Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes got it badly wrong over player Liverpool internally dismissed as ‘lazy’

Former Liverpool Chief Executive of Football and former sporting director Richard Hughes got one decision spectacularly wrong at Anfield.

The pair are no longer working at the Premier League side, but the effects of their choices are still lingering in L4.

The Reds have overseen massive outlays of money injected into the squad during the last two summers.

In a way, it has been anti-Liverpool in how they have spent their money.

For a team that typically puts their cash on young and cheaper entities, the switch to high-profile mega-money signings has been a complete U-turn.

And that desire to flaunt their money has struggled to pay off, with their assessment of a "lazy" player backfiring.

Which footballer did the former Liverpool chiefs view as lazy?

When Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz, there were other options on the table for the Reds.

With one of those potential signings being Man City's Rayan Cherki.

But in the end, the Anfield side decided to opt with the German attacking midfielder.

Now, according to The Times' Paul Joyce, that decision was due to Cherki being labelled as "lazy" internally at the Merseyside club.

The Frenchman has been a sensation in England's top flight, performing at a much higher level than Wirtz has.

Those concerns over his willingness to do the hard yards were further demolished on Sunday in Man City's 3-0 win.

As shared by The Times, Cherki produced more high-intensity pressures in the opposition half than two of Liverpool's attackers with 26.

Victor Munoz (19) and Bradley Barcola (14) came in far fewer than the Citizens' midfielder.

Proving that "lazy" is far from what the former Lyon ace is and has been in the Premier League so far.

Florian Wirtz' and Rayan Cherki's Premier League paths analysed

It is not only the fact that Cherki has put those lazy accusations to bed, but his impact in the Premier League has been much higher.

The Frenchman is seemingly suited to the style of England's top flight more than the German.

Last season in all competitions, Cherki secured 28 goal contributions, while Wirtz ended on just 15.

Now, this campaign he has pushed further ahead with his seven contributions compared to the Liverpool ace's one.

Things have not looked good for Wirtz, with Hughes and Edwards surely regretting the choice to snub the French international.