Ranking Every Liverpool Transfer Under Jürgen Klopp
Assembling the best team in club football.
Upon arriving at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp dubbed himself "The Normal One". It should be clear by now he's anything but that. Many traits set the founder of "heavy metal football" apart from the lot of managers. His tactical brio is undisputable. His man-management is unmatched, as he always finds the key to unlock a player's hidden potential. His cool-dad attitude and subtle elegance bespeak that behind the great coach lies a great man.
Liverpool's transfer business under his tenure has been remarkable. The 2016 squad was very decent but still lacking, and almost every area of the pitch had its problem. The answer given by Klopp, Michael Edwards and the oft-neglected Ian Graham has almost always been the right one. They don't panic-buy, they don't binge-sign. Each season, a couple of players are brought in for specific reasons, and they (almost) all more than repay their price. Klopp always has long-term future in mind and to that regard, it's telling that out of the 15 players who joined the team in the four years he's been there, only two, Klavan and Solanke, have already left the club.
Let's take a look into how he built a team that can, since last Saturday, call itself the best in club football.
(PS: Loan signings aren't taken into account, so Steven Caulker doesn't feature)
16. Alex Manninger
We did say that only 15 players joined the team under Klopp, and while it's technically untrue, the thing is Manninger doesn't really count. That's not to say signing him in 2016 was a bad piece of business, not at all. It's just that it wasn't really transfer business. It was more like appointing a new staff member.
The Austrian veteran, who won a Premier League title with Arsenal back in 1998, returned to England on a free transfer. He's had an honourable career, mostly being a back-up goalie for sides all across Europe. During his one year at Liverpool, he spent more time at Melwood than Anfield, effectively serving as an unofficial goalkeeper coach. It's hard to judge whether he did well given the lack of information. Karius and Mignolet didn't significantly improved after he arrived, but expecting that would've been unrealistic. An article published on Liverpool's official website acknowledged Manninger as a "positive presence" who offered " unwavering support and advice". That's the best he could've done.