Liverpool’s top 5 signings in the winter transfer window
The January transfer market is often inflated with clubs resorting to panic buys.
With more misses than hits, January is generally devoid of major moves for a player. Liverpool have had their share of hits and misses over the years.
Here we take a look at who we think are the best five signings the Reds have made in January.
5) Daniel Sturridge
Out of favor at Chelsea, Liverpool’s decision to sign Sturridge turned out to be a masterstroke as the forward immediately delivered by netting 11 goals in 16 appearances for Liverpool.
He became the first Liverpool player since Ray Kennedy in 1974 to score in his first three appearances for the club. He also scored his first career hattrick against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Sturridge formed a potent strike partnership with Luis Suarez as Liverpool almost blitzed to the Premier League title.
Unfortunately, injuries took their toll on the striker and he wasn’t able to replicate the numbers for Liverpool again.
He left the Reds in 2019 upon the expiry of his contract. His last match being the Champions League final.
4) Javier Mascherano
The Argentinian captain was languishing in the West Ham United reserves when Rafael Benitez made his move.
Initially signed on a year-long loan deal, Mascherano made his signing permanent in February 2008 for £18.6million.
He slotted seamlessly into the Liverpool midfield. forming a potent triad with Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard.
He went on to make 139 appearances for the Reds before jumping ship to Barcelona in the summer of 2010.
3) Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan’s signing didn’t really get the attention it deserved due to the departure of star striker Fernando Torres to Chelsea then same day.
But Suarez soon made it clear who had got the better deal and quickly became a fan favorite at Merseyside.
A highly controversial figure, Suarez was involved in many high profile issues such as racial abuse and biting an oponent.twice.
On the field, the striker was exceptional and equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s best season at United by scoring 31 goals in the league as he almost led Liverpool to an unlikely Premier League title.
He spent four seasons at Liverpool playing 133 times and scoring 82 goals. He won the PFA player’s player of the season, FWA player of the season and Premier League player of the season to add to his Premier League golden boot.
The striker eventually moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 for a fee of £64.98 million.
2) Virgil van Dijk
Having missed out in the summer, Liverpool finally got their man in 2018.
The £75million fee paid to Southampton was a world-record fee for a defender at that time.
The Dutch colossus has repaid that fee and more by single-handedly transforming the Reds defense.
Liverpool, who were known to have a porous defense, have one of the best defensive records since the signing of Van Dijk.
The Dutch captain has made 100 appearances for Liverpool and was instrumental in the Reds making successive Champions League finals eventually winning the second.
He is also a threat at the other end having scored 10 goals for the Reds.
1) Philippe Coutinho
After impressing while at Espanyol on loan, Liverpool beat Southampton to sign the prodigious Brazilian playmaker for £ 8.5million.
It was later revealed that former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez who as the manager at Inter Milan was the one who had recommended the Brazilian to the Merseyside club.
Coutinho went on to become a stalwart in the Liverpool attack and possibly the best player at the club in the following seasons.
The playmaker made 201 appearances for the Reds scoring 54 goals, including a hat-trick against Spartak Moskva in the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool made a healthy profit by selling the player to Barcelona for an initial fee of £105 million which can rise up to £142 million in what was the second-largest transfer fee at the time.
The Reds reinvested the amount received for Coutinho into the signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker who have proved to be central to Liverpool’s European Cup run and a potential Premier League title.
In many ways the Coutinho transfer was what led to Liverpool singing these two world-class players, making this the best business done by the club in January.
