Liverpool's lack of transfer activities under Arne Slot has certainly not hindered him yet – since he currently led the club to the Premier League top in his first season.
After only signing Federico Chiesa in his first two files, the Dutchman did not let the lack of income harm him because he made a great start for life in Merseyside. Although his side is now seven points of Arsenal, this does not mean that there are no areas within the team that need improvements.
Andy Robertson is subject to criticism for a large part of the season, with some fans believing that it might be time to bring in a new left back to abolish the club legend. Despite the potential of Liverpool for the goal, the inconsistency of Darwin Nunez – who only scored six goals this season – can spell the end of his time in Anfield this summer.
Although Slot will probably wait until the end of the season to make additions and start clearing individuals that he does not consider good enough, Mirror Football looks back on some of Liverpool's best free agent signing sessions.
James Milner
Perhaps the most successful free agent drew in the history of Liverpool, James Milner had already enjoyed a 13-year career in the Premier League prior to his move to Merseyside in 2015 from Manchester City. Despite the fact that the citizens received a new deal, the Englishman wanted to play in the middle of midfield instead of being used as a broad midfielder, who was mainly his role in the club.
After talking to Brendan Rodgers, who offered him a chance to play in his natural position, Milner grabbed the chance and was immediately mentioned as vice-captain of Jordan Henderson who took the captain after the departure of Steven Gerrard who Summer to La Galaxy.
Milner became an important member of Liverpool's largest period of success since the 1980s when he won every big trophy in the club, apart from the Europa League, who spent eight years in Anfield who has his longest say in his football career.
Of the 26 goals and 45 assists that he came up in Liverpool, he broke the record for most assists in a Champions League campaign in 2018/19 with 11 – a record that is still standing to this day.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip had the title of the first signing of Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool and signed a four-year pre-contract agreement with the Reds in February 2016 after the expiry of his Schalke contract. Prior to his arrival, Liverpool's defense had received much criticism with Dejan Lovren, Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel who did not impress, but Matip's Coole and composed way in the heart of defense handed him praise.
The signing of Virgil van Dijk in 2018 offered Matip a quality center-back partner, because the couple became the most dominant defensive partnership in the Premier League. Despite his consistent versions, his constant injury problems saw him play a bit round role in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, which only played 25 games combined.
Matip returned to the fitness in the 2021/22 season as Van Dijk's regular partner when the Reds fell a four -time but nowhere short, but a domestic cup claimed double. His last two seasons in the club were injuries before he was released in the summer of 2024 when Liverpool turned out to be his last club when the defender announced his retirement of football.
Robbie Fowler
Nicknamed 'God' by fans of Liverpool, Robbie Fowler left the club in 2001 as their highest Premier League goalkeeper with 120 goals in his name in the top flight and 171 in all competitions. The preference of Gerard Houllier from a Michael Owen and Emile Heskey Voorwarte Tandem left the former English international who needed regular playing time, while a breakdown in relation to the Frenchman meant that he left his boy's club in a £ 12 million deal for Leeds.
After an 18-month enchantment on Elland Road, Fowler left for Manchester City, where he spent the next three and a half year of his career for a sensational return to Anfield in January 2006. While he was in just 39 performances and scored 12 goals in His second stint in the club to update its total Liverpool -goal post until 183, a new generation of Reds -fans' Fowler could again witness the Liverpool strip.
Markus Babbel
The former German international arrived in Liverpool in 2000 as an established winner. One of the 11 trophies he won in his career prior to his move to Anfield was Euro 1996 in which he played a leading role. Babbel was so in the course of the legendary club that he reportedly rejected Real Madrid because he had already given Houlier his word.
The German was always present in his first season in England, played 60 games and started every game in the Premier League and the UEFA Cup. The former defender collected three trophies in his debut campaign and added the FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Cup to his growing list of honor. He continued his winning run with the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup the following season – but it all went downhill from there.
Babbel locked the Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2001 and made only six performances in his second season. GBS is a rare nervous system virus that can cause paralysis and in some serious cases can be fatal. He was unable to lift his legs and resigned from a wheelchair because he was out of operation for almost a whole year.
While he made a successful return to the field in August 2002, Babbel was not the same player he was for GBS, because he made seven performances for Liverpool before he left for Stuttgart in 2004.
Gary Mcallister
Despite Liverpool in 2000 on a free transfer of Coventry at the age of 35 – 19 years after the start of his professional career – Gary Mcallister left a lasting impact on Liverpool's believers in the two years he spent red.
The former midfielder was a clutch player for Houllier who described the Scotsman as his “most inspiring signing”. Mcallister played 49 games when Liverpool conquered a triplication of trophies and scored a series of iconic goals, including his 44-yard free-kick winner about Everton in the fourth minute of the stop time.
He also scored a penalty winner against Barcelona in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup and naked one goal and assisted three more in Liverpool's 5-4 victory over Alaves in the European final.
McAllister came back later as a coach of the first team under Brendan Rodgers in 2015, but left a few months later when the manager was fired and replaced by Klopp.
Adrian
While the Spaniard only appeared in the club in five years with 18 of those who came in his first season, there are not many players who were responsible for delivering their team a trophy in their second performance.
Adrian's second Liverpool match came to the UEFA Super Cup final of 2019 against Chelsea, which went to extra time and punish after the two Premier League parties were bound 2-2 after 120 minutes. The ex-West Ham goalkeeper was Liverpool's Savior for the night after he saved the Penalty of Tammy Abraham to crown the Reds champions and to deliver their fourth Super Cup title.
His all-round performance and penalty heroicdades led to Klopp's famous bubbles of “Adrian” related to what Rocky Balboa would call his wife who shares the same name as the goalkeeper. Adrian only made two performances in his last three seasons in Liverpool, but remained a popular figure in the club's dressing room.
Comments