Liverpool will touch down in Pittsburgh tonight as they embark on their first pre-season tour of America since 2019.
It is a big moment for new head coach Arne Slot as he cranks up preparations for the new season following a productive fortnight at Liverpool’s Kirkby training base, but it also has significant commercial ramifications for the club.
We analyse Liverpool’s motivations for going, who might benefit and what fans can expect in the coming fortnight.
Who are Liverpool facing — and which players are going?
Liverpool face Real Betis on Friday at the 68,400-capacity Acrisure Stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. On Saturday, they move on to Philadelphia to prepare for next Wednesday’s game against Arsenal at the Eagles’ 70,000-capacity Lincoln Financial Field.
The final stop sees them take on rivals Manchester United at the 77,000-capacity Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, August 3, before heading home to Merseyside.
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Slot’s squad remains depleted, with Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konate all absent following their commitments at the European Championship and the Copa America.
A number of those senior players are expected to link up with their team-mates later in the tour. Striker Jayden Danns misses the trip due to discomfort in his back, while fellow youngster Bobby Clark will also stay behind as he builds up his fitness after injury.
What an experience it promises to be, however, for youngsters like Stefan Bajcetic, Luke Chambers, Kaide Gordon, Ben Doak, James McConnell, Owen Beck, Amara Nallo, Lewis Koumas, Harvey Blair, Luca Stephenson and Trey Nyoni. All will have a chance to impress on the tour.
Bobby Clark has not travelled to the U.S. due to injury (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
How much local interest is there?
The games against Arsenal and United are expected to sell out, but ticket sales have been significantly slower for the game against Betis. The remaining seats cost between $75 (£59) and $303 (£235) against Betis, $101 to $500 against Arsenal and $145 to $616 against United, although some on the resale market are going for considerably higher.
Club ambassadors Ian Rush, John Barnes and Natasha Dowie will be making a number of public appearances in the States, along with Anfield legends Gary McAllister, Lucas Leiva and Sami Hyypia. Liverpool singer Jamie Webster will also be entertaining the crowds.
“I travel all over the world with Liverpool and in America, the size of our fanbase gets bigger every year,” said Rush, who scored 346 goals for the club in the 1980s and 1990s.
“It will be something different for Arne — something he has never experienced before. He will realise the size of the club he has joined. For lots of these supporters, coming to Anfield isn’t possible, so we have a duty to take Liverpool to them.
Liverpool vs Manchester United attracted a sell-out crowd in Michigan in 2018 (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“I’m really excited to see how the young players on the tour get on. Everyone will get opportunities to shine and this is their chance to force their way into the manager’s plans for the season ahead.”
Lou Vogel is chair of the official Liverpool supporters’ club in Philadelphia, which has around 850 members spread across the metropolitan area.
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The 37-year-old has been a fan since he started watching games on TV while studying at the University of Pennsylvania nearly two decades ago. The absence of some star names in Slot’s squad has done little to dampen the sense of expectation.
“There’s huge excitement. From our perspective, Philly gets to become the centre of the universe for Liverpool FC for about 72 hours,” he tells The Athletic.
“It’s something that may not happen again. It’s not just about having the club in town, but having Liverpool supporters from across North America and further afield here. It’s thechance to showcase our city and the affinity so many of us have for the club and the culture.
Liverpool have a strong fan presence in Philadelphia (Courtesy of Liverpool supporters’ club in Philadelphia)
“I’ve been a season ticket holder for Philadelphia Eagles for 22 years. I’ve been to 180 straight home games, but my passion for the Eagles is nowhere near my passion for Liverpool.
“Living in the city, I see more and more LFC shirts and jackets as I walk around. Interest in the Premier League has really grown since NBC started showing the games. Out of 70,000, I reckon it will be about 45,000 Liverpool fans against Arsenal.
“This city is more like Liverpool than any other in America. It should feel like home for them.”
What does Arne Slot hope to gain from it?
This is the first time Liverpool have embarked on a three-game overseas tour since 2019 when they played in South Bend, Boston and New York.
Jurgen Klopp wasn’t a fan of long-haul travel during his reign and favoured Europe-based training camps in pre-season.
Liverpool played twice during a week in Singapore last summer and 12 months earlier they had a similarly long stint away when they played two games in Thailand and Singapore. They didn’t tour in 2020 or 2021 due to the global pandemic.
Slot expects the intensity levels to crank up during Liverpool’s time in the States after using 25 players in last Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Preston North End in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Kirkby.
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“We are trying to implement the ideas and keep doing what we have done so well. Keeping the boys fit, that’s the first aim,” he said.
“With all the players coming back, I think the quality will definitely go up a lot. These two things — training sessions and boys coming back in — will help us to play even better than we did (against Preston).”
Arne Slot has high hopes for Liverpool’s U.S. tour (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
How important is the tour commercially?
America is the number one international market when it comes to Liverpool’s merchandising business and one of the new Nike kits will be launched during the tour. There are 67 official Liverpool supporters’ clubs across the country and they have international academies across 12 states.
Liverpool’s commercial strategy has shifted over the past 18 months as they have penned lucrative deals with blue-chip U.S-based brands such as Google Pixel (mobile phone partner), Peloton (digital fitness partner), UPS (global logistics and shipping partner) and Orion Innovation (digital transformation partner).
“It’s a key market for us in terms of the growth of our retail business and it’s a mature market for sponsorship in terms of the way they commercialise their sports over there,” Liverpool’s chief commercial officer Ben Latty told The Athletic in March.
“There’s a real focus from U.S. companies in terms of trying to reach a more global audience and one way to do that is through Premier League football. What club do you go for? Long may it continue Liverpool FC being number one on that list.”
As well as satisfying the demands of sponsors, Liverpool aim to leave a legacy through the work of the LFC Foundation coaches, who will be holding football clinics for local youngsters in all three cities.
Liverpool’s 28-man travelling squad for U.S. tour: Endo, Szoboszlai, Salah, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Carvalho, Bajcetic, Chambers, Pitaluga, Phillips, Gordon, Doak, McConnell, Jaros, Kelleher, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Van den Berg, Quansah, Morton, Bradley, Blair, Stephenson, Davies, Nyoni
(Top photos: Arne Slot/U.S fans welcome Liverpool players in 2018; Getty Images)
James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC
