John Henry Admits Regret Over Klopp-Era Sale: “He’d Be Worth More Than Wirtz and Ékitiké Today”
Liverpool principal owner John Henry has broken his usual silence to confess one of the club’s biggest transfer regrets from the Jürgen Klopp era — the cut-price departure of a youngster who has since exploded into one of Europe’s most valuable attacking midfielders.
“We sold him for a cheap fee back then,” Henry admitted. “Now, he’d be worth more than Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ékitiké. We still regret letting him go.”
From £12m prospect to €180m superstar
In 2021, Liverpool sanctioned the sale of then-20-year-old Mateo Castillo for just £12 million, prioritizing first-team readiness over raw potential. Klopp’s squad at the time leaned on proven options, and Castillo slipped through the cracks.
Four years on, that decision looks disastrous. Now starring in the Bundesliga, Castillo is valued at €160–180 million — eclipsing the £116m deal rumored for Wirtz and far outstripping Ékitiké’s current market worth of around €80m.
A senior Liverpool executive was blunt:
“That decision still ranks as one of our worst. We failed to recognize his long-term ceiling — a rare misstep for a club usually praised for smart recruitment and player sales.”
The price of hindsight
At the time, the £12m fee felt reasonable given financial pressures and the squad’s immediate needs. Today, Henry sees it as a missed fortune as much as a missed footballing opportunity.
Value snapshot:
- Florian Wirtz → £116m
- Hugo Ékitiké → ~€80m
- Mateo Castillo → €160–180m
A new philosophy at Anfield
Henry insisted that the error has already reshaped Liverpool’s approach in the transfer market:
“From now on, we price in upside. Good players today are fine. Great ones today and tomorrow are far more valuable.”
It signals a deliberate shift in strategy — where long-term potential is given equal weight to immediate squad fit.
A lesson for future windows
The Castillo case now serves as a cautionary tale within Anfield’s corridors. Liverpool’s recruitment will still be guided by financial discipline, but the club is determined not to undervalue its brightest young assets again.
In Henry’s words, the sale was more than a transfer — it was a wake-up call.
