Ranking Liverpool's Top 10 Summer Signings of the Past 10 Years
Who are Liverpool's 10 best summer signings of the past 10 years?
Over the decade since the Reds enjoyed their unexpected Champions League triumph in Istanbul in 2005, a host of supremely talented players have joined the Anfield cause, with the summer proving a particularly fruitful window for business on Merseyside.
Here, we rank the 10 best signings from the summer of 2005 to the most recent window past, factoring impact at the club, overall quality, value and—in some latter-day inclusions—potential for growth at Liverpool.
With top-level talents such as Javier Mascherano, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho featuring in our previous countdown of the best January buys, who will feature alongside cover stars Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt here?
Let's kick off with one of the most underrated talents to enjoy time with the Reds in the last decade.
10. Fabio Aurelio
1 of 10
Free transfer, from Valencia (2006)
If Fabio Aurelio had avoided the many injury problems that blighted his six-year spell on Merseyside, he would have developed into one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.
Also able to play in on the wing and in defensive midfield, Aurelio was an intelligent and focussed defender with an exceptional passing range.
Renowned for his crossing ability, Aurelio is cherished on Merseyside for his free-kick goals against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Signed on a free transfer, Aurelio was one of the best pieces of business by the Reds in the past decade.
9. Peter Crouch
2 of 10
£7 million, from Southampton (2005)
Peter Crouch won't go down in the pantheon of all-time great Liverpool strikers, but his efforts between 2005 and 2008 made him an invaluable attacking option for manager Rafa Benitez.
He scored 42 goals in 134 games for the Reds in all competitions, as well as making a vital contribution to 2006's FA Cup final success over West Ham United, assisting Steven Gerrard's second goal at the Millenium Stadium.
Though he was eventually marginalised by the arrival of Torres in 2007, Crouch can consider his Merseyside jaunt a successful one.
8. Mamadou Sakho
3 of 10
£18 million, from Paris Saint-Germain (2013)
Mamadou Sakho's inclusion in this ranking may seem a peculiar one to some, given his current peripheral status under manager Brendan Rodgers, but the centre-back represents one of the best defensive signings Liverpool have made since the departure of Sami Hyypia in 2009.
Quick, strong, intelligent, commanding and adept in possession, Sakho is the most well-rounded centre-back in Rodgers' squad, and his playing deputy to Dejan Lovren remains a mystery to most supporters.
7. Craig Bellamy
4 of 10
Free transfer, from Manchester City (2011)
The decision to bring Craig Bellamy back to Liverpool in 2011 was an inspired one by Kenny Dalglish.
"I've grown up with Kenny Dalglish, now to be signed by him is a massive honour," the forward said on his arrival. "This is an exciting time. When Kenny took over, watching as a fan last season I got the buzz as well and it was great to see Liverpool end the season well. I'm very happy."
Bellamy's contribution during Dalglish's second spell as Liverpool manager was vital, with his intensity, determination, pace, intelligence and goalscoring ability helping the Reds to victory in the 2012 League Cup.
6. Yossi Benayoun
5 of 10
£5 million, from West Ham United (2007)
Despite never truly holding down a regular starting role during his three years at the club between 2007 and 2010, Yossi Benayoun holds the status as something of a cult hero among Liverpool supporters.
An industrious attacking midfielder with sublime ball control and vision, Benayoun scored a plethora of important goals for the Reds, including hat-tricks in the Premier League (against Burnley), the Champions League (against Besiktas) and the FA Cup (against Havant and Waterlooville).
Benayoun went on to play for Arsenal, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers on the expiry of his Liverpool contract in 2010, before rejoining Maccabi Haifa in 2014.
5. Nathaniel Clyne
6 of 10
£12.5 million, from Southampton (2015)
Suggesting Nathaniel Clyne as Liverpool's fifth-best summer transfer of the past decade may seem premature, but the 24-year-old has the potential to be the Reds' best right-back signing since Steve Finnan's move from Fulham in 2003.
Balancing defensive strength with a propensity for bursts into the attacking sector, Clyne strikes a crucial balance between two former Liverpool right-backs: the reserved Alvaro Arbeloa and the gung-ho Glen Johnson.
Whether Clyne holds down this role for the foreseeable future remains to be seen, but the former Southampton man has the potential and temperament to do so.
4. Jordan Henderson
7 of 10
£20 million, from Sunderland (2011)
The lofty fee spent to secure the services of a 20-year-old Jordan Henderson in 2011 could have represented another disastrous miscalculation in the summer of 2011. That transfer window also saw the arrivals of Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique, but Henderson has risen to key status in his four years at the club to date.
Named captain of Rodgers' side following the departure of Steven Gerrard this summer, Henderson is now one of the most important players in the squad.
His energy, tenacity and creativity are paramount to any Liverpool success in the coming seasons.
3. Dirk Kuyt
8 of 10
Dirk Kuyt is a manager's dream, and a player whom Benitez considerably undersold on his arrival.
"He will be a good player for us," the Spaniard told reporters in 2006. "He's a player with good game intelligence. He knows what to do with the ball and without the ball and he's also a very good worker."
At Liverpool, Kuyt honed his game from good to great, with his versatility, work rate and knack for scoring important goals making him a key component alongside Gerrard and Torres in Benitez's attack.
2. Pepe Reina
9 of 10
£8 million, from Villarreal (2005)
Pepe Reina was intent on joining Benitez's Liverpool in 2005.
"It will be terrific to play with Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia," he said shortly before sealing his move to Merseyside. "To come to the champions of Europe with the history of Liverpool is not easy, but I will answer these questions with a positive response."
The goalkeeper's desperation underlined a coup for the Reds, with Reina developing into one of the world's best shot-stoppers under Benitez, winning three consecutive Golden Glove awards for the 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 Premier League seasons.
Enduring a disappointing decline under Rodgers, Reina was loaned to Napoli in 2013, before joining Bayern Munich and then returning to Naples on a permanent transfer this summer.
Liverpool are yet to truly replace him.
1. Fernando Torres
10 of 10
£20 million, from Atletico Madrid (2007)
"Three players stand out in my time at Liverpool," Gerrard revealed in his new autobiography, My Story, serialised in the Mail throughout September.
"They all speak Spanish. Each of them unleashes a wave of emotion in me and in every Liverpool supporter: Fernando Torres. Xabi Alonso. Luis Suarez."
Suarez topped our list of Liverpool's best January signings, and it is only right that Torres takes pole position in our summer countdown, as Gerrard's words attest:
"Fernando came the closest to matching Luis. I had two years with Fernando when he made me feel invincible. I always knew where he was, where he was going to move next.
I’m not a natural No. 10 but, for a couple of years, Fernando helped me become one. I had my best season then, as a No 10, and that was down to Fernando in 2007/08.
"
Torres' impact on Gerrard under Benitez was remarkable, with the Spanish striker's pace, guile, intelligent movement and finishing ability ensuring their partnership was one of the most feared in Europe.
Scoring 81 goals in 142 games during his four-year stint on Merseyside, Torres is one of the best strikers in the club's history.
Statistics via LFCHistory.net, transfer fees via BBC Sport.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
