Liverpool Transfer News: Daniel Agger Price Proves Reds' Priorites Aren't Right

Brendan Rodgers’ compass is broke.

The Liverpool manager has the once dominant football club headed in the wrong direction. His troubling lack of aggression this transfer window has to make fans wonder if the Reds will be able to compete with the Premier League’s top teams anytime soon.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Liverpool had placed a price tag on 27-year-old defender Daniel Agger. Rodgers said of a potential sale:

Daniel is a top player and you do not want to lose your best players. He has been here seven years. He loves the club and its supporters. But every player has his price and we will see where it goes.

While Agger has underachieved in Merseyside due to injuries, the club doesn’t have the luxury to lose that level of talent and still expect to compete. Especially if Manchester City, the squad linked to Agger, is who Liverpool sells him to.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but shipping a footballer to the reining EPL champions isn’t a transaction that moves the Reds any closer to sitting at the top of the table.

Liverpool already sold Dirk Kuyt this summer. And Craig Bellamy wants out. While the club could use some cash, they can’t help out a bitter rival in the process and expect to compete without also acquiring talent themselves.

Yes, the Reds just re-signed Luis Suarez. That was a great move.

But they were 14 games back in the Premier League standings last season. Simply keeping their best players won’t be enough to catch City, Manchester United and Arsenal in the near future.

And until Suarez and/or Andy Carroll develop into an all-world striker like City have in Sergio Aguero, Manchester United have in Wayne Rooney and the Gunners have/had in Robin van Persie, they’ll be on the outside looking in.

Clint Dempsey would be a solid acquisition. He’s been long connected to Anfield in rumors.

Would the 29-year-old American forward catapult Liverpool in to title contention? No, but Dempsey would at least help the Reds be more competitive, and he’d be an ideal mentor for Suarez and Carroll.

If Rodgers refuses to do nothing but sell players, it’ll be a long season for Liverpool.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels