed for both. Isak endured a broken leg that kept him out for four months and disrupted his rhythm. Wirtz, one of Europe’s most gifted young creators, laboured through adaptation issues in his first year at Anfield.

“He had a tough time last season,” Owen said of Isak. “That kind of injury does take a lot of time to recover from and sometimes you only recover to the player you were, not one that can push on even further.

“But if Isak can find the same form that he did for Newcastle, then he can definitely show his worth for Andoni Iraola.

“He is hugely talented as shown for Newcastle and did look good in the World Cup, so hopefully he can be a top striker next season and score plenty.

“With (Florian) Wirtz as well now having one season under his belt, we hope he can find good form.”

For Liverpool, the calculation is clear. If Isak returns to his Newcastle levels and Wirtz settles, the attack looks far less fragile. If they do not, the decision not to move for a ready-made Premier League scorer like Bowen will loom even larger.

Jones future adds to local tension

There is another thread worrying Owen, and this one tugs at the club’s identity as much as its squad depth.

Curtis Jones, into the final year of his contract, continues to attract interest from Inter and Galatasaray. Neither has yet met Liverpool’s valuation, but the possibility of the midfielder leaving is very real.

For Owen, who came through the Liverpool academy and understands the emotional pull of a local player, the idea of Andoni Iraola losing his only senior Scouse squad member feels wrong.

“It’s always nice to have homegrown players playing for Liverpool,” he told the ECHO. “The fans feel it when you see local players come through the Academy and shine for the first team.”

Then came a slightly muddled comparison that still carried a clear message: even homegrown heroes are not immune to the game’s brutal churn.

“But look around at other clubs, Jack Grealish came through at Villa and left and got stick, the same with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool when he left.

“So it’s difficult, but I do have to say, I was a local lad who came through the ranks and played for Liverpool and you could feel it was great.”

Owen knows the bond between the Kop and a local player is not sentimental garnish; it shapes how a team feels, how a season sounds. Lose Salah, gamble on unproven replacements, and let the last senior Scouser walk out the door, and you are not just changing a squad list. You are changing the fabric.

Liverpool still have time in this window. Time to land Barcola, to decide on Mbaye, to resolve Jones’ future, to prove to Owen and many supporters that there is a coherent plan behind the quiet.

But as the clock ticks and the season edges closer, the question hangs in the air: are Liverpool carefully rebuilding, or are they about to discover that you cannot replace goals, leadership and local heartbeat on the fly?