Liverpool is one of the most successful clubs in England – so naturally they’ve signed one or two big players over the decades.
The Reds have broken the British transfer record on numerous occasions and famously were involved in the first £500,000 transfer for an English player when they sold Kevin Keegan to Hamburg in 1977.
Then in 1995, Liverpool paid £8.5million to sign striker Stan Collymore. But transfer fees have come a long way since. So who is now the most expensive Liverpool player of all time?
Who is the most expensive Liverpool player of all time?
The title of Liverpool’s most expensive signing goes to Virgil van Dijk who cost £75million back in 2018 when signed from Southampton.
The big Dutch centre-back also broke the transfer record at the time for a deal between two English clubs.
However, it comes with a caveat. Darwin Nunez could end up costing just below £85million if all the add-ons are met. However, as a regular in the first team he should cost at least £75million by the time his contract is up – meaning the Uruguayan forward is set to equal the record.
For now though, with not all performance add-ons currently met, van Dijk is – officially for now – the record holder.
Who held the all time record transfer fee for a Liverpool player before van Dijk?
Prior to a jump in transfer fees following a new Premier League television deal in 2016, Christian Benteke was Liverpool’s record purchase.
The Belgian forward cost £38million, an initial £32m from Aston Villa before add-ons. This took him narrowly ahead of Andy Carroll, who cost £35million when signed from Newcastle United on January 2011 transfer deadline day.
This, temporarily, made Carroll the most expensive British transfer in history, but Liverpool were about to sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50million, eclipsing the fee.
Prior to Carroll’s shock move to Anfield, Torres himself was Liverpool’s most expensive transfer. The Spanish forward cost £31million when moving from Atletico Madrid in 2007.
Rank | Price | Player | From | To |
1 | £75m | Virgil van Dijk | Southampton | Liverpool |
2 | £70m* potential to rise to £85m with add-ons | Darwin Nunez | Napoli | Liverpool |
3 | £66.8m | Alisson | Parma | Liverpool |
4 | £60m | Dominik Szoboszlai | RB Leipzig | Liverpool |
5 | £48m | Naby Keita | PSG | Liverpool |
6 | £39m | Luis Diaz | AC Milan | Liverpool |
7 | £39m | Fabinho | Monaco | Liverpool |
8 | £38m | Christian Benteke | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
9 | £35m | Alexis Mac Allister | Brighton | Liverpool |
10 | £35m | Andy Carroll | Newcastle United | Liverpool |