January transfer Windows have proven difficult to navigate and Liverpool have sometimes made missteps in their search for reinforcements.
Since the winter window opened in the 2002-03 season, the Reds have made some disastrous deals. Andy Carroll, Steven Caulker and Ozan Kabak were all notable starters and the list doesn’t end there.
However, their miscalculations were offset by some truly transformative signings that arrived as late Christmas presents, many of which spearheaded Liverpool’s revolution in the modern era.
Here are Liverpool’s five best January signings.
Luis Diaz fulfilled exactly the role one would expect from a winter newcomer. The Colombian arrived midway through the 2021/22 season as Liverpool looked for a historic four-man team. He breathed new life into the Merseysiders and helped the club win the domestic cup double, although they underperformed in the Premier League and Champions League.
He delivered six goals and five assists in his first half of the season at Anfield and, apart from an injury-hit season in 2022/23, scored even more goals in subsequent years.
The tireless winger stakes his claim as one of the world’s most devastating wingers, with blistering speed, endless work rate and eye-catching feet. His hunt for silverware with the Reds is far from over.
While Daniel Sturridge’s career was littered with agonizing and relentless injuries, the agile centre-forward was undeniably exceptional in his glory. Liverpool were at the peak of their powers after agreeing a £12million deal with rivals Chelsea in 2013.
Sturridge oozed so much class in his time as a Reds, possessing a left foot capable of toppling defenses. His first full season at Anfield ended with 24 goals and seven assists in all competitions, taking Liverpool close to a surprise Premier League triumph under Brendan Rodgers.
The England striker’s magic faded thereafter as fitness problems took their toll, but he still finished his Liverpool career with 67 goals in 160 games.
The arrival of Philippe Coutinho was not met with much fanfare. The young Brazilian was an unknown quantity who was allowed to leave Inter’s San Siro for just £8.5 million. However, he quickly became one of the most exceptional and cost-effective signings of the Premier League era.
Coutinho quickly found his feet at Anfield and gained a reputation for frequent moments of unadulterated magic. Deft skills and defense-splitting passes caught the attention, but a flurry of long-range shots epitomized the wonder of Liverpool’s diminutive playmaker.
Coutinho scored no fewer than 12 goals and assists in total across his four full seasons at Anfield and even proved a crucial departure when Liverpool splashed out £142m for him. That money was reinvested wisely as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds grew into an all-conquering force.
Speaking of unfiltered magic: Luis Suarez. It’s hard to imagine that expectations for the £35m Andy Carroll were higher than the £22.8m Suárez when the duo moved to Liverpool in January 2011, with the Uruguayan not only outperforming Carroll by a mile, but himself also one of the Reds’ best ever developed players.
While on-field controversies somewhat tarnished his reputation on Merseyside, there can be no doubt about Suarez’s ridiculous talent. He made the impossible seem easy with extraordinary regularity, whether through gravity-defying touches or flashes of lightning from a distance.
As Liverpool came close to the Premier League title in 2013/14, he formed a formidable partnership with the aforementioned Sturridge, and what he lacked in longevity on Merseyside he more than made up for in impressive production and consistency.
82 goals and 29 assists in 133 appearances is all that needs to be said.
It could be argued that no single signing in Liverpool’s history has brought about greater change than Virgil van Dijk. There were doubts about his record-breaking £75m transfer fee, but the imperious Dutchman soon made fun of that price tag.
A Merseyside derby winner on his debut warned Liverpool fans about his abilities. The current Reds captain led the club to Champions League and Premier League triumphs and developed into the best central defender in the world. In Liverpool’s best eleven, Van Dijk would probably line up in the back four.
The towering defender made battling the world’s top-scoring centre-forwards look like child’s play and he forged impressive partnerships with those who regularly lined up alongside him in the back line.