Liverpool to make £175m in Premier League prize money

Liverpool are set to rake in £175 million in Premier League prize money after lifting the league title. Although the Reds had the initial £63m for winning the Premier League reduced to £54m due to a decrease in funds from broadcasters, they will still see the largest payout of any club competing in this year’s competition

The league’s performance-dependent bonuses will be the only parts of the prize money fund that is affected. Remarkably, the Reds will still receive £175m. Even bottom club Norwich City will receive £94m in prize money for being relegated back to the EFL Championship.

In spite of Liverpool receiving such a windfall of prize money, the club are not expected to tap into the transfer market. Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara continues to be linked with the club for around £30m. Price, age and fitting into the team’s style of play are likely to keep any deal from occurring.

Due to the coronavirus and the uncertainty over finances, Fenway Sports Group are unlikely to agree to spend heavily on new players. Even before the coronavirus, FSG sanctioned Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox to trade away two of their highest-paid stars. Outfielder Mookie Betts was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers to get his contract off the books. Betts earned $20m during the 2019 Major League Baseball season.

The Red Sox also traded pitcher David Price to the Dodgers. In 2016, Price signed a whopping seven-year contract worth $217m over the course of the deal. Price earned an average of $31m per baseball season and the Red Sox move of both players shed around $50m a season of their budget.

It is believed the trades of both baseball players was a “salary dump” although that was refuted on John W. Henry. A salary dump is baseball lingo for getting rid of high-priced players that the team can no longer afford by trading them for lower-valued players who earn far less money.

The Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club are linked by FSG. If the Red Sox are seeking to save money, even before the coronavirus pandemic, it is likely that Liverpool spending large sums of money on new players will be out of the question in spite of making £175m in prize money.