Liverpool FC
Nickname – The Reds
Best PL Finish – 2nd (2001/02, 2008/09, 2013/14)
Liverpool FC are one of the most famous clubs in the world due to a long history of titles and footballing greats. However, there has been no domestic league triumph for the Reds since the 1989/90 season with the likes of Alan Hansen, John Barnes and Ian Rush. The closest Liverpool Liverpool have come since then is surely the 13/14 season under Brendan Rodgers when the Reds were in control of the title race until that fateful slip by Steven Gerrard in a home match against Chelsea. The 2-0 loss at home to Chelsea is widely regarded as the day the title race swung in Manchester City’s direction, leaving Liverpool to wait longer for their first Premier League title.
That said, Liverpool perhaps find themselves in the best position ever to secure the trophy this season with Klopp’s side still firing on all cylinders despite a 2-1 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad on the 3rd of January. The likes of Van Dijk and Alisson have taken Liverpool to another level, reinforcing a backline that has been somewhat leaky since Klopp arrived at Anfield in 2015.
Top 5 Record Transfer Fees (as of 04/02/19)
- Virgil Van Dijk – £75 million (from Southampton – January 2018)
- Alisson Becker – £66.8 million (from Roma – July 2018)
- Naby Keita – £48 million (from RB Leipzig – August 2017)*
- Fabinho – £39 million (from AS Monaco – May 2018)
- Andy Carroll – £35 million (from Newcastle – January 2011)
*The Keita deal was completed in August 2017 but the player only joined Liverpool in July 2018.
(Figures include initial fees in GBP at the time of the transfer, as reported by the BBC unless specified otherwise)
Biggest Flop – Andy Carroll
There are many contenders for Liverpool’s biggest flop, especially coming from the Liverpool teams of the late 2000s and early 2010s. There’s the likes of Andrea Dossena, Fabio Borini, Alberto Aquilani, Iago Aspas, Andriy Voronin… the list goes on. El Hadji Diouf would be most Liverpool fans’ favourite for the Red’s biggest flop after only scoring only 6 goals in 80 appearances in a spell that was littered with controversy. However, it is difficult to top Andy Carroll, both in terms of height and value-for-money, in the battle for Liverpool’s most undesired title.
Carroll signed for Liverpool from Newcastle at the tender age of 22 for £35m in 2011. This fee broke numerous records- Andy Carroll became the most expensive Liverpool player ever, the most expensive player ever purchased by a British club (although that only lasted a few hours before Fernando Torres’ £50m move to Chelsea) and the most expensive British player ever – you would be forgiven if you thought Andy Carroll would be the next big thing in English football. Unfortunately for the front man, his time at Anfield was anything but and the player has himself stated that he couldn’t get to grips with life at Liverpool. Carroll’s spell at Liverpool was plagued with the same injuries that have hampered his career until now which ultimately meant he left Anfield in 2013 with only 6 league goals to his name. To be fair to the target man, I think most people would struggle to handle all those pressures.
Biggest Bargain – Mohamed Salah
Whilst Liverpool’s archives are full of players who didn’t quite merit the long successful history of the shirt, there are obviously some who did. The most recent ones that come to mind are Van Dijk and Alisson, who although set the Reds back a pretty penny, are looking like absolutely incredible deals given Liverpool’s current league position. However, there can be few arguments as to the winner of this accolade. You could say Mané or Firmino, but none have warmed to the Anfield faithful more so than the Egyptian King himself, Mohamed Salah.
Salah joined Liverpool from AS Roma for £34m in 2017 and many could be forgiven for underestimating Salah’s rise to the top of Premier League after his underwhelming time with Chelsea. However, Salah has set the league alight. Arguably one of the best current Premier League players, Salah stormed his way to the Golden Boot last season with 32 goals, leaving the likes of Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Romelu Lukaku is his wake. Salah really is the linchpin for Liverpool’s attack and the fact they signed him for £34m in a time where the cost of true goalscorers is massively inflated is incredible – Transfermarkt even puts his current value at £135m. On top of that he is only 26 years old, which means he is just hitting his peak- a worry for all Premier League sides. With all this in mind, it’s hard to argue against Salah as Liverpool’s Biggest Bargain.
Records and Trivia
- Liverpool’s signing of Alisson Becker in 2018 broke Gianluigi Buffon’s title of most expensive goalkeeper which he had held since his transfer from Parma to Juventus in 2001. Alisson’s record was broken by Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga 20 days later.
- Liverpool’s current squad has cost over £625m to assemble, making it the third most expensive squad in the league behind both Manchester clubs.
- Only 16 of Liverpool’s current squad aren’t home-grown. Only 5 other squads can match or better that statistic: Crystal Palace (16), Everton (15), Southampton (15), Burnley(12) and AFC Bournemouth (10).
- Virgil Van Dijk’s transfer to Liverpool in January 2018 made him the most expensive defender ever, surpassing Benjamin Mendy’s transfer to Manchester City from AS Monaco.
- No Liverpool player has ever held the title as World’s Most Expensive player.
- Andy Carroll held the British Transfer Record when he moved to Liverpool from Newcastle for a matter of hours, before Fernando Torres swapped Anfield for Stamford Bridge in a £50m deal.
