It was supposed to be another quiet transfer window at Liverpool. We were told not to expect much beyond the signing of some cover at left-back; it was to be another window of outgoings, with all the big acquisitions being saved for a rebuild next summer.
Yeah, right.
The signing of Thiago Alcantara put those aspersions to bed, and Jurgen Klopp has now put together a squad that looks leaner and even meaner than the group that romped to a maiden Premier League title last term.
It's been a window full of out-of-the-blue excitement, and while it hasn't been without its' frustrations (how could it be with such an expectant fanbase?), it's been a productive one for the Anfield giants. 90min have taken a closer look, and graded all the major deals.
In
Kostas Tsimikas
Signed From: Bayern Munich (£20m)
Grade: A
Thiago was the perfect storm, the needle in the haystack. A rare instance of a genuinely world class player, available for a reasonable price, who offered an improvement on what Liverpool have available.
It was an opportunistic signing, but so great was the opportunity that it justified the unilateral break from policy. Thiago has no resale value, he's approaching 30, he's injury prone and on a massive starting salary by the Reds' standards; but he is so good that he is worth making the exception.
Reports have suggested that Jurgen Klopp personally pushed for the signing, and having lacked a line-breaking midfielder of his calibre, and it's easy to see why. COVID-19 struck before he could build on the snowball he got rolling against Chelsea, but in a footballing climate where every piece of business is put under the microscope, the absolute lack of any scepticism speaks volumes about how shrewd a signing this was.
Diogo Jota
Signed From: Fluminese (undisclosed)
Grade: B-
Not even sure this one counts as a first-team signing, but what the hell, right?
17-year-old goalkeeper Pitaluga was signed from Brazil, with a glowing scout report from Alisson's brother Muriel, and a reference from the man himself.
At best, he's currently fourth-choice keeper, but comes very highly-rated. He's either the long (long)-term replacement for his countryman, or he's being sold for £20m in three years' time after a successful six months with Derby County.
Out
Adam Lallana
Transferred To: Zenit (£11m)
Grade: B+
The timing was right to let Lovren go. By the end of last season, he was very much fourth-choice at centre-back...not exactly where you want to be at 31.
Raising £11m for an ageing, underperforming defender with a year left on his deal is decent business by anyone's standards, however. Like Lallana, he's a character who will be missed on the training ground, but it would have made no sense to keep him around.
He's started well for Zenit, incidentally. He's started every match so far for the Russian champions, and scored in just his second appearance, helping them return to the top of the table right off the bat. All the best, Dej.
Rhian Brewster
After years of learning & growing at Liverpool the time has come for me to head onto a new chapter. An emotional thank you to everyone at @LFC for their belief and support in me every step of the way, through all the good times and tougher ones as well. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/23tVHcCZH0
— Rhian Brewster (@RhianBrewster9) October 2, 2020
Transferred To: Sheffield United (£23m)
Grade: B-
Rarely has an outgoing transfer divided a fanbase quite as much as Brewster's departure did Liverpool. We all wanted to see him break into the first-team and eventually take over from Roberto Firmino, so seeing him leave permanently doesn't quite sit right.
As he enters his 20s, however, a decision had to be made. Having just come off the back of a successful loan at Swansea, his value was at an all-time high, and was only going to diminish were he to spend a season playing cup football at Anfield. It would have been detrimental to his development to keep him around, and after overcoming a succession of injuries, there was a feeling that he needed a fresh start.
Crucially, the inclusion of a buy-back clause in his move offers substantial protection. It wasn't how he planned to get there, but he might be a success at Anfield yet.