With Luis Diaz joining Liverpool from Porto in a big-money January move, we take a look at where he ranks among the Reds’ most expensive signings ever.
The 25-year-old has officially become a Liverpool player, following a quickfire move that materialised from Thursday onwards.
Diaz looks an exciting signing who will add further depth and quality to Jurgen Klopp‘s attack, also acting as a long-term addition.
The Colombian has cost Liverpool a transfer fee of £50 million from Porto, as FSG splash out on a big-name addition.
The question is: how many Reds signings throughout history have cost more than Diaz?
Here’s the top 10…
=9. Andy Carroll – £35m
The fact that Andy Carroll belongs in such illustrious company simply doesn’t feel right, with all due respect.
The former England international’s arrival in January 2011 caused more fanfare than Luis Suarez’s, incredibly – it’s fair to say their careers went on to follow different paths.
In truth, £35 million was a ludicrous amount to pay for Carroll, who eventually left Liverpool with a paltry record of 11 goals in 58 appearances.
Still, at least we’ll always have Everton at Wembley!
Verdict: Big-money flop
=9. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – £35m
When the dust settles on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain‘s Liverpool career, it should ultimately be looked back on with fondness.
A cruciate ligament injury struck him down when he was in superb form and he has never quite recovered, with fitness issues often hampering him.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was still the fourth-highest goalscorer in the title-winning season, however, and his infectious personality has helped him establish himself as a valuable asset.
Has he been perfect and always justified the price tag? No. But he has been a solid squad player during a special period under Klopp.
Verdict: Positives outweigh the negatives
8. Ibrahima Konate – £36m
Ibrahima Konate was the only Liverpool signing in a quiet summer last year, with some at former club RB Leipzig viewing him as a future best centre-back in the world.
The 22-year-old is still finding his feet at Liverpool, only starting seven Premier League games, but he looks a magnificent prospect.
Quick, strong, dominant in the air and a good reader of the game, Konate should only learn from playing alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Chances are, the £36 million the Reds paid for him will look like a bargain one day.
Verdict: Impressive start
7. Fabinho – £43.7m
Much like Diaz, Fabinho‘s arrival in 2018 came from nowhere.
The Brazilian has been a game-changer of a signing for Liverpool, mastering the No. 6 role unlike anyone since Javier Mascherano and securing Premier League and Champions League glory.
The Brazilian lighthouse brings a calm to the team that is priceless and he deserves to be looked at as a bargain signing.
One of the most important players at the club.
Verdict: Huge success
6. Mohamed Salah – £43.9m
What can you say about Mohamed Salah? Every superlative has been used by now.
When the 29-year-old joined in 2017 he was considered a ‘Chelsea reject’ by some, but he has gone on to become one of the great Liverpool players.
Salah has scored 148 goals in just 229 appearances, smashing endless records along the way, and he is now surely worth at least three times what the Reds paid for him.
Put simply, the best player on the planet currently.
Verdict: An all-time Reds great
5. Diogo Jota – £45m
Diogo Jota was yet another example of a signing that Michael Edwards masterminded without anyone cottoning on – what an addition he has been.
If the consensus was that the Portuguese would be a squad player, he has instead broken up Liverpool’s legendary front three and become a key starter.
Jota may not yet have Salah-esque numbers in a Reds shirt, but 27 goals in 42 starts is a magnificent effort and he should only improve further in the coming years.
Some sniffed at the forward’s £45 million price tag – they are now in hiding!
Verdict: Huge success
4. Luis Diaz – £50m
So Diaz comes in at No. 4 on Liverpool’s list of all-time most expensive signings – no pressure!
The Colombian showed in two games against the Reds in the Champions League that he is a handful, so it is going to be fascinating to see how he fares at Anfield.
Klopp and Edwards’ record in the transfer market suggests that this could be another masterstroke and we are hopefully about to witness the dawning of another great Liverpool career.
Verdict: Time will tell…
3. Naby Keita – £52.75m
Naby Keita arguably arrived to the most fanfare of any Liverpool signing under Klopp, a year after actually agreeing to a move.
There’s no doubt that the Guinean has been a disappointment overall, failing to become the truly elite midfielder that many predicted.
Much of this is through no fault of his own, however, with injuries limiting him to only 56 starts in three-and-a-half years.
At 26, Keita still has time to fulfil his potential – his ability on and off the ball is effective when fit – but it feels as though he is approaching ‘now or never’ territory.
Verdict: Hit-and-miss signing
2. Alisson – £65m
When you spend £65 million on a goalkeeper you expect something truly special, and Alisson is just that.
After years of unconvincing figures between the sticks, the Brazilian has been a monstrous performer for Liverpool, helping turn them from a good side into a great one.
Klopp would surely not trade him for any other ‘keeper in the world and his ability to make a difficult job look easy is what makes him so elite.
He scored a last-minute header in a must-win game, too, which paid for about £50million of the fee alone!
Verdict: Best goalkeeper in the world
1. Virgil van Dijk – £75m
Rival supporters mocked the £75 million Liverpool spent on Van Dijk in January 2017, as he broke the club’s transfer record.
The Dutchman has been the most important signing of Klopp’s tenure, though, etching his name into the pantheon of Reds greats.
Even after a serious knee injury, there is still no better centre-back in the game and how Liverpool struggled without him last season sums up his influence.
Similar to Salah, he turned out to be worth so much more than the Reds paid for him, even though his transfer fee was enormous to begin with.
It will take many years to see a better central defender at Anfield, and Van Dijk is a worthy player to have at the top of the list.
Verdict: Best defender in Liverpool’s history?
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