Liverpool have been hailed for their smartness in the transfer market under Jurgen Klopp – but the Reds also haven’t been shy in splashing the cash.
The Merseysiders were previously defined by a host of expensive flops that arrived pre-Klopp but now boast a list of bonafide superstars.
Liverpool famously smashed the British transfer record to sign Andy Carroll for £35million in 2011.
Although football’s inflation mean it was inevitable their record would be overtaken, Liverpool almost broke it again themselves before their £115m offer for Moises Caicedo was gazumped by Chelsea.
In the 12 years between those deals, Liverpool still spent over £500m on ten huge signings – breaking transfer fees spent on defenders and goalkeepers in the process.
10. Mohamed Salah – £36.9m
It is a mark of Salah‘s longevity that he has seen Liverpool complete nine big-money transfers since he broke their club record in 2017 and he remains the best they have.
The Reds were seen in some quarters to have overspent on the Egyptian when they prized him from Roma following a difficult first spell in England at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.
However, Salah returned to the Premier League with a point to prove and then some as he scored 44 goals in his debut season at Anfield.
He has since been Liverpool’s major focal point in attack as the club claimed every major honour and he’s racked up his share of individual honours and records to boot.
The three Premier League Golden Boot winner and two-time PFA Player of the Year is also on track to finish his Liverpool career inside the club’s top-five goalscorers in history.
Liverpool moved quickly to beat rivals Manchester United to Gakpo’s signing following his starring performances at the 2022 World Cup.
The Dutchman, who almost moved to Leeds the summer before, seemed certain to link-up with compatriot Erik ten Hag.
However, after scoring three goals in five appearances for the Netherlands in Qatar, Liverpool pounced to sign him from PSV Eindhoven on Boxing Day.
Liverpool are understood to have forked out an initial £37million on the 24-year-old, with the deal potentially rising to £45million.
Gakpo scored his first goal for the club against Merseyside rivals Everton and is now a key figure under Klopp, with his versatility even leading him to deputise in midfield as well as across the attack.
Gakpo was Man United’s top target but Liverpool sealed the deal before their rivals could make a bidGetty8. Fabinho – £40m
The Brazilian’s impending move to Liverpool from Monaco was announced a day after the club lost the 2018 Champions League final.
Despite taking several months to find his feet, Fabinho soon helped guide the Reds to a sixth European crown in his first season in 2019.
Nicknamed ‘Dyson’ by his teammates for sweeping up danger in front of the defence, Fabinho served as one of the best holding midfielders around for the following three seasons.
Fabinho was part of the Liverpool side that claimed the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup within 18 months.
However, he suffered a sharp decline in the 2022/23 season and Liverpool seized the chance to recoup their original transfer fee by selling him to Saudi Arabia side Al Ittihad for £40m in July 2023.
Fabinho’s goal against Manchester City in November 2019 remains a highlight of his time at the clubGetty – Contributor7. Diogo Jota – £45m
Another high-profile move for a Liverpool attacker that seemed to come from nowhere, eyebrows were raised when Jota arrived from Wolves in 2020.
Having confirmed Thiago Alcantara’s arrival from Bayern Munich just 24 hours earlier, the Reds stunned fans by unveiling the Portuguese.
Having balked at triggering Timo Werner‘s £50m release clause, Liverpool instead paid an initial fee of £41m – rising to £45m – for Jota.
The fee, slightly offset by Ki-Jana Hoever heading the other way in a separate £9m move, saw Jota become the unlikely candidate tasked with breaking up the heralded Mane-Salah-Firmino forward line.
However, it was a task he clearly relished, with two of that trio since leaving the club and Jota is now closing in on his 50th Liverpool goal.
Jota has proved more than just a shrewd investmentGetty6. Luis Diaz – £45m
Diaz arrived in January 2022 for an initial £37.5m after a breakout few months for then-club Porto and his country Colombia.
Liverpool beat out Tottenham for his signature and the winger took little time to settle at Anfield as his new side pushed for an unprecedented quadruple.
Diaz started the League Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League finals in 2022, helping the Reds win the former two competitions.
However, a horror injury in his first full season at the club which restricted him to just 17 Premier League appearances hampered his progress.
Diaz has since returned to full fitness and is Klopp’s first choice on the left having been moulded into Sadio Mane‘s long-term successor.
The Guinean midfielder has the unwanted tag of being Klopp’s only confirmed big-money flop on this list.
Liverpool were so desperate to pluck Keita from RB Leipzig in 2017 that they paid a £4m premium on his £48m buyout clause – that was due to be activated the following year – to avoid competition for his signature.
The then-22-year-old had just been named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and there was much excitement when he arrived 12 months later and took Steven Gerrard‘s No 8 shirt.
Despite flashes of greatness, form and fitness wrecked Keita’s tenure in England and he never made more than 25 appearances in a single season.
In summer 2023, Keita completed a free transfer back to Germany with Werder Bremen but has failed to shake off his injury woes.
Keita kickstarted Liverpool’s 5-0 romp at Old Trafford in what was one of his only highlights in RedAFP4. Dominik Szoboszlai – £60m
Rather fittingly the Hungarian is next – having been signed from the same club in Leipzig to become Keita’s successor to that No 8 shirt.
An underwhelming 2022/23 campaign that saw Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League meant Klopp was desperate to add real quality after overhauling his midfield.
Having claimed a cut-price deal for Mac Allister, Liverpool were forced to open their wallets to activate Szoboszlai’s £60m release clause.
The Hungary captain is already doing better than Keita in living up to his famous shirt number, drawing comparisons to Gerrard by John Barnes.
Loris Karius‘ infamous nightmare in the 2018 Champions League final convinced Klopp that a premium goalkeeper was the last piece of the puzzle.
Alisson was the Man chosen, having played against Liverpool for Roma in their run to the semi-finals of that same competition.
His £67m switch was initially the World-record fee for a goalkeeper until Chelsea broke the bank for Kepa Arrizabalaga a month later.
Alisson, who snubbed interest from Chelsea to join Liverpool, has since revealed it was being on the wrong end of a 5-2 defeat at Anfield months before he left Roma helped make up his mind.
The Brazilian has been a transformative Klopp signing, earning many shouts for being the best shot-stopper around and he even chips in with a goal.
The Dutchman became not only Liverpool’s record signing but the World’s most expensive defender at the time of his January 2018 arrival.
But the Dutch powerhouse has justified every penny the Reds spent on him – coming within one point of winning the Ballon d’Or up against Lionel Messi a year after his move from Southampton.
Van Dijk, who scored on his Liverpool debut against Everton, became the PFA Player of the Year in his first full season and has won every major trophy during his time at the club.
He came in for plenty of criticism last season after a career-altering injury picked up in a collision with Jordan Pickford in 2020 suggested his best days may be behind him.
However, taking over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson in 2023 has given him a new lease of life and Van Dijk is back to his best.
Van Dijk is back to his imperious bestGetty1. Darwin Nunez – £85m
The Uruguayan was due to be the face of Klopp 2.0 after Liverpool paid an initial £64m to land him from Benfica in June 2022.
The fee, which will rise to a club-record £85m if Nunez flourishes during his time at Anfield, seemed to weigh heavily on the striker’s shoulders having arrived in the same summer Erling Haaland joined Manchester City.
Nunez scored on his Premier League bow but a red card on his home debut derailed his success with form and fitness leading to just nine goals during his first campaign.
Nunez has since shown signs of getting to grips with Klopp’s demands in his second season having inherited Firmino’s No.9 shirt.
The 24-year-old has already bagged four goals and four assists in 13 Premier League appearances this season.
