When you put something in quotes debs it's usually a good idea to make sure the person you're quoting actually said it. I never mentioned "young with potential" at all. I said "players for the future" who we can "develop into stars". You've then gone "I'll go with 21 and under but do a summary for those aged 22 and 23 as they're still considered "young with potential"." and i can't help thinking we are talking about different things here.
Look.
1. I don't care how old the player is.
2. I don't care how much money the player costs.
3. I don't care if the player is a "big name".
4. I don't care how much wages a player gets.
What I am talking about is us signing players (a couple of them, no more although it would be nice) who are proven at the highest level, regularly feature in the Champions League, have experience of a big club, are regulars in their national team etc. Players who would get pretty close to if not getting into Juventus's team, Paris Saint Germaine's team, Dortmunds teams etc. I'm not necessarily advocating signing blokes who would walk into Barcelonas first team or Madrids or Bayerns as that's cloud cuckoo land and I know that, but I'm talking proper players who instantly improve us (in theory anyway, I know there's always a chance ANY player won't work).
Well apologies for the misrepresentation of your meaning mate but usually when people talk about ones for the future and in need of development they are generally talking about young players. I've rarely seen a 27/28/29 year old referred to as one for the future so forgive me for misunderstanding.
OK some names. You'll have to forgive my ignorance as I don't watch much foreign football, but I'll throw some names in there for you starting with a couple who are based in English football. I'm not necessarily advocating we sign any of these players, I'm saying THESE TYPE of players.
You need a holding midfielder? Eric Dyer. IMHO Englands best player at the Euros so far. Marco Veratti. Fabulous player and lynchpin of the PSG midfield.
You need a goalie? Frazer Forster, IMHO the best English goalkeper in England.
You need a left back? Filipe Luis, Athletico Madrid. Danny Rose, Tottenham.
You need a creative midfielder? Ross Barclay, career has stalled but will be a top player. Isco. Rarely features at Madrid but a top player, ditto Luca Modric (although he features) and James Rodriguez, and the other young Craotian fella who's name escapes me.
Striker? Morata from Juventus/Real Madrid.
etc etc etc etc. Looking for "proven"? Look at the best club competition in the world (Champions League) and pick the players who play regularly in that. You won't go far wrong.
So you think players who are regularly winning league titles and playing in the CL every season would choose to come to Liverpool?
A Club who hasn't won a title in over 25 years and has only played in the CL once in the last 7 seasons?
When and if the clubs those players are regularly playing for decide they are surplus to requirements and want to sell them, they will have their pick of most of the other clubs who regularly win titles and play in the CL every season?
You believe throw enough money at them and they'll come, well maybe they would if no other Club wanted them.
Like Gotze? We met the asking price, gave him a higher wage than he's getting at his big club but he still turned us down, preferring to hope he catches the eye of Barca or Madrid at the Euros or sit out his contract on the bench at Bayern for less money, so he can pick and choose where he goes next summer.
That should tell you where we are in "the big club" ladder of those top class players.
Let's look a little closer at your criteria though and see what we already have.
Full Internationals - we have more players away on full International duty this summer than any other PL Club. We would have had even more if Lovren hadn't fallen out with his Manager and Sakho hadn't decided he was on the tubby side or Brazils Managers wasn't blind and called up Firmino.
CL experience prior to arriving - Lovren, Sakho, Can, Coutinho, Sturridge, Origi, Firmino, Milner, Toure, Markovic, Karius, Matip, Balotelli
We have a way to go before we become the go to Club for honours mate though with Jürgen I'm sure it'll happen again pretty soon. I get yours and others frustrations at this, you believe that if we don't start acting soon we'll fall further behind but I can't and won't succumb to that thinking.