Liverpool are champions once again, but what a long road it’s been to this moment.
Not only have the Reds had to wait 30 long years to get their hands on English football’s biggest prize again, but it’s also taken almost five years of major rebuilding under Jurgen Klopp to get them here as well.
“Bruno Fernandes told me that, as a kid, he had a poster of me. He said that when he played Football Manager he always signed me. I was like, ‘You had me on a poster? And, seriously, you sign me for FM?’ I mean, how weird is that?” – Who said this? Click here to read more.
Few players from the Brendan Rodgers era remain at Anfield, with only Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Joe Gomez the players who’ve kept their places in the side since then.
It wasn’t so long ago that Liverpool used to blow stupid amounts of money on flops like Andy Carroll, Iago Aspas, Christian Benteke and Mario Balotelli, so it’s fair to say Klopp’s work off the pitch has been as important as his work improving the team on it.
Here we’ve ranked the 20 signings made by the German tactician since he took over in 2015 (we’ve left out only Andy Lonergan and Alex Manninger, neither of whom made a single appearance), and while everyone has a few flops, this is a seriously impressive list…
20 – Steven Caulker
Remember this one? Steven Caulker joined in a surprise loan move from Queens Park Rangers and didn’t play much, though he did manage a bizarre late substitute appearance out of position as a striker. One to forget for Klopp.
19 – Dominic Solanke
A big disappointment, Dominic Solanke arrived at Anfield looking a big prospect after shining at youth level for Chelsea and on loan at Vitesse, but he managed just one goal in 27 games for Liverpool.
18 – Loris Karius
Despite some solid performances in that 2017/18 run to the Champions League final, there’s only one game LFC fans are going to remember this guy for. His two absolute clangers in the final defeat to Real Madrid genuinely cost the Reds a chance at another major trophy win, meaning splashing the cash on Alisson was a matter of urgency.
17 – Ragnar Klavan
Just not a very good player, really. Signed as more of a backup, the Estonian probably ended up playing more than he really should have, and never really looked up to playing at this high level.
16 – Adrian
For a backup goalkeeper, Adrian did a decent job earlier this season, playing a small part in the team’s title success, but he also had a hugely disappointing game in that Champions League defeat at home to Atletico Madrid.
15 – Marko Grujic
A player who initially looked a promising youngster, Marko Grujic hasn’t really made much of an impact at Liverpool and has mostly been out on loan, probably never to return.
14 – Sepp van den Berg
Yet to make an impact, but young defender Sepp van den Berg looks a huge prospect and has looked solid on his occasional appearances in the Liverpool first-team. Plus he surprised Klopp with quite how tall he is.
13 – Harvey Elliott
Another real wonderkid snapped up last summer, Harvey Elliott has looked an exciting prospect on his occasional first-team outings, and should end up being a key member of the squad before too long.
12 – Takumi Minamino
Clearly a talented player, but perhaps one for next season as it’s been a slow start from Takumi Minamino since his January move from Red Bull Salzburg. The Japan international impressed against Liverpool in the Champions League earlier this season and looks an ideal fit for the team’s style of play once he settles.
11 – Xherdan Shaqiri
A very decent squad player, but Xherdan Shaqiri also arguably hasn’t made the impact many would have hoped for. The Switzerland international is a better player than we’ve really seen in his time at Anfield so far, but it now seems like he’s running out of chances to stake his claim.
10 – Naby Keita
A player Liverpool will still hope can fulfil his true potential, Naby Keita has had his moments but just not quite often enough yet. The Guinea international hasn’t always had his luck with injuries, but if he can get a good run of games going he could still be an important part of the club.
9 – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Like Keita and Shaqiri, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is clearly a talent who’s contributed in a small way to LFC’s success, but he’ll be hoping to keep fit and kick on a little more next season.
8 – Georginio Wijnaldum
From this point on, it’s pretty close as all of these players have been huge for Liverpool under Klopp. Georginio Wijnaldum can count himself unlucky not to be a bit higher, only for the immense quality also brought in by the German tactician. The Dutch midfielder’s high point undoubtedly came in that memorable Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, but he’s contributed other important goals, work rate and all-round quality in many other matches too.
7 – Fabinho
A superb all-rounder in midfield, Fabinho has shown himself to be a strong defensive midfield player who can also link play beautifully with his range of passing, as well as scoring the occasional screamer, such as against Manchester City earlier this season and against Crystal Palace last week.
6 – Joel Matip
Has there been a better free transfer in recent times than Joel Matip? It took some time for the Cameroonian defender to get going on Merseyside, but, like so many others, he’s improved immensely under Klopp and some fans will even have felt at times that he’s out-shone Virgil van Dijk with his defensive displays.
5 – Andrew Robertson
Signed for just £8million from relegated Hull City (fee via BBC Sport), Andrew Robertson’s career has taken a pretty remarkable trajectory in the last few years. The Scotland international’s incredible energy and quality in delivery means he’s the perfect modern full-back, with him and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing a hugely important part in making this Liverpool team what they are.
4 – Alisson
Quite simply the best goalkeeper in the world right now, Alisson is exactly what Liverpool needed after a difficult few years of flops in that position. Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius were far from good enough for a club with this ambition, but Alisson was well worth the big money paid, with the Brazilian pulling off some big saves and also contributing some quality passes due to his superb ability on the ball.
3 – Sadio Mane
Any of this top three could have made a pretty solid case for the number one spot, so apologies to the excellent Sadio Mane for only coming third here. The Senegal international has been a joy to watch at LFC, and many will feel he’s more important to the team even than Mohamed Salah. Minor criticisms would be that he’s slightly less capable of the ‘spectacular’ than Salah is, even if he may well be the better all-round footballer.
2 – Virgil van Dijk
He may well be the best and most important player at Liverpool, but as this is a piece based on signings, his huge price tag sees him narrowly miss out on first place in our list. This is not to say he was not worth the investment, he clearly was, and might well be worth close to double that fee now. The Dutchman has been immense with his defensive quality and leadership, and was pretty unlucky to miss out on a Ballon d’Or victory for his efforts.
1 – Mohamed Salah
For all the quality of so many of the other players on this list, there’s something about the signing of Mohamed Salah that felt like a bit of a turning point for Klopp’s Liverpool. Costing just £34m (as per BBC Sport), the Egyptian absolutely exploded onto the scene in his first season at Anfield, scoring a stunning 44 goals in all competitions, and he’s not stopped since then, chasing another Golden Boot this season. His penalty also got Liverpool off to the perfect start in last season’s Champions League final, and he’s probably already surpassed the likes of Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres as the club’s greatest forward of the Premier League era, which takes some doing.