Werner: Reds can splash cash

LIVERPOOL chairman Tom Werner insists the club’s owners are prepared to provide money for big-name signings if it benefits the long-term future of the team.

Since their £300 million (€355m) purchase in October, there has been little suggestion from principal owner John Henry and Werner that substantial investment would be available for squad rebuilding.

And while Werner admits they are looking for greater value in terms of the players they sign, they could make a significant outlay on the right individual.

That will come as welcome news to both fans and manager Kenny Dalglish, who is looking to bolster the squad he inherited from Roy Hodgson.

It is a timely pronouncement considering Ajax coach Frank de Boer has stressed it will take “an absurd amount” for him to part with Liverpool’s number-one target, Luis Suarez. Valuations of the Uruguay international stretch from £18m to £25m and it remains to be seen whether Fenway Sports Group, the subsidiary of New England Sports Ventures — owners of the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise and who originally bought the club — are prepared to go that far.

But Werner said taking a wide look at the economics of transfers did not preclude making major signings.

Asked if Liverpool could still secure signings like the £22m spent on Fernando Torres in summer 2007, Werner replied: “Yes. Look at our history.

“The Boston Red Sox have the second-highest wages in baseball and we have been as successful, if not more, than the New York Yankees.

“We will be driven by value but we certainly have the resources to have some targets.

“I don’t want to get the wage bill down, I want it to increase and we have the resources to do that — I just think we ought to be performing at a better level than we had been. But we are not going to be making decisions which do not improve the fortunes of the club long-term.”