It’s still early days for Alexander Isak in his Liverpool career, but there’s no denying the Sweden international is struggling to justify the £125 million spent on him, a British record transfer fee no less.
While it’s widely acknowledged that the former Newcastle frontman will eventually come good for The Reds and avoid becoming a transfer ‘flop’, the same can’t be said for others. Let’s take a look at some of Liverpool’s less successful attacking signings down the years.
Robbie Keane
It’s easy to forget that Ireland’s record goalscorer once pulled on the famous red jersey; Liverpool was one of thirteen clubs the Dubliner played for in a colourful career which spanned two decades.
Keane, a lifelong Liverpool fan, secured his dream move to Anfield in 2008 in a £20 million switch from Tottenham, with whom he’d just helped win the League Cup and the club’s first trophy in nine years, to the surprise of experts, pundits and the top football betting sites.
Unfortunately for Keane, though, the move was short-lived. A paltry return of five goals in nineteen appearances wasn’t enough to convince Rafael Benitez, and the Irishman returned to White Hart Lane just six months later.
Mario Balotelli
The enigmatic Italian was also another forgettable signing. Balotelli arrived at Liverpool from AC Milan in 2014 for £16 million, with his stock high after a successful stint at the San Siro. He also played a key role in helping Manchester City win their first league title in 2011, providing the assist for that Aguero goal.
However, any hope Liverpool had of Balotelli filling the void left by the departed Luis Suarez was brief. The much-travelled striker managed just a solitary league goal for the Reds and four in total as Brendan Rodgers decided to cut his losses and send him back to AC Milan just twelve months later.
Andy Carroll
Liverpool used the £50million they received from the sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea to buy not one but two strikers on a busy and frantic deadline day in 2011. But while the £22 million signing of Luis Suarez will always be looked back on as a huge success (and a bit of a bargain), the same cannot be said of the £35 million shelled out on Andy Carroll.
Despite an impressive scoring record for boyhood club Newcastle, the 6ft 4 inch striker struggled to adapt to the team’s system and battled with form and fitness issues. A measly return of 11 goals in two seasons saw Carroll depart Anfield in 2013, having failed to justify his hefty price tag.
Christian Benteke
Few could argue with Liverpool paying £32.5 million for the Belgian striker, who established himself as a leading Premier League striker in his three seasons at Aston Villa. Benteke started life on Merseyside positively, hitting the back of the net in just his second league game. You might remember him scoring that stunning overhead kick goal in a defeat to Man United as well.
However, the Liverpool number nine jersey eventually weighed heavily on Benteke, who struggled to replicate the type of form that had earned him his big move. Jürgen Klopp’s arrival effectively signalled the end of Benteke’s time at Anfield. The German decided that Benteke was only good enough for the bench before eventually moving him on after a single season.
El Hadji Diouf
Diouf announced himself on the world stage with a man-of-the-match performance in Senegal’s 1-0 victory over France at the 2022 World Cup, although his £10 million move to Liverpool was already done by then. Gerard Houllier must’ve felt vindicated in his pursuit of the Senegalese who played a key role in helping his nation reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
But Diouf failed to bring the same flair and finishing ability to his new club, and a host of unsavoury incidents, including spitting at a Celtic fan, leaves the Senegalese remembered as one of the most disliked players in the game. Six goals in eighty appearances tells you all you need to know about Diouf’s time at Liverpool, but the real salt in the wound for Reds supporters is the fact that Diouf was signed instead of the much-proven Nicolas Anelka.
Darwin Núñez
It feels slightly harsh to refer to the Uruguayan as a ‘flop’. The Reds’ former number nine may have struggled to hit a barn door with a banjo on occasions, but 40 goals and 26 assists in 143 appearances isn’t the worst record. And the importance of some of those goals shouldn’t be underestimated; the two injury-time strikes away at Brentford that snatched Liverpool all three points on the way to winning the title will live long in the memory for many Reds supporters.
But, ultimately, an outlay of £85 million should translate to 20+ Premier League goals year in year out. Núñez was too inconsistent for that, sadly.