Liverpool’s 5 best signings of the last 20 years

This 1xbet.ie review looks at five legendary footballers without whom it is impossible to imagine 21st-century Liverpool.

Mo Salah

In 2014, Liverpool lost out to Chelsea in the race to sign Salah. However, the Egyptian failed to live up to expectations with the Blues and spent time on loan in Serie A before joining Roma permanently. He enjoyed a successful 2016/17 season in Rome, scoring roughly once every two matches, and in the summer of 2017 the Merseysiders finally secured their long-term target for what was then a club-record fee of £36.9m. Salah fully justified the investment, scoring 257 goals in 442 appearances.

The Egyptian right-winger helped the Reds regain their former glory. In the 2019/20 season, the English giants won the Premier League title for the first time and repeated the feat five years later. Mo Salah’s honours also include victory in the 2018/19 Champions League.

Alisson Becker

Alisson Becker followed the same route to Anfield as Mo Salah, joining Liverpool from Roma. In July 2018, his £65m transfer set a world record for a goalkeeper, which was subsequently broken by Kepa Arrizabalaga. However, while the Spaniard failed to settle at Chelsea, the Brazilian became Liverpool’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for many years. Alisson has kept more than 130 clean sheets for the Reds in all competitions, including over 100 in the Premier League, the world’s leading domestic club competition.

Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk was once the world’s most expensive defender. In January 2018, Liverpool paid £75m for the Dutchman, an unprecedented sum for a defender at the time. Some pundits believed that he was overpriced, but they were proved wrong: the 1.96-metre-tall Virgil became a rock at the back and a model of reliability. Any club’s success depends on a combination of potent attacking play, a creative midfield and a rock-solid defence, which continues to be marshalled by the Merseyside club’s captain.

Sadio Mané

Sadio Mané and Virgil van Dijk had previously played together at Southampton. However, the Senegalese forward joined Liverpool around 18 months before the Dutchman. In 2016, Mané’s transfer cost the Merseyside club £34m.

At their peak, the Reds’ attacking trio of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah struck fear into defenders everywhere. Mané stood out for his remarkable versatility, as he could excel in any position across the front line. Mané’s arrival marked the beginning of Jürgen Klopp’s major rebuild, which ultimately took Liverpool to the pinnacle of world club football.

Luis Suárez

In January 2011, Luis Suárez joined Liverpool from Ajax and eventually replaced Fernando Torres as the focal point of the attack. The Uruguayan’s goalscoring record improved season by season and peaked during the 2013/14 Premier League campaign. That season, El Pistolero scored 31 goals as the Merseyside club fought Manchester City tooth and nail for the title, only to finish two points behind them. However, the value of the Suárez signing lay not in the trophies he won at Liverpool, but in his subsequent sale to Barcelona. Luis cost the Reds £22.8m, while the Blaugrana paid €81m for him in the summer of 2014. Suárez’s value therefore more than tripled.

Steven Gerrard told Barcelona’s club website (via Sky Sports) that Suárez was probably the best footballer he’d ever shared a pitch with: “I don’t think anyone ever looks forward to playing against Luis Suarez, he is a fantastic talent and a very dangerous player.”

He added: “He is a fantastic team-mate, probably the best player I have played with.”

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