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Liverpool have been pretty quiet in the last few transfer windows. With no potential signings or departures, this January is set to be a dull month for Liverpool in terms of transfers.
However, the Premier League giants have made plenty of big-money moves during the Premier League era. Thanks to Michael Edwards, Liverpool have been shrewd in the transfer market.
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Although the January transfer window is supposed to be one without much activity, the same does not apply to Liverpool. Over the years, the Merseyside club have made several key signings in the winter transfer window.
Many of these players have gone on to become key players. On that note, here are the five greatest Liverpool players who were purchased in the month of January.
#5 Alvaro Arbeloa
Alvaro Arbeloa will be remembered for his time at Real Madrid, but he was a great right-back during his stint with Liverpool. The Spaniard’s move to Anfield in January 2007 happened between spells at Deportivo La Coruna and Real Madrid.
Arbeloa was signed as a backup for Steve Finnan, an accomplished right-sided full-back. In his first season with Liverpool, Arbeloa got a taste of the Champions League final as he came on for Finnan just before full time.
He went on to win the Champions League with Real Madrid a few times, but Liverpool gave him the platform to showcase his talent on a continental level. He played 98 times for Liverpool, and was well worth the £3.51 million transfer fee.
#4 Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge was signed from Chelsea in the 2013 January transfer window. The striker didn’t take much time to settle, as he enjoyed an excellent end to the Premier League season. At £14.4 million, the Englishman was a considerable bargain.
Sturridge had proved himself in the absence of Luis Suarez, who was serving a ban. However, once the Uruguayan was back, Sturridge’s performances only improved. The duo formed a lethal partnership in the 2013-14 season that saw Liverpool finish second in the Premier League.
The striker scored 22 goals that season, and was at the peak of his powers. After Suarez’s departure, Sturridge’s form also started to dip. Overall, the former Liverpool number 15 scored 68 goals in 161 appearances.
#3 Philippe Coutinho
Arguably Liverpool’s most skilful player of the last decade, Philippe Coutinho was a joy to watch in his pomp. The Brazilian was brought during the same transfer window as Daniel Sturridge, albeit for a slightly lesser fee of £11.7 million.
Coutinho was simply brilliant during his time at Anfield. A two-time Liverpool Player of the Season, Coutinho established himself as the primary source of creativity - every positive move involved the “Little Magician”. He scored 54 goals and recorded 45 assists in 201 appearances for Liverpool.
The creative midfielder left the club just before their dominant years. After departing, Coutinho won numerous trophies with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. However, his form took a hit for the worse. He is reportedly set to join Aston Villa on loan shortly.
#2 Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez was another sensational piece of business done by Liverpool during the early 2010s. Signed alongside Andy Carroll in January 2011, Suarez exceeded expectations, and went on to become a world-class striker.
The £23.85-million man had his fair share of disciplinary issues, but Suarez was literally unstoppable on his day. The former Liverpool number seven scored 31 goals and registered 13 assists. He almost single-handedly ended the Reds’ 25-year-long league title drought in 2013-14.
Suarez was sold to Barcelona soon after his Golden Boot-winning season for a profit of around £50 million. He won numerous accolades at the La Liga club, and scored countless goals.
Overall, he netted 82 times and assisted on 47 occasions in 133 games for Liverpool.
#1 Virgil van Dijk
It would have taken a magical signing to trump the impact Suarez had, and that is exactly what Virgil van Dijk’s acquisition proved to be. At £76.19 million, van Dijk didn’t come cheap. However, his contributions to Liverpool over the last few years have been massive.
The former Southampton centre-back was the foundation of Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League-winning teams. Because of the security provided by Van Dijk and Alisson, players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson could express themselves.
Liverpool were poor last season, which was primarily due to the long-term injury suffered by Van Dijk. They look a much better side with the Dutch defender at the heart of their defence. Easily the best defender in the last three seasons, Van Dijk takes the top spot in this list.
