While Liverpool spends the most of their transfer cash in the summer, they have made some excellent additions in the January transfer window.
The Reds have just made another mid-season signing after buying Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth an initial £37m.
Admittedly, they haven’t always got it right in the January transfer window and the likes of Andy Carroll, Ozan Kabak and Steven Caulker failed to make the desired impact.
But the success stories outweigh the misses and we’ve taken a look at nine of their best deals in the January transfer market.
Luis Diaz
Diaz was initially earmarked as a target for the summer transfer window but Tottenham’s interest forced Liverpool into action in January 2022 and they agreed on a £37.5m deal with Porto.
The winger hit the ground running and enjoyed a brilliant debut season at Liverpool, producing man-of-the-match performances against Chelsea in both the FA Cup final and the Carabao Cup final.
“He’s a top player,” Jurgen Klopp said. “He’s a top, top world-level player. It’s a joy for me to work with Luís every day, and I’m more than happy that we decided to sign him in January.”
While he’ll now face increased competition for a place in the starting XI following Gakpo’s arrival, Diaz has already justified his price tag.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool initially tried to sign Van Dijk in the summer of 2017 but had to back down after Southampton reported them to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach.
The Reds reignited their interest in the defender a few months later and eventually got their man after meeting the £75m asking price.
He had a transformative effect on the Liverpool backline and has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world.
The Netherlands international won the PFA Player of the Year award and the Champions League in his first full season at Anfield and has since added the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Club Cup to his collection.
Philippe Coutinho
Despite struggling for playing time at Inter Milan, Coutinho did enough to impress Brendan Rodgers and joined Liverpool in an £8.5m deal in January 2013.
He instantly became a fan favourite at Anfield due to his impressive skills and went on to register 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for Liverpool.
The Brazilian playmaker then left for Barcelona in a £142m deal in January 2018, meaning he made Liverpool a whopping £133.5m profit.
Daniel Sturridge
Liverpool were particularly busy during the January 2013 transfer window as they also signed Sturridge from Chelsea in a £12m deal.
After hitting 11 goals in his first half-season at Liverpool, he then scored 24 goals in all competitions in 2013/14 and was named in the PFA Team of the Year as the Reds narrowly missed out on the Premier League title.
But the striker failed to maintain that impressive form and a series of injury problems derailed his final few years on Merseyside. He left on a free transfer in 2019, having scored 67 goals in 160 appearances for the club.
Luis Suarez
Alongside the £35m deal for Andy Carroll, Liverpool also spent £22.7m on Suarez on transfer deadline day in January 2011.
The Uruguay international helped fill the void left by Fernando Torres’ departure and scored 38 Premier League goals during his first two-and-a-half years at Anfield.
He then enjoyed a sensational 2013/14 campaign and won both the Golden Boot and the PFA Player of the Year award after registering 31 goals and 12 assists in 33 Premier League games.
The striker didn’t get his hands on the Premier League trophy and left for Barcelona in 2014 but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the best players to ever play for the Reds.
Maxi Rodriquez
The very last signing of Rafa Benitez’s tenure, Rodriquez joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid in January 2010.
He was one of Liverpool’s standout performers during the 2010/11 season and scored 10 goals, including two Premier League hat-tricks in the space of a fortnight against Birmingham City and Fulham.
The former Argentina international cemented his status as a cult hero among Reds and lifted the League Cup before returning to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in 2012.
Martin Skrtel
Skrtel was a relatively unknown 23-year-old when he moved to Merseyside from Zenit Saint Petersburg in a £6.5m deal in January 2008.
The centre-back then established himself as one of the hardest centre-backs in the Premier League and his aggressive style made him a cult hero at Anfield.
During the 2011/12 season, he scored in the League Cup final victory over Cardiff City and also won Liverpool’s Player of the Year award.
Despite his unfortunate penchant for own goals, the former Slovakia international was a solid performer for the Reds and made over 300 appearances during his eight-and-a-half years on the club’s books.
Javier Mascherano
Mascherano made just seven appearances for West Ham United before joining Liverpool on an initial loan deal in January 2007.
The former Argentina international went from strength to strength at Anfield and the move was made permanent for £18m in 2008.
He justified the price tag and formed part of a brilliant midfield trio alongside Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in 2008/09.
Mascherano then spent another year at the club before moving to Barcelona in controversial circumstances after refusing to play for the Reds.
Daniel Agger
After starring for boyhood club Brondby, Agger caught the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs and ultimately joined Liverpool in a £6m deal in January 2006.
The centre-back helped the Reds to both FA Cup and Community Shield success within his first year on Merseyside and was also part of the side that reached the 2007 Champions League final.
Liverpool strike Cody Gakpo dealLiverpool have managed to get one over on Manchester United by completing the signing of PSV star Cody Gakpo.0 seconds of 1 minute, 27 secondsVolume 90%
He was often linked with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City but remained loyal to Liverpool during a difficult period.
While his time on Merseyside was often hampered by injury issues, he still made 232 appearances for the club and left in 2014 as a fan favourite.
source: https://www.teamtalk.com/
