RANKED! Liverpool’s 5 best summer transfer windows

Ahead of a busy summer, we took a look back at Liverpool’s transfer windows gone by and ranked the Reds’ top five for signings and sales.

With midfielders required, as well as a new centre-back, Jurgen Klopp has plenty to do alongside new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke.

This summer, the pair will hope to at least match some of these fruitful windows from the past.

On the following list, you won’t find anything pre-dating 1999, as it was only around the turn of the century when deadlines for transfers were properly introduced.

Here is how we ranked Liverpool’s top five summer transfer windows.

 

5. The Spanish Armada (2004)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25th 2004: Liverpool's manager Rafael Benitez poses with his two new Spanish signings Luis Garcia (l) and Xabi Alonso (r) at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)


Notable players IN: Luis Garcia (£6m), Xabi Alonso (£10.7m), Djibril Cisse (£14.5m), Josemi (£2m), Antonio Nunez (£1.5m)

Notable players OUT: Michael Owen (£8m), Danny Murphy (£2.5m), Markus Babbel (free)


At No. 5 on our list is the beginning of a new era at Liverpool.

With Rafa Benitez just through the door from Valencia, the manager turned back to his homeland for his first signings as boss.

Xabi Alonso arrived with bouncy hair, a fresh face and an effortless ability to spray passes across the pitch that made him one of the best midfielders of the modern era.

Luis Garcia and Djibril Cisse, while less talented than Alonso, both provided some vital goals to help Liverpool win silverware, and the former continues to be loved by supporters in his role as an ambassador for the club.

 

4. The final piece of the puzzle (2018)

LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 29, 2018: Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson Becker during the FA Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)


Notable players IN: Alisson (£65m), Fabinho (£43.7m), Naby Keita (£52.75m), Xherdan Shaqiri (£13.5m)

Notable players OUT: Emre Can (free), Ragnar Klavan (£2m), Danny Ward (£12.5m)


The window started positively when the signing of Fabinho raised fans’ spirits following defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

The players who arrived that summer would go on to help Liverpool take one step further the following season.

Alisson was, of course, the standout transfer, and the gulf in class between him – briefly the world’s most expensive goalkeeper – and Loris Karius was immediately clear.

In midfield, Fabinho added an air of calmness that complemented Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum‘s high-energy pressing perfectly.

Even Xherdan Shaqiri proved a good buy at just £13.5 million – his two goals against Man United won’t be forgotten for a long time!

The undoubted downside to the window was the signing of Naby Keita, which had been agreed a year earlier with RB Leipzig.

Injury troubles plagued the Guinean’s time on Merseyside and, though there were highlights, the £52.75 million midfielder was maybe the biggest failed transfer of the Klopp era so far.

Meanwhile, Michael Edwards managed to negotiate a £12.5 million fee with Leicester for Danny Ward – who for a short while took a place among the 20 most-expensive goalkeepers of all time!

 

3. Houllier has his say (1999)

Liverpool's new signings back row (l to r) Erik Meijer, Sander Westerveld, Vladimir Smicer, Titi Camara and front row (l to r) Sammi Hyypia, coach Phil Thompson and manager Gerard Houllier and Stephane Henchoz - Picture by: Michael Steele / EMPICS Sport


Notable players IN: Sami Hyypia (£2.5m), Stephane Henchoz (£3.5m), Vladimir Smicer (£3.75m), Didi Hamann (£8m), Sander Westerveld (£4m), Titi Camara (£2.6m), Erik Meijer (free)

Notable players OUT: Steve McManaman (free), Rob Jones (free), Paul Ince (£1m), Bjorn Tore Kvarme (£750k), David James (£1.8m)


In 1999, Gerard Houllier ushered Liverpool into a new era, signing seven new players – some of whom turned out better than others.

The arrivals of Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz proved to be a masterstroke as the pair formed a solid defensive partnership across the next few seasons, helping also to nurture a young Jamie Carragher into a world-class defender.

Elsewhere, in goal, Sander Westerveld was an upgrade on the departing David James, while Titi Camara and Erik Meijer came in to provide extra threat up front.

Vladimir Smicer and Didi Hamann were also hugely successful signings.

They were not the flashiest of players, but both stayed for a long time and helped Liverpool win the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups – Hamann added another FA Cup to that list in 2006.

 

2. Gems polished (2017)

WIGAN, ENGLAND - Friday, July 14, 2017: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah during a preseason friendly match against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)


Notable players IN: Mo Salah (£36.9m), Andy Robertson (£8m), Dominic Solanke (undisclosed), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£35m)

Notable players OUT: Lucas Leiva (£5m), Mamadou Sakho (£26m), Kevin Stewart (£4m), Andre Wisdom (£2m)


It would be perhaps remiss of us to call Mo Salah a hidden gem, given he previously played for Chelsea and was at Roma, one of the biggest clubs in Italy.

When he arrived at Liverpool, though, nobody could have predicted just how good he would be for the Reds, especially a certain journalist who labelled him “another Juan Cuadrado.”

He and Andy Robertson will go down as two of the club’s best-ever bits of business.

The Scot cost just £8 million from Hull – with Kevin Stewart going the other way for £4 million, rising to £8 million – and has become one of the greatest full-backs in Liverpool’s history, winning the lot during his time at Anfield.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn’t break the bank either and contributed plenty with the Reds, especially before his serious injury in May 2018.

Even Dominic Solanke proved a successful buy, as Liverpool went on to sell him to Bournemouth at a major profit just 18 months later.

 

1. Klopp’s first summer (2016)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 24, 2016: Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring the third goal against Hull City during the FA Premier League match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)


Notable players IN: Sadio Mane (£30m), Gini Wijnaldum (£23m), Joel Matip (free), Ragnar Klavan (£4.2m), Loris Karius (£4.7m)

Notable players OUT: Christian Benteke (£27m), Joe Allen (£13m), Jose Enrique (free), Kolo Toure (free), Martin Skrtel (£5.5m), Jordon Ibe (£15m), Brad Smith (£6m), Jerome Sinclair (£4m), Mario Balotelli (free)


It was a tough choice but we have gone for Klopp’s first summer at No. 1, due to the financially savvy nature of club’s ins and outs.

Sadio Mane was signed from Southampton for just £30 million – a small price to play for a future legend.

Meanwhile, Wijnaldum also arrived for a relatively low fee and became one of the first names on Klopp’s teamsheet throughout the Reds’ dominant period – he also had a knack for finding the net when Liverpool needed it most.

Joel Matip was another hit and will go down as a cult hero, as well as one of the club’s best free transfers of all time.

Of course, the less said about Karius the better, but Liverpool did only spend £4.7 million on the goalkeeper, a fee massively offset by the outstanding business done to offload players surplus to requirements.

The Reds somehow managed to get nearly all their money back for Christian Benteke, despite a poor year at Liverpool, and even sold fringe youngsters Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith to Bournemouth for a combined £21 million.

If Liverpool’s business this summer can come close to being as good as in 2016, supporters can rest easy that prosperous years are ahead.