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Liverpool legend Michael Owen believes his former club made errors during last summer’s transfer window, and those mistakes have come back to haunt them in the current campaign.

Back in September, had you asked Premier League fans which club ‘won’ the most recent transfer window, the majority would have pointed straight to Liverpool.

The reigning champions at the time spent over £250 million on a series of exciting additions, including forwards Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, creative midfielder Florian Wirtz, and full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.

Such heavy investment in an already title-winning squad appeared to put the Reds in a strong position to defend their crown.

However, nine months later, the picture looks completely different. Liverpool’s season has been one to forget, with their title challenge collapsing in the autumn and their Champions League qualification still uncertain heading into the final game of the season.

Owen believes there were clear missteps in the club’s recruitment strategy.

“Although the signings as a whole now seem disappointing, it’s difficult to pinpoint whether that’s due to the players’ quality, the tactics, injuries, or something else,” Owen told FourFourTwo while speaking on behalf of World Cup-related offers from leading betting platforms.

“At first, I was absolutely delighted when they brought in Florian Wirtz, and I was thrilled about Isak too. I didn’t know much about Ekitike at the time, but he’s arguably turned out to be the best of the bunch.

“I have to admit, I thought Milos Kerkez was a really good signing, but now I’m not so sure about that decision. There’s also Giorgi Mamardashvili and a few others, but among the big-money arrivals, Isak has been particularly unlucky. He missed his pre-season, found it tough once he returned, and just when he started to show promise and scored a couple of goals, he got injured again.”

Owen added that fans should not expect Isak to immediately rediscover his best form upon returning to action. “When he comes back, anyone expecting him to be outstanding right away or even within a few months will probably be disappointed. He’s likely to go through that frustrating spell of minor injuries, fitness struggles, and inconsistent form before he’s fully back. It might take quite some time before we see him at his best again.”

On Ekitike, Owen expressed sympathy: “Ekitike’s situation is just awful. He’s suffered a really bad injury, and I can’t imagine he’ll be back much before Christmas.”

Despite the setbacks, Owen remains optimistic that some of these signings can still make a lasting impact at Anfield. “I’m still excited by those signings,” he said. “You can’t deny that Wirtz is a top player, and the same goes for Isak and Ekitike – there’s no shortage of talent in that squad. The real challenge is getting them all fit and performing together. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag so far, to be honest.”

Owen also voiced some concerns about Jeremie Frimpong’s role. “I’m a bit uncertain about Frimpong – I’m not sure exactly what his best position is. He’s not really a traditional right-back, but he’s useful to have in the squad. Against weaker sides, you might get away with playing him there, or he can be used as a right-sided attacking option. I don’t mind him, even though he’s had his share of injuries. There are a few question marks, but the one player I’m not particularly confident about going forward is probably Kerkez.”