Liverpool marked the start of the January window with the surprise signing of PSV and Netherlands starlet Cody Gakpo, who was announced on Boxing Day. The Reds have ramped up their spending on individuals in recent years, both in summer and winter – here is a look at the three most expensive signings in the club’s history.
3. Alisson Becker (Roma - £65m, 1 July 2018)
Alisson Becker joined Liverpool on 1 July 2018 after an impressive two seasons with Roma. The 30-year-old became a Red for a fee of £65 million, which seems a steal considering the number of contributions he has made over the years. Our impressive performances had long suffered from goalkeeping errors, with no better evidence than the 2017-18 Champions League final when Lorius Karius gifted Real Madrid two goals in their 3-1 victory.
Just over a month later that was no longer an issue, with Alisson signing and cementing his place as our Number 1 ever since. Naturally, the Brazilian hasn’t been without his flaws and has been part of an underperforming side that sat way off the pace at the turn of the year. Nevertheless, Liverpool is currently priced at odds of 8/11 to finish in the top four with sports betting site Coral, which is currently listed among other sportsbook competitors on the BonusFinder website. Buying Alisson has certainly proved a safe bet, though, as he celebrated winning our Player of the Month as recently as October 2022.
— Alisson Becker (@Alissonbecker) May 15, 2022
2. Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton - £75m, 1 January 2018)
Signed exactly six months before his goalkeeping team-mate, Virgil Van Dijk joined from Southampton after making a name for himself in the Scottish and then English Premier League. Having come through the ranks at boyhood club Groningen, the Dutchman joined Celtic in 2013 and was a stalwart in the Hoops’ side for two-and-a-half seasons before a move to Saints. Van Dijk was awarded the same amount of time at the Hampshire club before Liverpool came calling in January 2018.
Even an exorbitant fee of £75 million seems reasonable considering the positive effect Van Dijk has had on our defence. This is no better evidenced than in the Dutch powerhouse’s staggering 70-game unbeaten streak at Anfield, which sadly came to an end in our 2-1 home defeat to Leeds at the end of October 2022. Nevertheless, Van Dijk has helped Liverpool win all there is on offer in a Reds shirt, notching up a Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League club to his name in his five years with the club.
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) October 17, 2022
1. Darwin Nunez (Benfica - £85.4m, 14 June 2022)
It will come as no surprise to Liverpool fans that summer signing Darwin Nunez sits top of this list, for a fee of over £10 million more than Van Dijk. The Uruguayan’s price tag raised a few eyebrows at the time and has led to harsh criticism of the player from fans and pundits alike, which ignores the fact that Nunez made a name for himself as one of the world’s hottest properties as a Benfica youngster.
Still only 23 years old, the Uruguayan recorded a whopping 48 goals and 16 assists in just 85 matches for the Portuguese side, winning the club’s Player of the Year award in 2021-22. Even for Liverpool so far this campaign, Nunez has registered 10 goals and three assists, one of the most recent being a fine finish against Wolves in the FA Cup third round. Contracted until June 2028, Nunez has the ability and potential to grow into one of the world’s greatest, regardless of his exorbitant fee.
Vamos @LFC!
— Darwin Núñez (@Darwinn99) November 12, 2022
Hasta la vuelta pic.twitter.com/jqTkTlNPC4
The likes of Naby Keita and Luis Diaz narrowly missed out on this list, while Cody Gakpo placed seventh. While the winter window tends to be relatively quiet, it looks set to be a busy summer of recruitment for Jurgen Klopp, as he aims to compete with the other big spenders of the Premier League.
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