Quick Reads
Planet Football
3rd October 2020
While Liverpool have made some brilliant signings in recent years, their ability to sell players for more than their value is equally as impressive.
Jurgen Klopp has helped transform Liverpool’s fortunes on the pitch but Michael Edwards has been receiving a lot of praise for their success in the transfer market.
We’ve looked at the 11 players Liverpool have made a profit on since Edwards became their sporting director in November 2016.
Rhian Brewster
Brewster began his career in Chelsea’s academy before joining Liverpool at the age of 14 and was soon touted as one of England’s finest prospects.
After recovering from a serious leg injury, the striker scored 11 goals in 22 appearances while on loan at Championship side Swansea City in 2019-20.
He has only made four first-team appearances for Liverpool but Sheffield United still agreed to pay a club-record £23.5million to secure his services.
The package for the 20-year-old also includes a buy-back option for three years and the Reds will get 15% of any sell-on fee.
Ki-Jana Hoever
Liverpool signed Hoever from Ajax’s academy for just £90,000 in 2018, and he made his competitive debut in an FA Cup third-round defeat to Wolves in January 2019.
The Dutch defender made a further three first-team appearances in 2019-20, scoring his first Liverpool goal in the EFL Cup victory over MK Dons.
He is yet to play in the Premier League but Wolves still saw enough to spend £13.5million on the 18-year-old in 2020.
READ: ‘Destined for great things’ – Eight quotes on Liverpool signing Diogo Jota
Ovie Ejaria
Ejaria joined Liverpool’s academy from Arsenal in 2014 and made eight first-team appearances for the Reds in 2016-17.
After loan spells at Sunderland, Rangers and Reading, the 22-year-old joined the latter on a permanent deal for a fee in the region of £3million in 2020.
Danny Ings
Ings joined Liverpool as a free agent in 2015 but the Reds were ordered to pay Burnley a record compensation fee of £8million following a tribunal.
The striker was plagued by injury problems during his time at Anfield, making just 25 appearances for the club in all competitions.
After a successful loan spell at Southampton in 2018-19, he then joined his boyhood club on a permanent deal for a fee of £20million.
The 28-year-old is proving to be a bargain for the Saints after scoring 22 goals in 38 Premier League appearances in 2019-20.
“I’m here and enjoying my football again,” Ings told the Saints’ official website in December 2019. “I feel absolutely loved by the fans and my team, so all of that helps altogether.
“Any striker will tell you that when they’re enjoying football and having fun, it brings out the best in you.”
Ryan Kent
Another academy graduate, Kent made his debut against Exeter City in the FA Cup in 2016, but that proved to be his only first-team appearance for Liverpool.
The winger enjoyed a highly successful loan spell at Rangers in 2018-19 before completing a £7.5million move to the Scottish side.
He has become a fan favourite at Ibrox and was the subject of a £10million bid from newly-promoted Leeds United in 2020.
READ: The 30 academy grads given Liverpool debuts by Klopp & how they’ve fared
Dominic Solanke
This one certainly raised a few eyebrows…
Solanke joined Liverpool on a free transfer in following the expiry of his Chelsea contract in 2017 but they had to pay a compensation fee of £3million.
Despite scoring just one goal in 27 appearances for the Reds, Bournemouth were still willing to pay £19million for his services in 2019.
Things haven’t really improved at the Vitality Stadium, with the 23-year-old scoring just four goals in 46 appearances for the Cherries at the time of writing.
Danny Ward
Liverpool signed Ward from Wrexham for a fee of around £100,000 in January 2012, but the goalkeeper made only three appearances in five and a half years at Anfield.
He fell to fourth choice following the arrival of Alisson Becker from Roma and sealed a £12.5million move to Leicester City in 2018.
The 27-year-old has served as back up to Kasper Schmeichel and is yet to appear for the Foxes in the Premier League.
Philippe Coutinho
Ok we admit that Coutinho’s sale makes up the majority of the £219million.
The Brazil international developed into one of the best midfielders in the world after joining the Reds from Inter Milan for just £8.5million in 2013.
Liverpool tried everything to keep him at Anfield but eventually agreed to sell the 28-year-old to Barcelona for a staggering £142million in January 2018.
He has failed to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou, while Jurgen Klopp reinvested that money on Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.
READ: An impressive Xl of players Jurgen Klopp has sold during his career
Mamadou Sakho
Sakho arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in an £18million deal in the summer of 2013 and enjoyed a promising debut season at Anfield.
The centre-back eventually fell down the pecking order under Klopp after numerous disciplinary issues and was sold to Crystal Palace for £26million in 2017.
Not bad for a player they had absolutely no intention of using.
Kevin Stewart
Liverpool picked up Stewart on a free transfer after his release from Tottenham in 2014 and the midfielder went on to make 20 appearances for the club.
After failing to establish himself in Klopp’s side, he completed an £8million move to Hull City in 2017 in search of regular first-team football.
“It was a difficult decision to leave Liverpool. It’s a club that I love and have loved for a long time,” Stewart said in 2017.
“I’ve supported Liverpool since I was a young boy and it was my life goal to be a regular there. But at the same time I felt this was a move that I needed to make in order to further my career.”
He’s since got his career back on track with the Tigers, making 77 appearances in all competitions over the last three seasons.
Andre Wisdom
Wisdom scored on his Liverpool debut in a 5-3 Europa League win away to Young Boys in 2012, but that was as good as it got for the defender.
He had loan spells at Derby County, West Brom, Norwich City and Red Bull Salzburg before eventually joining Derby permanently for £4.5million in 2017.
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