10 most expensive signings by Liverpool
With the 2016/17 transfer season well and truly underway, teams across Europe are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of coveted targets. As clubs line up for signatures of players they are after, agents negotiate with interested parties while making sure their player(s) get the best deal possible.
In an era of inflated transfer markets and high release clauses, Liverpool have exerted their financial might without shying away in pulling off pricey deals for players wanted by the club. Whether it involved paying a premium for English players or young talents emerging across Europe, the Reds have stood up to the challenge and faced it. However, price hasn’t always meant quality or successful deals on the pitch for the club.
An increase in money flowing into Premier League teams’ coffers thanks to a new TV deal has only added to their fiscal power. The English giants have made their sixth signing under manager Jürgen Klopp with the purchase of Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle.
In this piece, we take a look at Liverpool’s top ten costliest transfer incomings of all time.
Please note: All transfer fees have been obtained from transfermarkt. The fees include add ons and have been adjusted for inflation.
10) Lazar Markovic - €25m
The then 20-year old Markovic was one of Liverpool’s most expensive purchases during the 2014 summer spending spree. The Serbian winger was bought from Benfica for a substantial sum but he was meant to fill a glaring gap in the Liverpool side – that of a genuine wide player.
Rated as one of the most promising young talents in European football and nominated for the ‘European Golden Boy’ award for 2013/14, Lazar had already made his mark by winning four league titles - three at Serbian outfit Partizan Belgrade and one at Portuguese side Benfica. He was a regular starter at both clubs, a scorer of vital goals and helped Benfica secure the domestic championship title while also being instrumental in enabling them to finish runners-up in the Europa league.
Markovic failed to replicate his European form in England, scoring just 2 goals in 19 Premier League appearances for the Reds during his first season. However, his performances during the second half of the season were encouraging and he was sent out on a season-long loan in 2015 to Turkish side Fenerbahçe. His stint with the Süper Lig franchise was hampered by multiple injuries, prompting a return to Liverpool at the end of the season.