Liverpool are one of England’s most clubs. In fact, only Manchester United can boast being more successful than the Merseyside Reds.
Winning a title in the Premier League era has continued to elude them, however, and their last really big trophy came in 2005 when they beat AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final.
They have fielded some pretty big names over the years, but can’t seem to get the right mix. And it sometimes seems like one or two players are holding them back. Stars such as Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez have all graced Anfield, yet they have made some very poor signings as well.
Here are six players they signed in recent times whom they could have avoided.
#1 Alberto Aquilani
The Italian midfielder signed for the Reds back in 2009 from AS Roma, coming in as a highly rated attacker. He was expected to fill the void left by Xabi Alonso, who had just departed for Real Madrid but did very little to suggest that he could be anywhere near as good as the Spaniard.
His first season saw him make just 18 Premier League appearances, and although he dished out six assists, he only scored one goal. He made eight appearances in other competitions and managed one goal on that front as well.
The arrival of Roy Hodgson in 2010 saw him totally fall out of favour at the club, and he was loaned to Juventus at the beginning of the 2010/11 season.
Now 32, Aquilani plays his football at Serie A club Pescara, having represented AC Milan, Fiorentina and Sporting CP after leaving Juve.
#2 Mario Balotelli
A shocking and terrible blunder on Liverpool’s part, the signing of Mario Balotelli from Milan turned out to be a terrible disaster. Balotelli supposedly came in as a replacement for Luis Suarez, who left for Barcelona, but we all know how that worked out.
28 appearances, four goals, zero assists, a fine and suspension for posting a photo on social media with anti-semitic and racial references sum up his first Liverpool season. And his second one saw him return to Milan on loan.
Upon returning to Liverpool this year, he was made to train with the reserves and hardly interacted with Jurgen Klopp or the first team. But he was handed a lifeline by OGC Nice on deadline day and joined the French club on a free transfer.
Super-Mario has been in fine form lately, starting his Nice career with a brace on his debut. He now has six goals in five outings for his new club but he never really fit into the Liverpool side.
#3 Rickie Lambert
Released from Liverpool at age 15, having joined the club as a 10-year-old, Rickie Lambert never thought he would get to play for Liverpool again.
Yet after showing immense form in front of goal for Southampton between 2012 and 2014, the Englishman was snatched by his boyhood club for a meagre fee of £4m.
"I have always dreamt of playing for Liverpool, but I did kind of think the chance of playing for them had gone,” he said after completing a move in June of 2014 at 32 years old. “I didn't think the chance would come.”
Looking back, he probably would have done it again, but things didn’t turn out very well for the now 34-year-old, who currently plies his trade at Cardiff City.
His senior Liverpool career would only last one season, and although he made 36 appearances for the Reds, he could only manage three goals. Lambert was sold to West Bromwich Albion the following year for £1m less than he was bought from Southampton.
#4 Alberto Moreno
Is it something about Albertos? They just don’t do well at Liverpool. Fortunately for this one, there’s time yet, although James Milner is doing just about enough to ensure that the Spaniard won’t ever get another chance to prove his worth.
Having joined Liverpool just over two years ago, Moreno has proven two things: 1. He could be useful in attack, and 2. He’s not very good at defending.
Moreno just hasn’t been earning his pay fairly for what’s supposedly his primary function. To be fair, Milner isn’t either but at least that’s where the boss wants him and he’s still scoring goals.
A few nightmare performances this season has seen him dropped from the starting 11 and replaced at left-back by a midfielder, an aging one at that.
The former Sevilla man may just win Klopp’s favour again, but it would probably take an injury to Milner to see that happen. Then again, there’s always the possibility of Klopp shopping for a left-back in January.
#5 Andy Carroll
The West Ham Forward cost Liverpool £35m when he joined from Newcastle on deadline day in January of 2011. The Reds lost Fernando Torres to Chelsea that very day and viewed Andy Carroll as a player who would soften the blow of being stripped of one of the most prolific strikers in the club’s history.
Liverpool made him the most expensive British player at the time, yet he failed to live up to the billing. He played his first match for the Reds in March, more than a month after signing, as he had suffered a thigh injury before making the switch from St James’ Park.
Carroll’s Liverpool career would never take off the way everyone had imagined. He had scored 11 goals for the Magpies before moving to Anfield that season, as well as another 19 in the Championship the previous campaign. But 58 appearances for Liverpool only yielded 11 goals, and the player would be shipped off to the Hammers on loan in 2012.
The move was made permanent the following season, with West Ham paying £15m to keep him.
#6 Lazar Markovic
Lazar Markovic is still a Liverpool player but is currently on loan at Sporting CP. He was signed for £20m from Benfica two years ago and hasn’t made the grade at Anfield.
The Serbian does have a bit of a violent streak and earned himself a four-game European ban for flicking his hand in an opponent’s face during a Champions League match against Basel. Liverpool drew 1-1 in that game, which was their final group stage match, and would drop into the Europa League as a result.
He never seemed to fit in at Liverpool and was said to be at loggerheads with Brendan Rodgers over playing positions.
Markovic spent the following season on loan at Fenerbahce, scoring two goals in 21 appearances as a series of hamstring injuries hampered his campaign. Klopp wasn’t ready to give him another chance at Liverpool this season and decided to send him to Portugal on another loan deal.
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