Liverpool data guru makes FSG transfer admission after turning down Premier League offers

Liverpool’s former Director of Research admits the FSG transfer policy may seem "boring" compared to some rivals - but says it is a more rational way to run a football club.

Dr Ian Graham left the Reds at the end of last season, having handed in his notice in November 2022 after working at the club for a decade and being a vital member of its recruitment team. Previously heading up Liverpool's data analysis team - whose focus is mainly on finding value in the transfer market - he oversaw the exhaustive use of analytics for scouting potential targets.

Months after leaving Anfield, he would reunite with the Reds’ former sporting director Michael Edwards to launch a consultancy called Ludonautics.

Reflecting on Liverpool’s data-driven transfer model in an interview with ESPN, Dr Graham admitted it may have been "more fun" in some respects working for a club that wasn't restricted by the same financial constraints as the Reds. But overall, his time at Anfield was a "dream job".

Liverpool are about to get close look at their perfect Mohamed Salah replacement

Liverpool could be without seven players for Brentford match

“Our approach is inbuilt in American sports culture,” Graham said. “And the reason we were allowed to develop our approach was because we had baseball owners at Liverpool.

“It's absolutely driven by Americans who seem to want more evidence-based decision-making, and more information about how their team's doing.

“I think the American money that comes in is more business money or private equity money, as opposed to traditional billionaire owners who might just want to run the club because it's something fun to do with their money.

“In that case, you might not want to run it rationally. Running a business is