The best signings in football have historically been those that do the business on the pitch. But increasingly, advantages are being gained behind the scenes via the appointment of a shrewd sporting director (or similar job title). In Michael Edwards, Liverpool have renewed their partnership with one of the smartest minds in the beautiful game.
Edwards will return to Anfield in a chief executive capacity after agreeing a move with FSG; this time, he will oversee the entirety of the club’s ‘football operations’.
Of course, he’s best known for his first stint with the Reds for his recruitment – signing a plethora of stars whose performances would completely outweigh their relatively meagre transfer fee.
Here’s a look at the best of Edwards’ Liverpool signings…
Mo Salah (£34 million)
Those browsing today’s football prices will notice that the bookmakers still believe the Reds have a strong chance of winning the Premier League title this term – odds of 11/5 put them a shade behind Manchester City (6/5) in the race for the trophy.
If they are to dethrone City as Champions, Jurgen Klopp will need Mo Salah back fit and firing pronto – the Egyptian spotted and signed by Edwards for a meagre £34 million back in 2017.
Salah has scored more than 200 goals for the Reds, won the Premier League and Champions League – helping the club to two other finals, the FA Cup and the Club World Cup, while personally winning the Golden Boot on three separate occasions.
Another incredible season from @MoSalah, who picks up the Golden Boot award after finishing with 23 @premierleague goals!
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 22, 2022
The Egyptian King pic.twitter.com/i3zbUU3lVm
Money well spent, you might agree…
Andy Robertson (£8 million)
Although there are more decorated signings on the Edwards ledger, few can match the value-for-money scouting of Andy Robertson.
The Scot was playing for lowly Hull City when he first appeared on Edwards’ radar, with a fee of just £8 million exchanging hands when Robertson joined the Reds from the Tigers in 2017. Now, he’s played around 300 games for Liverpool, winning that same haul of silverware as Salah and enjoying his status as the defender with the most assists in the Premier League era.
Salah and co may have been the more eye-catching of Edwards’ signings, but none can match the extraordinary value that Robertson has brought to the table.
Alisson (£62 million)
When Klopp first took charge at Anfield, he wanted to implement the ‘heavy metal’ style that had proven so successful at his former club, Borussia Dortmund. To do so, he would need a goalkeeper as adept with the ball at his feet as keeping it out of the net with his hands, so Edwards opened up his Excel database of world football talent and opted for Alisson Becker, the Roma shot-stopper.
Some would say that £62 million is extravagant spending on a goalkeeper, but you would be hard-pressed to argue that the Brazilian hasn’t been worth every penny.
Allison (2) has now provided more Premier League assists in 2022 than Jack Grealish (1). pic.twitter.com/Zoi8QmS3GQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 16, 2022
He’s played in more than 250 games, won the domestic treble of trophies as well as the Champions League and Club World Cup, making world-class saves along the way and even assisting three Premier League goals with his outstanding distribution.
Let’s hope that Edwards has more gems like these up his sleeve in his second stint at Anfield!
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