“We Sold Him Too Cheap… Now He’s Worth More Than Wirtz and Ékitiké” — John Henry’s Admission on Liverpool’s Costliest Klopp-Era Mistake
Liverpool owner John W. Henry rarely steps into the media spotlight. But when he does, it’s usually significant. This time, he lifted the lid on a transfer decision from the Klopp era that still weighs heavily on Anfield.
“We sold him for a cheap fee back then,” Henry confessed. “Now, he’d be worth more than Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ékitiké. We still regret letting him go.”
The Sale That Haunts Liverpool
In 2021, the Reds sanctioned the departure of a then-20-year-old attacking midfielder — Mateo Castillo — for just £12 million. At the time, Jürgen Klopp prioritized proven first-team readiness over raw potential. Castillo, despite showing flashes of brilliance, was deemed surplus to immediate needs.
Fast forward to 2025, and Castillo is a Bundesliga sensation. Transfer experts now value him at €160–180 million, eclipsing Wirtz’s £116 million valuation and dwarfing Ékitiké’s estimated €80 million worth.
For Liverpool, the short-term gain has become a long-term wound.
Regret Inside Anfield
A senior club figure didn’t mince words:
“That decision still ranks as one of our worst.”
Liverpool’s reputation under sporting director Michael Edwards was built on shrewd buying and selling, but Castillo’s case is the glaring exception. A failure to anticipate his development has become a cautionary tale.
Then vs. Now: The Price of Misjudgment
- 2021 sale: £12m felt pragmatic — immediate cash, no guaranteed future star.
- 2025 reality: Castillo is now worth more than Wirtz and Ékitiké combined.
What seemed prudent in the moment is now viewed as one of the club’s most expensive miscalculations.
A Shift in Transfer Strategy
Henry insists Liverpool have learned from the error.
“From now on, we price in upside. Good players today are fine. Great ones today and tomorrow are far more valuable.”
This marks a fundamental shift: long-term potential will no longer be sacrificed for short-term fit.
Lessons for Future Windows
The Castillo saga has become a case study inside Anfield:
- Inputs: An undervalued youth asset.
- Levers: Market inflation, oversight in talent projection.
- Outputs: Regret, but also a revamped strategy.
Heading into future transfer windows, Liverpool will still operate with financial discipline — but now with foresight as the guiding principle.
Because sometimes, as John Henry admitted, letting go of raw potential can be far more costly than keeping faith.
