Ian Ayre, Liverpool’s managing director, has no regrets losing Clint Dempsey to fourth place rival Tottenham in the summer.
Missing out on the American left boss Brendan Rodgers short of attacking options having let Andy Carroll join West Ham on loan but owners Fenway Sports Group refused to sanction a £6 million deal to sign Dempsey, 29, from Fulham last August, and he ended up joining Tottenham instead.
FSG's policy is to focus on signing players under the age of 24, and it was felt that Dempsey offered little resale value.
One of Ayre's main roles at Anfield is to discuss transfer negotiations and he recently helped sign Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea for £12 million.
"The issue came down to a particular deal and a particular price or structure to that deal. It wasn't right to do it," he told the Liverpool Echo. "Likewise the interest in certain other players wasn't right. Sometimes you have to be stronger for the greater good.
"People may feel they want to criticize the fact we didn't have an additional striker. But at what price would you sacrifice spending for something that is not in the long-term interests of the club versus what we just did, which was getting a great price on a great player in Daniel Sturridge?
"If we had spent that money in the summer then we wouldn't have done that trade recently. It may have left us short, but the pieces just did not come together. We've come through that period now. I still feel it was the right decision."
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