As the transfer window slams shut, Liverpool ended the summer with four new additions coming into the club. Liverpool have spent a total of £77,200,000 on new additions whilst recouping £72,630,000. So lets take a look at Liverpool’s business this summer & review every transfer. All fees mentioned in this article are as per transfermarkt.co.uk.
Outgoings
Lets start off with the outgoings. Liverpool have allowed 11 players to leave the club this summer. Receiving fees for five of them, loaning out two of them, whilst letting four leave on free transfers. Like previously stated, Liverpool made £72,630,000 in total which went towards the majority of their spending this summer. This approach is often scrutinised by fans, but it’s a method that Liverpool have used time & time again.
Sadio Mane – Bayern Munich
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane signed for German champions Bayern Munich for a fee of £28,000,000 ending a six year stay at Liverpool. Sadio Mane was undoubtedly a huge factor in Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp & was the first major signing of the Klopp era. Sadio Mane stated that “It was my last year at Liverpool & I wanted a new challenge in my life.” after achieving pretty much everything with Liverpool. Mane has got off to a great start at Bayern Munich scoring 5 goals in his first 6 games. This left Liverpool fans wondering which attacker would come in (more on that later.)
Neco Williams – Nottingham Forest
Neco Williams is a 21 year old Welsh international, who spent thirteen years at the club, signing for the academy as an 8 year old back in 2009. He played understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold since his promotion to the first team back in 2019, but was loaned out to Fulham back in January last season. Williams played 22 games for Fulham scoring twice & assisting five times helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League. Williams was hungry for more first team football after getting a taste for it, so he signed for newly promoted Nottingham Forest for a fee of £18,000,000 who will utilise his attacking skill set as a wing back.
Takumi Minamino – AS Monaco
Minamino was the Liverpool hero across both domestic cups last season, but similarly to Neco Williams, the Japanese international wanted more game time. Minamino signed for Liverpool in the January window back in 2020 for a fee of £7,650,000 and went onto win the Premier League despite not scoring a goal or registering an assist in ten appearances. He was then loaned out to Southampton in the 2021 January transfer window, but returned to Liverpool ahead of the 2021/22 season. Last season Minamino had his best goal scoring form since his arrival to England scoring 10 goals three in the Premier League, four in the Carabao Cup & three in the FA Cup. He was a huge part to Liverpool’s domestic double, but like previously mentioned, left the club in search for regular football that Liverpool just couldn’t offer him.
So they’re the major outgoings for Liverpool that gave them a lump of cash to reinvest with, but there are a few more players that left the club, which I wont focus on within this article too much. Those players are…
Ben Davies – Glasgow Rangers - £4,230,000
Divock Origi – AC Milan – Free
Sheyi Ojo – Cardiff City – Free
Ben Woodburn – Preston North End – Free
Sepp Van Den Berg- FC Schalke 04 – Loan
Rhys Williams – Blackpool – Loan
Loris Karius – Released
Incomings
Now lets take a look at Liverpool’s incomings. As previously mentioned, Liverpool have spent £77,200,000 on four players this season.
Darwin Nunez – Benfica - £67,500,000
After the departure of Sadio Mane, it was obvious that Liverpool would be in the market for a new forward. Having already signed Luis Diaz ahead of schedule back in January, Liverpool decided to go for a more traditional approach with an out and out striker. Liverpool had reportedly been tracking Darwin Nunez from his Almeria days & decided to make a move for the 23 year old Uruguayan forward on the back of a sensational season at Benfica. He scored thirty four times last season for Benfica whilst assisting four times. He got off to a great start at Liverpool scoring against Manchester City in the community shield, whilst getting a goal & an assist on his Premier League debut, but he faced a three match suspension after a collision with Joachim Andersen in match day two. Nunez is available for selection once again this weekend for the Merseyside Derby.
Fabio Carvalho – Fulham - £5,300,000
Fabio Carvalho is a signing that Liverpool fans were expecting to go through after a failed attempt to land him back in January. After signing Luis Diaz, Liverpool made a last minute attempt to confirm the signing of the then 19 year old, but eventually ran out of time. Good things to those who wait however & the Portuguese wonder kid signed for Liverpool in a five year deal. Similarly to Neco Williams, Fabio Carvalho was a huge part of Fulham’s Championship title winning season scoring eleven goals & assisting eight times. He offers such versatility which will be key for Liverpool this season being able to play as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, on the wing or even as the false nine. Carvalho has just scored in back to back games after a sensational winning goal against Newcastle United in the 97th minute, and before that scoring his first goal for the club in a 9-0 win against Bournemouth. His brilliant form & cameos from the bench have left Liverpool fans wanting to see him play more & potentially this coming weekend against Everton at Goodison Park.
Calvin Ramsay – Aberdeen FC - £4,410,000
Calvin Ramsay signed a long term contract with Liverpool following the departure of youngster Neco Williams. The 19 year old right back had a very impressive break out season for Aberdeen last time out scoring once & assisting nine times. Unfortunately after his medical, an injury was discovered & Ramsay hasn’t featured for the reds in any capacity so far. However, the Scottish right back is nearing closer to a return & it wont be long before he makes his first Liverpool appearance.
Arthur Melo – Juventus – Loan
Liverpool have concluded their summer transfer business with the signing of Arthur Melo in a one year loan deal from Juventus. The 26 year old Brazilian international signed for the reds on deadline day following a hamstring injury to captain Jordan Henderson. Liverpool supporters have taken to social media throughout the summer demanding a central midfielder, but Jurgen Klopp maintained his stance that they will only sign a player if it is the right player. My personal opinion is that Liverpool were forced into bringing in a new midfielder due to Henderson’s injury. Arthur comes with experience & no risk as he is only signing for the club on loan. I believe Liverpool still have high hopes in signing Jude Bellingham next summer, and that is the reasoning behind them not splashing out on an alternative.
However, it has been confirmed by Juventus that the deal includes an option to buy with a fee of €37,500,000 should Liverpool wish to trigger it. This is sa great incentive for Arthur & the club because if this transfer work out, then Liverpool could potentially get a very good deal next summer. We know that Liverpool’s midfield needs a revamp with a number of players seemingly out of contract next summer, which means Arthur could potentially be a part of that rebuild should this move work out. In his first interview with Liverpool, he also mentioned that he has ambitions to make the Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup. This is good news for Liverpool fans because he seems very determined to get his head down & kick on with his career & show the world exactly what he can do.
Transfer window rating out of 10?
If I had to rank Liverpool’s transfer business out of 10, I’d give it a 7.5/10. I do feel that Liverpool addressed some key areas within the squad, but I feel like they needed two midfielders to come in. But you can’t look past some of the business that they’ve done this summer. Fabio Carvalho is proving to be an absolute steal, whilst Darwin Nunez looks like he will be a consistent goal threat for the reds. I’m intrigued to see how Calvin Ramsay gets on once he’s fully fit, but I’m expecting big things from such a highly rated youngster. Arthur is smart business by the club & had Liverpool signed him at the start of the window, I think Liverpool fans would have been more excited about the deal. Because they left it so late I think the general feeling is that it was a panic buy, but let's see.