Liverpool's Best Signings of the Premier League Era - Ranked

Over the past five years, Liverpool's recruitment team has unearthed gem after gem, while keeping the net transfer spend down to a fraction of some of their Premier League rivals'.

The result of that? How's a Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League title all crammed into 12 glorious months sound?

The transfer strike rate may be better now than ever before, but inspired signings are nothing new at Anfield. Since the First Division was rebranded as the Premier League back in 1990, we've seen some phenomenal talent come through the revolving door at Melwood, and we've ranked the very best of them.

20. Stan Collymore

Liverpool Career: 1995 - 1997
Appearances: 81
Goals: 35
Honours: None

Given that he usually played second fiddle to Ian Rush or Robbie Fowler, Collymore's comparably brief stint with Liverpool often flies under the radar.

He was a key part of the transition as Rush wound down and Fowler emerged, however, and was a consistent source of goals and creativity throughout his Anfield tenure.

The Reds paid Nottingham Forest £8.5m for his signature in 1995 - making him English football's record signing at the time.

19. Javier Mascherano

Liverpool Career: 2007 - 2010
Appearances: 139
Goals: 2
Honours: None

Mascherano can be considered one of the nearly-men of Liverpool's modern history, having joined shortly after the famous Istanbul success and left long before things would begin to heat up again under Brendan Rodgers.

Regardless, he was a central part of a very, very good Reds team under Rafa Benitez. Renowned as one of the most fearsome yet intelligent defensive midfield players in the game, he was virtual ever-present for three seasons, and proved so difficult to replace after joining Barcelona.

18. John Arne Riise

Liverpool Career: 2001 - 2008
Appearances: 348
Goals: 30
Honours: Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)

Riise was never the most technically gifted player to grace the Anfield pitch, but his lung-bursting commitment to the cause and propensity to summon thunder and lightning with his left boot means there are few Liverpool stars from the 2000s who are more fondly remembered.

He cost the Reds £4m, and went on to make more than 300 appearances. That's what we call value for money.

17. Fabinho

Liverpool Career: 2018 - Present
Appearances: 80
Goals: 3
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup

Given all he's accomplished in his short time at the club so far, it seems harsh to rank Fabinho so low, but there is plenty more to come from the Brazilian. Ask us again in a year.

Fabinho was the final piece of Jurgen Klopp's midfield jigsaw and a big part of what turned a good team into a truly great one.

16. Georginio Wijnaldum

Liverpool Career: 2016 - Present
Appearances: 186
Goals: 19
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup

One of the most likeable but underrated players of the current record-breaking Liverpool team, Wijnaldum's self-sacrificing role in midfield is a far greater factor in Jurgen Klopp's success than it will ever get credit for.

His ability to hold onto the ball is second to none - we all saw what happened when the entire Barcelona team tried to tackle him towards the end of that Champions League semi-final.

At £25m he represented a significant outlay which didn't immediately pay off, but he has blossomed into a huge player.

15. Pepe Reina

Liverpool Career: 2005 - 2014
Appearances: 394
Clean Sheets: 177
Honours: FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, League Cup, Community Shield

He might have since fielded a bit of criticism for some questionable anti-lockdown opinions, alleged links to the Naples mafia, and playing for Aston Villa, but it's worth remembering Reina was - and still is, really - a top, top keeper.

He was the Reds' number one stopper for eight straight seasons before declining form saw him loaned out and eventually sold to Napoli, but with Pepe, we only remember the good times.

Like when he ran the length of the Anfield pitch to celebrate with one-goal wonder David N'Gog. What a time to be alive.

14. Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool Career: 2006 - 2012
Appearances: 286
Goals: 71
Honours: League Cup

The Flying Dutchman will forever be associated with the worst (but actually best) hat-trick in Premier League history, when his three goals against Manchester United came from a collective distance of about six yards.

He was such a selfless forward, never quite the main man, but a steady and consistent performer you knew you could count on for 10-15 goals every single season.

He spent six seasons at Anfield and only in his last did he fail to hit double figures.

13. James Milner

Liverpool Career: 2015 - Present
Appearances: 214
Goals: 26
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup

Milner's ability to play every position on the pitch has been an integral part of Liverpool's meteoric recent success, but not quite as integral as his leadership and influence in the dressing room.

He goes down as one of the best free transfer signings in the history of the Premier League and now has the league winner's medal to prove it.

12. Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool Career: 2013 - 2018
Appearances: 201
Goals: 54
Honours: PFA Team of the Year

The manner in which Coutinho left Liverpool in January 2018 burned a few bridges as far as fans are concerned, but there can be no denying that his signing from Inter - for just £11m - represented a spectacular piece of business.

He was a terrific contributor for four seasons, scoring countless critical goals, and eventually left for more than 10x what Brendan Rodgers' Reds paid for him.

He was something of a luxury player, but an excellent signing nonetheless - even just for the profit.

11. Jordan Henderson

Liverpool Career: 2011 - Present
Appearances: 345
Goals: 29
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, League Cup, FWA Player of the Year

If you'd said two years ago that we'd be talking about Jordan Henderson as a better signing than Coutinho, Mascherano or Kuyt, you'd probably have had serious questions asked about your mental state.

Henderson's Anfield career took its time in getting off the ground, which is the only thing keeping him narrowly outside the top half. Since it eventually clicked for him - at some undetermined point in 2018 - he has been a formidable presence, and did enough in the 2019/20 title win to be voted the Football Writers' Player of the Year.

That was in the same year that Kevin De Bruyne directly contributed to 37 goals from central midfield.

10. Andy Robertson

Liverpool Career: 2017 - Present
Appearances: 127
Goals: 4
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup

£8m for the best left-back in the world? Decent value that.

Robertson's fiery Scottish nature has struck a chord with Liverpool fans, who love nothing more than a player prepared to go to war for three points, or whatever is on the line in a particular game.

Turns out he's not too bad at actually playing football either - 30 assists in 127 appearances is not bad going for a defender.

9. Sami Hyypia

Liverpool Career: 1999 - 2009
Appearances: 464
Goals: 35
Honours: Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup (x2), UEFA Super Cup (x2), League Cup (x2), Community Shield (x2)

When Hyypia arrived at Liverpool - a relatively unknown Finnish defender recommended to the club by a camera-man - next to nothing was expected of him.

Ten years later, he was hoisted up on his team-mates' shoulders for an emotional farewell as Anfield erupted in appreciation of his service.

Hyypia was a warrior, as fearsome a centre-back as you'll ever come across, and was even responsible for Steven Gerrard taking on the captaincy, when he spotted the 23-year-old's leadership skills and gracefully yielded the armband.

8. Alisson Becker

Liverpool Career: 2018 - Present
Appearances: 88
Goals: 44
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Golden Glove

Alisson Ramses Becker, better known simply as 'Alisson', is a freak.

A genuine, anomaly of a man.

Loris Karius is perhaps given too harsh a time by Liverpool supporters, but that's no wonder; comparing him to Alisson is like James Pearce standing next to The Rock.

Anyway, yeah, Alisson's been quite good between the sticks.

7. Roberto Firmino

Liverpool Career: 2015 - Present
Appearances: 244
Goals: 78
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup

Firmino doesn't score that many goals, apparently, because a goal every three games over the course of his Liverpool career isn't even considered 'that many goals' by modern standards.

You could, regardless, make a convincing case that he is Klopp's single most important player.

The work he does off the ball keeps the blood pumping through the team; he's the gravitational centre around which his team-mates gracefully orbit, as evidenced by the fact that Virgil van Dijk was the only outfield player to rack up more league minutes last term.

6. Xabi Alonso

Liverpool Career: 2004 - 2009
Appearances: 210
Goals: 18
Honours: Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield

Alonso has the distinction of being the only player in English football to have scored from inside his own half twice in the space of a week. You have to be pretty good at football to do that.

And Alonso was pretty good at football.

His partnership with Steven Gerrard was the stuff of dreams, with perhaps the only regret being that it didn't last a little bit longer. From the Miracle of Istanbul to smashing United at Old Trafford, however, Alonso played his part in a hugely memorable five years at Anfield.

5. Fernando Torres

Liverpool Career: 2007 - 2011
Appearances: 142
Goals: 81
Honours: PFA Team of the Year (x2)

The fact that a player of Torres' standing was allowed to arrive at and subsequently leave Liverpool without winning a single trophy is indicative of just how rough a period the late 2000s was for the club.

Still, El Nino didn't let it get him down - final season aside, he lit up what was an otherwise grey, murky period, and you really despair to think how they'd have got on without him.

That goal against Blackburn was itself worth the club record transfer fee.

4. Luis Suarez

Liverpool Career: 2011 - 2014
Appearances: 133
Goals: 82
Honours: League Cup, Golden Boot, European Golden Shoe, Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Players' Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year

Replacing someone like Torres is no easy job. Just ask Andy Carroll, who crumbled under the weight of the number nine shirt.

Fortunately, the same January window in which Torres left also saw Liverpool sign a certain problematic Uruguayan from Ajax, beating the almighty Blackburn Rovers to his signature.

His relatively brief stint in England saw him score 69 Premier League goals, 12 of which came against poor Norwich alone, and he's since been described by Steven Gerrard as the best he played with at Anfield.

3. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool Career: 2018 - Present
Appearances: 122
Goals: 12
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Men's Player of the Year, PL Player of the Season, PFA Players' Player of the Season

Van Dijk has started 90 of the 91 Premier League games for which he's been eligible for Liverpool. Unheard-of levels of consistency, from a man who almost single-handedly morphed a ropey, questionable defensive line into one of the most feared and respected units in Europe.

His signing from Southampton was widely criticised at the time but he has become the defining acquisition of the Klopp era - a gamble, but one that paid off with considerable aplomb.

2. Sadio Mané

Liverpool Career: 2016 - Present
Appearances: 170
Goals: 81
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Golden Boot

No player gave more to the famous title-winning 2019/20 season than the Senegalese sensation, whose signature ability to improve his game just when you thought he'd hit his ceiling has become Liverpool's decreasingly secret weapon.

The left arm of the triumphant front three, whose initials are tragically yet to be thrown together into a catchy acronym, Mané has scored 38 league goals since the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

For four straight seasons he's averaged broadly a goal every two games (13/29, 20/44, 26/50, 22/47) despite never being the main goalscoring threat. If he was coming in at top spot here, you could scarcely complain, but...

1. Mohamed Salah

Liverpool Career: 2017 - Present
Appearances: 152
Goals: 94
Honours: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Golden Boot (x2), PFA Players' Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, FIFA Puskas Award, Premier League Goal of the Season

The addition of Salah from Roma looked a promising one as Klopp's team really began to take shape back in 2017, but few would have ever predicted him barrelling towards 100 goals for the club at an extraterrestrial rate.

His Messi-rivalling 44-goal debut season perhaps set the standards unreasonably high from the get-go, but he hasn't dipped below the 20 mark in any of his three seasons back in England.

On top of that, he's become the icon of the era that saw the club topple 30 years of turmoil and re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the Premier League. When it's all said and done, Salah 11 will be up there with Dalglish 7, Gerrard 8, Torres 9, and every other famous combination.