Liverpool's lavish outlay could loosen City stranglehold

LONDON - Liverpool has spent big in the transfer window in an attempt to close the gap on Premier League champion Manchester City, but it has been a summer of intense frustration for Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola finally landed Leicester's Riyad Mahrez for a club-record fee in an otherwise quiet window so far for City while Arsenal has signed a clutch of players but no marquee names to whet the appetite.

Premier League clubs spent a record $1.8 billion on players in a summer splurge last year, according to soccer analysts Deloitte.