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.
9. Lazar Makovic
Markovic arrived from Benfica as a talented and exciting young winger but his Liverpool career was mostly spent on loan. He only spent one season with the first-team before heading on loan until 2019, when he left for Fulham. | Getty Images
10. Alberto Aquilani
The Italian came through at Roma, but only made 102 appearances in 7 years - something that Liverpool may have wished they took better notice of when signing him. He struggled massively with injuries after signing for £17m and two of his three seasons at the club on loan before heading back to Italy with his tail between his legs. | Getty Images
11. Mario Balotelli
‘Super mario’ himself was once a superstar, but that was all in the past by the time he signed for the Reds. The controversial Italian managed just the one goal in 16 appearances and spent the next season on loan at AC Milan before he made the move to Nice in 2016 after two years at the club. His temperament wasn’t professional enough for a top club and he subsequently shown the door. | Getty Images