The pressure on clubs to deliver homegrown talents that have come up through their academy system has never been more relevant than today.
The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the financial outlook for football clubs worldwide, meaning that saving on astronomical transfer fees and agent commission has almost become a necessity.
Since being taken over by Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool have bucked the trend of spending millions for the sake of it.
Their player choices, if they’ve not come from the academy system, are considered and well thought out.
Even if that’s meant that, on occasion, they’ve had to plunder club coffers significantly.
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Now the club are preparing to cast the net wider, as they begin a programme of opening academies in China that will teach the ‘Liverpool way.’
According to the official Liverpool website, children between five and 16 years of age will receive ongoing training thanks to the partnership between the club and Li Sheng.
It may take a while to bear fruit, but it’s certainly a positive step in the right direction for a club that’s been consistently doing things right over the last few years (except for the Super League).