Liverpool’s recent transfer history has been almost impeccable; the work of Michael Edwards and the rest of the club since 2016 has seem them unearth talents that other clubs could only dream of.
This process has seem them sign players who were somewhat unknown at the time but who all possessed high potential and a strong work ethic that has seen them grow into the top players we see today.
However, as Liverpool fans know all too well, signings sometimes don’t work out.
It doesn’t mean they are necessarily poor players, as many have gone onto find success elsewhere but they certainly struggled or even failed on Merseyside.
Whether that’s down to poor individual performances, or a lack of mentality, struggling to adapt to a new league or arriving into a struggling team - there’s a whole host of reasons why signings don’t work out.
For every Andy Roberston (signed for just £7m) there’s one or two who just don’t work out. As is the case with a lot of clubs, there are plenty of transfer failures and Liverpool are no different, so here’s 11 examples of signings that bombed at the club.
5. El Hadji Diouf
Known more his beef with Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, Diouf’s time at Liverpool was a catastrophe. He arrived after starring at the 2002 World Cup for Senegal. The £10m signing was a complete failure as he went onto not score a single goal during the 2003/04 season before departing for Bolton. | Getty Images
6. Robbie Keane
No one can discount Robbie Keane’s career in England but his time at Liverpool simply didn’t work out. A £20m fee to sign him from Tottenham looks pricey in hindsight, especially considering he was back at Spurs 6 months later. Goals against Arsenal, PSV and braces against West Brom and Bolton didn’t do enough to inspire faith in the forward. | AFP via Getty Images
7. Naby Keita
The midfielder has been in talks with Liverpool over a new contract all season, however it looks increasingly likely that he will leave Anfield at the end of the season. Keita has struggled to make an impact since joining from RB Leipzig in 2018 and has spent over a year in total in the treatment room. | Getty Images
8. Andy Carroll
Perhaps the most ridiculed transfer in Liverpool history - £35m was a club record at the time but Carroll struggled to live up to his previous Newcastle form. Despite some moments of quality, he struggled massively to provide consistency before being moved on for a huge loss. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images