A critical look at Liverpool’s new summer arrivals.
Liverpool’s days of spending huge amounts of money on average and over-priced British players looks to be over, with manager Brendan Rodgers scouring the world for affordable talent and doing what looks like a great job so far. Some positive moves were made in January with the additions of Daniel Sturridge and Coutinho, and it was important for Rodgers to get the summer right as well. There is a renewed sense of optimism at Anfield now, with some top class additions and a great start of three wins in their first three Premier League games, so can the players brought in finally be the ones to bring the glory years back to Liverpool?
Kolo Toure
Snapped up on a free transfer from Manchester City, Kolo Toure looked initially like being a backup player to Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. However, he has now looked very impressive and seems to have found a new lease of life at his new club, reminding fans of the energy and enthusiasm that made him so popular and important in his earlier Arsenal days.
Sadly, the 32-year-old has now picked up an injury, leading Liverpool to look to the market for defenders again. This may result in Toure falling down the pecking order again, but he has certainly shown so far that he will be a very reliable backup, and he has proved some skeptical fans wrong already.
An astute piece of business giving Liverpool some much-needed strength in depth. 7/10.
Luis Alberto
Although an inexperienced youngster, Luis Alberto must have something going for him to persuade Rodgers to fork out £6.8m to bring him to Liverpool from Sevilla this summer. The 20-year-old can play either upfront or as a winger, and is one of many talented young players coming out of Spanish football at the moment. The technical and attack-minded philosophy adopted by Rodgers at Liverpool should be ideal for his development, and though we might not see too much of him immediately, Alberto looks like a good prospect for the future. 6/10.
Iago Aspas
Although relatively cheap for £7m, new Liverpool striker Iago Aspas does not look to have hit the ground running in the Premier League. Daniel Sturridge has so far stolen the show upfront, and Aspas seems likely to drop to the bench when star-man Luis Suarez returns from suspension. It may just take some time for the Spaniard to settle, but it is worth noting that the 26-year-old only has one season of top flight experience to his name, which came last season with Celta Vigo, who were relegated from La Liga. He managed 12 goals in 36 appearances last campaign, which is not exactly the best return for a striker either.
A harsh judgement perhaps, but it looks like Aspas will be little more than a backup player at Liverpool, and the Reds could have done with landing some of their other big-name targets. 5/10.
Simon Mignolet
One of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League last season for Sunderland, Simon Mignolet was a much-needed upgrade to Pepe Reina in goal for Liverpool. Arsenal were also linked with the talented Belgian this summer, and at £9m it’s surprising Liverpool got him as easily as they did. Mignolet already looks to have made a great impact at his new club, saving a penalty on his debut at Anfield, and keeping three clean sheets in the side’s opening three games of the Premier League season.
A perfect candidate for a position that has been in need of strengthening for some time, Mignolet has to go down as one of the signings of the summer, and excellent work by Rodgers to snap him up. 9/10.
Aly Cissokho
Despite having a decent first-choice left-back in Jose Enrique, Liverpool have been keen to strengthen that position for much of the summer, being linked also with Granada’s Guilherme Siqueira. In the end though, the loan signing of Aly Cissokho from Valencia looks like a good addition to the club, as they will be able to try before they buy, as it were, with the Frenchman having the option of joining the club permanently next season if he impresses his new employers.
Still only 25, Cissokho is an experienced addition to Liverpool’s defence, and should be able to settle in well in England, having already moved around in Portugal, France and Spain in his career so far. 6.5/10.
Tiago Ilori
One of three deadline day signings by Liverpool, Tiago Ilori was confirmed as a new signing for the Reds last Monday morning, having been a long-term target for manager Brendan Rodgers. The 20-year-old stood out as an impressive youngster at former club Sporting Lisbon and could be a great defender for the club in the future. With so much competition ahead of him at the moment, it’s hard to know how much he’ll play straight away, but it may benefit both sides if he can adapt and learn from his team-mates this year before becoming first-choice later.
For one so inexperienced, a tad expensive at £7m, but good backup nonetheless and potentially a good investment for the future. 6/10.
Mamadou Sakho
Another defensive addition made by Liverpool on deadline day, the club have done brilliantly to sign Mamadou Sakho from French giants PSG for £18m. The 23-year-old has been one of the most solid centre-backs in Ligue 1 for a number of years now, ever since becoming a key player for the Parisian club as a youngster. Laurent Blanc was keen not to let him go, but he had expressed a desire to take on a new challenge, and he should fit right in in the Premier League.
Sakho, who had also attracted interest from AC Milan, is a beast of a defender with his height and physique, and looks a likely candidate to establish himself as first choice for Liverpool in defence this season. Although vastly experienced, he is still young as well, and could be a top performer for the Reds for many years to come.
A genuinely top class addition at the back for Liverpool, 8.5/10.
Victor Moses
Another venture into the loan market by the club, Victor Moses was the third player announced on deadline day as he joined on a season-long deal from Chelsea for a fee of £1m. The former Wigan man has not really been given the chance to show his true potential at Stamford Bridge, having fallen down the pecking order at the club to some top class competition. However, Rodgers has worked wonders in reviving Daniel Sturridge’s career since signing him from Chelsea, and it would be no surprise he could do the same with Moses, whose talent deserves more regular action.
A strong, skillful and pacey winger, the Nigerian should be a great upgrade on the likes of Stewart Downing and Oussama Assaidi, who both left the club this summer. Chelsea may live to regret loaning Moses to a rival, though Liverpool will be hoping to be able to keep him permanently next summer.
A low-risk signing done on the cheap, and a proven Premier League quality attacker. Another good signing by Liverpool. 7.5/10.
Overview
Although ultimately these signings will be judged on how well they perform and how Liverpool’s season goes, for now it looks like nothing but excellent work done in this summer’s transfer market by manager Brendan Rodgers, who has addressed his side’s weaknesses by bringing in quality players, with a mixture of experience and youth, and without spending much money in comparison to some of the club’s major rivals.
Toure, Cissokho and Moses cost a combined fee of £1m as one was on a free, and the other two were loans with a £1m loan fee being paid to Chelsea for the services of Moses. Although none are exactly ‘marquee’ signings or big names at the moment, they are proven players with the ability to improve on the club’s previous options, and in what may still be a slow rebuilding process at the club under Rodgers, these are exactly the kinds of signings he needs to be making, and he has done that brilliantly here.
Elsewhere, the addition of Mignolet already looks to have made an impact after it was clear that previous number one Pepe Reina had been in decline for quite some time. £9m is a great price again for a top class shot-stopper, who was attracting interest from several other big clubs.
Sakho is the most expensive purchase, and a very exciting signing. A player of his quality, valued highly at a big club like PSG, joining Liverpool at this time is great news for the club.
Aspas, Alberto and Ilori are still unknown quantities to some extent and it would be unfair to judge them either too positively or negatively at the moment, but the latter two in particular are still young and could develop into fine players for the club, and were again brought in at a relatively low cost.
Total spending: £48.8m.
Overall score: 8.5/10.