Liverpool’s biggest transfer flops since 2000 revealed

It’s safe to say that Liverpool are firmly back among the Premier League’s elite since winning their first Premier League title in the 2019/20 campaign. However, since the turn of the millennium the Reds haven’t had things all their own way. On the contrary, Liverpool have oft been a shadow of their former selves both on the field and in the transfer market. In this article, we’ll assess some of the worst transfer mistakes Liverpool’s recruitment department has made in the last two decades – including one in the last 12 months!

Alberto Aquilani

Italian midfield schemer Alberto Aquilani was a £20m signing from Roma in 2009, arriving on Merseyside with the remit to fill the boots of one of the Reds’ most loved modern-day midfielders. Spaniard Xabi Alonso was the lynchpin of Rafael Benitez’ Liverpool midfield, but his return to his homeland to play for Real Madrid left a big void for Aquilani to fill. Aquilani was never cut out for the task. He lacked the physicality and intensity required to dominate midfields in the Premier League and a string of injuries also restricted him to a mere 18 top-flight appearances prior to his departure to Fiorentina three years later.

Andy Carroll

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish opted to overhaul his forward line in the August transfer window of 2011, bringing in Uruguayan sensation Luis Suarez and Newcastle target man Andy Carroll. Carroll arrived with a £35m price tag from Tyneside and Carroll admitted years later that he “wasn’t ready to leave” St. James’ Park and he could “never get a grip” during his time at Anfield. With just six goals scored in three Premier League seasons for Liverpool, Carroll’s time on Merseyside cost the Reds an eye-watering £5.83m per goal. Ouch. Luckily for Reds fans, their spending has intensified in recent years and Carroll’s name has slipped further down the list of most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history.

Mario Balotelli

The enigmatic Italian striker Mario Balotelli enjoyed a prolific spell with AC Milan after leaving Manchester City in 2013, scoring 26 goals in 43 appearances. Balotelli was recruited by Liverpool to replace the outgoing Luis Suarez, who made the switch to Barcelona to play alongside Lionel Messi. Suarez bagged 69 goals in 110 games for the Reds and was idolised on the Anfield Kop. Balotelli was always on a hiding to nothing but failed to embrace his opportunity. He scored just four goals for the £16m transfer fee Brendan Rodgers paid in August 2014. 12 months later, Balotelli was frogmarched back to AC Milan on a season-long loan.

Ben Davies

There are serious eyebrows raised when Premier League champions Liverpool moved to secure the services of long-serving Preston North End centre half Ben Davies. The 26-year-old had played 136 times for the Lilywhites and had loan spells further down the football pyramid as recently as 2017 and 2016 for Fleetwood Town and Newport County respectively. The congested fixture list during the 2020/21 Premier League played a major role in Davies’ signing, with the likes of Virgin van Dijk and Joe Gomez on the sidelines for the season after sustaining serious injuries following gruelling first team schedules. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp needed cover at left-sided centre half, as well as left back, and Davies fitted the bill despite no other Premier League clubs having been linked with him in the past. Davies would never make a senior appearance in the 2020/21 campaign and was promptly loaned out to Sheffield United for the 2021/22 EFL Championship campaign.

Christian Benteke

Belgian centre forward Christian Benteke was equally as disappointing as Andy Carroll in the big-money signing stakes. After a red-hot goalscoring streak with Aston Villa, notching 42 goals in 89 appearances, Benteke moved to Anfield for £35m. Although Benteke did manage nine goals in 29 games at an average of roughly one-in-three games, this transfer goes down as a major flop due to his ill-fitting attributes for Brendan Rodgers’ style of play. Things got even tougher for Benteke when Jurgen Klopp’s high energy game came to town, with a transfer to Crystal Palace tied up at a cost of £27m – representing an £8m loss in just 12 months.

Charlie Adam

Last but by no means least, Scottish international midfielder Charlie Adam. The former Glasgow Rangers player shone like a beacon for Ian Holloway’s Blackpool side, masterminding the Tangerines’ promotion to the Premier League and their flirtation with top-flight survival. Relegation meant that Adam would be sold on to Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool for a cut-price fee. The reality is that the Blackpool team was built around Adam’s strengths – and weaknesses. His weaknesses, including a lack of mobility and speed, meant he would never scale the same heights for Liverpool. After just 37 appearances and two senior goals, Brendan Rodgers hot-footed him to Stoke City.

Written by Alan Spencer