Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has slammed the club for allowing Alexis Sanchez to join Arsenal after they sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona, reports the Daily Star.
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The Reds sold Suarez to the Catalan club last summer, and had looked likely to sign Sanchez as his direct replacement in the same transfer window. However, the Chile international ended up going to their Premier League rivals instead, and has had a great debut season in England.
The 26-year-old has scored 22 goals in his 46 appearances this season, helping the Gunners to consolidate a place in the top four of the division. The North London club could finish second in the league, which was where their Merseyside counterparts ended up last time round. They are also favourites to retain the FA Cup in the final against Aston Villa.
Meanwhile Liverpool have struggled to replace Suarez’s goals after missing out on Sanchez. Brendan Rodgers signed Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert to bolster their striking ranks, but the pair have netted just three times in the top flight this campaign.
Thompson has blamed this on their transfer dealings, and said: “The talk was that Liverpool had made a big bid for Sanchez. I wouldn’t have let Suarez get in the taxi to the airport if Sanchez hadn’t have already done the deal.
“Liverpool were in the driving seat on this. They could have said to Suarez, ‘sorry, as much as you want to go and it’s Barcelona, you are not going anywhere until he signs.’ I know there were family issues and that’s why he went to London but I wouldn’t have let it (the Suarez transfer) happen.”