Liverpool fans have always enjoyed singing "The Reds have got no money but we'll still win the league", and last season's Premier League title triumph was certainly notable for the fact that it was achieved with just one summer signing in Federico Chiesa - who cost just £10 million ($13.5m) and barely played.
However, the idea that the club is strapped for cash has always been grossly misleading. Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), aren't poor; they're prudent. When there has been a need - or indeed an opportunity - to spend big on a potential game-changer, the Americans have been very willing to stump up the cash.
Remember, record-breaking fees were paid for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker in 2018 and laid the foundation upon which Jurgen Klopp's era of sustained success was constructed, while the midfield overhaul in the summer of 2023 undeniably played a pivotal role in Liverpool running away with the league last season.
However, no previous splurge even comes close to the spending spree FSG have sanctioned during the current summer transfer - which isn't even over yet. Indeed, with more than five weeks to go until deadline day, Liverpool have already spent a staggering £265m ($359m) - and that's without getting into add-ons and bonuses.
So, how are the Reds paying for all of these new players? Will they now need to sell to balance the books? And could there actually be even more new arrivals before the close of the window on September 1?
