Liverpool’s 10 Most Expensive Signings Of All Time

Liverpool had to wait 30 years before finally reclaiming the Premier League crown in 2020, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

Throughout the years, the Reds built insanely expensive squads able to go toe-to-toe with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and more recently the tonnes of money of Manchester City and Chelsea.

While many still accuse Pep Guardiola of not carrying about the amount of money he’s spending on reinforcing his Man City roster, Jurgen Klopp has somehow run under the radar.

However, Liverpool’s list of the ten most expensive acquisitions shows the German manager has splashed out insane figures to assemble a formidable squad.

Below are the ten most expensive Liverpool signings of all time.

1. Virgil van Dijk (Southampton, 2018) – €84.65m
2. Darwin Nunez (Benfica, 2022) – €80m
3. Alisson (Roma, 2018) – €62.5m
4. Naby Keita (RB Leipzig, 2018) – €60m
5. Luis Diaz (Porto, 2022) – €47m
6. Christian Benteke (Aston Villa, 2015) – €46.5
7. Fabinho (Monaco, 2018) – €45m
8. Diogo Jota (Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2020) – €44.7m
9. Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven, 2023) – €42m
10. Mohamed Salah (Roma, 2017) – €42m

Let’s see how Liverpool’s ten most expensive signings ever panned out. 

#10 Mohamed Salah

One of the history-defining signings made by Klopp, Mohamed Salah swapped Roma for Liverpool in 2017 and has gone on to become one of the deadliest forwards in the Premier League.

The ‘Egyptian King’ has won the Golden Boot three times, breaking numerous records in the process as he turned himself into a cult hero at Anfield. 

Salah’s devastating pace and laser-sharp finishing make him an indispensable first-team fixture at Liverpool and one of the fiercest attackers in Europe.

#9 Cody Gakpo

Strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in 2022, Cody Gakpo subsequently signed for Liverpool the following January.

The former PSV Eindhoven star initially struggled to make his mark but gradually settled into the pace of the Premier League.

Gakpo will likely prove to be a big hit for Liverpool, making his €42 million transfer fee seem like a bargain.

#8 Diogo Jota

With Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino forging a formidable attacking partnership under Klopp, many people thought Liverpool wasted money on the signing of Diogo Jota.

However, the Portuguese ace has excelled on Merseyside, giving the Reds’ attack a new dimension with his clever movements between the lines and lethal finishing.

Jota’s stunning showings in his early Liverpool career quickly pushed Firmino down the pecking order, establishing him as a vital first-team component. 

#7 Fabinho

Following an impressive spell at Monaco, Fabinho joined Liverpool in 2018 and became a key figure in Klopp’s all-conquering midfield.

Tactical intelligence, virtually impeccable passing and solid defensive skills have made the Brazilian star one of the best-performing midfielders in the Premier League.

He played an influential role as Liverpool won the Champions League in his maiden season at Anfield before helping them break a long-awaited Premier League title drought the following year.

#6 Christian Benteke

The only signing on this list not being made by Klopp perhaps explains why Christian Benteke is the only flop among the club’s top ten most expensive signings of all time. 

Liverpool made the Belgian striker their second most lucrative purchase at the time after being impressed by his performances at Aston Villa, but everything went wrong for Benteke on Merseyside. 

If it weren’t for his phenomenal bicycle kick against Manchester United, his disappointing spell with the Reds would go down as an utter disaster. After all, it lasted for just one season.

#5 Luis Diaz

Everything Luis Diaz has done during his Liverpool career has made the Anfield faithful dream big despite waving goodbye to Sadio Mane. 

The lightning-quick forward has been too hot to handle, with his quickness and tricky footwork turning him into one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League.

Diaz’s ability to storm past the defenders and retain possession in tight spaces is off the charts.

#4 Naby Keita

We may have forgotten about Naby Keita when we classified Benteke as the only poor judgment on this list. The 27-year-old midfielder flattered to deceive for Liverpool.

After joining the club from RB Leipzig, he struggled with recurring injury problems that interrupted his progress in the Premier League.

On his day Keita is a talented player. Unfortunately, those days for Liverpool were few and far between.

#3 Alisson

Liverpool more than doubled the previous world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper when they brought Brazilian star Alisson from Roma in 2018.

However, that paid off immensely as Allison established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers on the planet.

His last-gasp header against West Bromwich Albion down the final stretch of the 2020/21 league season helped the Reds land a coveted top-four finish. 

#2 Darwin Nunez

You should know by now that Darwin Nunez is a special talent since Klopp decided to break the bank to sign him from Benfica this summer. 

After an outrageous poker of goals in a pre-season win over RB Leipzig, the Uruguayan drew a penalty and scored as a second-half substitute in Liverpool’s 3-1 downing of Man City in the Community Shield.

Nunez also scored on his Premier League debut with a fantastic backheel flip to give the Anfield crowd an insight into his substantial bag of tricks. 

#1 Virgil van Dijk

The beast, the myth, the legend – there are so many superlatives to describe Virgil van Dijk’s career at Liverpool, but none are sufficient to illustrate his significance to this team. 

One of the best centre-half in history has turned the Reds’ fortunes around from the moment he graced the Anfield pitch in January 2018, showing why the Merseysiders made him the most expensive defender at the time.

Van Dijk is widely considered the catalyst that transformed Liverpool into a title-calibre side, guiding them to a long-awaited Premier League crown in his second full season at the club.