‘We Signed Mo for £37 Million”
Ian Graham, Liverpool’s former head of research, played a pivotal role in assembling one of the club’s most successful squads during the Premier League era. Working closely with manager Jürgen Klopp, Graham’s data-driven approach to recruitment helped identify and secure key players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Virgil van Dijk, who would become central to Liverpool’s triumphs.
He has a new book out which will be a brilliant read titled: HOW TO WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE: THE INSIDE STORY OF FOOTBALL’S DATA REVOLUTION
Graham highlights how Klopp’s willingness to collaborate with the club’s analytical team allowed Liverpool to pursue a more evidence-based strategy. This approach was evident in the recruitment of Sadio Mané, a player Klopp admired despite negative character references from his time at Southampton. Graham and his team trusted their data, which indicated that Mané’s potential far outweighed the concerns, leading to his signing—a decision that proved crucial as Mané became one of Liverpool’s standout performers.
One of Graham’s most significant contributions was his role in the acquisition of Mohamed Salah. Initially, Liverpool had attempted to sign Salah in 2014, but lost out to Chelsea. When the opportunity arose again in 2017, many Premier League rivals were hesitant due to Salah’s perceived failure at Chelsea. However, Graham’s statistical analysis showed that Salah had the potential to be a transformative player, significantly increasing the team’s chances of scoring. Although Klopp initially preferred Julian Brandt, he was eventually convinced by Graham and his colleagues to sign Salah, who went on to become one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards.
Graham’s work, combined with Klopp’s leadership, was instrumental in building a squad that would dominate English and European football, where technical data and the know how of Klopp, together formed the power of data-driven decision-making in football recruitment.
