Liverpool have faced a backlash from certain football fans in response to their purchase of Darwin Nunez.

In a summer that looks likely to see Sadio Mane wave goodbye to Anfield, the Reds spent an initial £64 million on the Uruguayan striker that could well rise above their current transfer record through add-ons.

And there are some supporters that view Liverpool's purchase as a myth-busting moment in regards to the narrative that the Reds have achieved their success without big-money spending.

The debate about Man City and Liverpool

It's a talking point that has been perpetuated by Liverpool's direct competition with Manchester City and the fact that some Kopites accuse the champions of overspending to achieve their success.

And for some, Liverpool threatening their transfer record to bring Nunez through the door destroys the whole idea that they are the low-spending, rapacious goodies compared to the so-called freewheeling gluttons of City.

Like with any fan narrative in football, things quickly become hyperbolic and oversimplified, but is there actually credence to the idea that Liverpool aren't quite as money-conscious as they're made out to be?

Now, before you reach for your pitchforks and picket signs, it's important to clarify that the very question we've just raised is one that's been tackled by one of the best sources in the business.

Twitter thread on Liverpool and City spending

We are, of course, talking about the revered Twitter account @SwissRamble that seems to go viral every other week for its fascinating threads on the economics and finances in the beautiful game.

And in light of all the discourse surrounding City and Liverpool's spending, they have looked into a claim by Simon Jordan that Jurgen Klopp's annual net spend is £28 million and Pep Guardiola's comes in at £100 million.

The truth? Well, there's too much to unpack for us to examine exhaustively right here, so be sure to check out the Twitter thread in its entirety, but first, keep scrolling to check out the highlights down below:

So, what does that all mean?

Closer than people think...

Well, the moral of the story is that although Liverpool's net spend is much, much healthier than that of City's, it's not a cut and dry case that the Reds are infinitely more cautious with money than their rivals.

Once you expand the investigation beyond the top-line statistic of net spend and factor in elements like wage spending, the caverns and cavities between City and Liverpool slowly start to narrow.

It's even interesting to note that the two clubs' net spend has actually been far more even since Guardiola finished building the squad that won him that first Premier League crown in 2017/18.

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Now, the question as to how much this actually all matters remains and there is still no escaping the fact that Liverpool have forked out less than their north-west rivals to achieve the success that they have in recent years.

And take from the statistics what you will, but do bear in mind that there's more to the story than simply the net spend.