Ranking the Successes of Every Player That Has Left Liverpool Under Jurgen Klopp

​Since Jurgen Klopp's arrival to Merseyside in 2015, ​​Liverpool have become one of Europe's most dominant forces. 

Fans can now enjoy the German controlling the touchline at Anfield, while a genuinely world-class squad - consisting of ​Roberto Firmino, ​Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to name a few - do the business on the pitch. 

But it hasn't always been sunshine and roses - Klopp arrived to an interesting squad, with a mixture of genuine talent, potential stars and, mostly, those who just weren't up to standard. 

It's taken a while, but Liverpool have finally shifted most of the deadwood that they once relied upon. The question is, how have those players fared since moving away from the Reds, who have now been transformed into a European elite once again? 

Well, here is a list ranking every Liverpool player let go (permanently) by Jurgen Klopp on how successful they have been elsewhere.


21. Jordon Ibe

Jordon Ibe

Sold to: Bournemouth (2016)

After a 16-year-old Jordon Ibe moved to Liverpool from Wycombe Wanderers in 2012, the future looked bright for the winger. He broke into the first-team throughout 2013/14, and loan moves to Birmingham City and Derby County would follow. 

In 2016, Ibe moved to Bournemouth in a club-record £15m move, but any sort of momentum failed to follow. Three years on and with only three goals to his name, a now 24-year-old Ibe looks lost at the top level. 

It took two of those years for him to get his first Bournemouth goal, and he has only managed two appearances for Eddie Howe's side this season.


20. Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge

Released (2019)


When Klopp arrived at ​Liverpool, Daniel Sturridge was one of the bigger talents at the club, and was club top goalscorer in the 2015/16 season. He quickly found himself playing second-fiddle to new signing Roberto Firmino however, and struggled to nail down a spot in the starting XI.

After a failed loan move to West Brom in the second half of the 2017/18 season, Sturridge looked lost. He returned to Liverpool however and was used again as rotation. In his final season, he scored that goal vs Chelsea in the 89th minute, to earn them a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Sturridge was released upon the end of his contract in June 2019, and received a six-week ban from football after instructing his brother to bet on odds of him moving to Sevilla. He eventually signed with Trabzonspor, and his current goal scoring record doesn't read too badly. It's a shame his fall from grace does however, which is why he's so low down in this list.


Top celebration, though.


19. Lazar Markovic

Rsc Anderlecht v Standard de Liege

Sold to: Fulham (2019)

The most incredible thing about Lazar Markovic is the fact that he only left Liverpool permanently in 2019. That was last year. How? You tell me.

Markovic signed for Liverpool from Benfica in 2014, but after one season playing with the Reds, he found himself in the trap of the loan spell soon after. Moves to Fenerbahce, Sporting CP and Hull City would follow, where he only made a handful of appearances for each club. 

He spent the second half the 2017/18 on a season-long loan spell at Belgian side Anderlecht, before (finally) moving on a free transfer to Fulham in January 2019.

He was released from Fulham at the end of his contract last summer however, and now plays for Partizan, where he is in his second spell.


18. Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke

Sold to: Bournemouth (2019)

Striker Dominic Solanke is one of many talents who came through the youth system at Chelsea. He joined Liverpool in June 2017 upon the expiration of his Chelsea contract, in what looked to be a low-risk, potentially high-reward ​deal for the Reds.

In two seasons at Liverpool however, the forward managed just one goal, coming on the final day of the 2017/18 season against Brighton. In January 2019, Solanke moved on and signed with Bournemouth, for a reported fee of £19m.

While not quite as disappointing as Jordon Ibe has been for Eddie Howe’s side so far, all credit has to go to Liverpool for securing such a profit on the striker, who just can’t seem to find the net with any regularity.


17. Kevin Stewart

Kevin Stewart

Sold to: Hull City (2017)


Kevin Stewart moved from Spurs to Liverpool in 2014 in what he described as a ‘dream move’, but only managed 11 appearances and was loaned out three times during his spell with the Reds.


He eventually sealed a permanent move to Hull City, where he has remained since 2018 and enjoyed regular game time. Not bad at all, but not great either (he says while sat at his desk having not even played Sunday league in 18 months).


16. Martin Skrtel

Turkish Spor Toto Super Lig"Fenerbahce AS v Galatasaray AS"

Sold to: Fenerbahce (2016)

Possibly considered a club legend by Liverpool fans, Martin Skrtel had a solid career as a hardline centre-back in his peak years and was a key (said lightly) player Liverpool during his spell.


While eight-year-old me had to deal with Randy Orton punt-kicking my favourite wrestlers in WWE around 2008, Skrtel made watching football just as difficult as he flew through my favourite players every weekend. 


Admittedly past his best, he eventually moved to Fenerbahce in 2016, where he enjoyed two years in good form. He earned a move to Serie A with Atalanta, but somehow left after just three (3) weeks, and is now back in Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir.


15. Ragnar Klavan 

Ragnar Klavan

Sold to: Cagliari (2018)

Ragnar Klavan enjoyed a two-year spell with the Reds from 2016 to 2018 after an impressive season in the Bundesliga with FC Augsburg. 

A solid rotation option but ideally nothing more, his most memorable moment came when he bagged a stoppage-time winner away at Burnley in the 2017/18 season. Perhaps a quick-fix from Jurgen Klopp, he departed in 2018 for Serie A side Cagliari, and has remained there ever since. 

It was a somewhat calculated, but strange move looking back. Sort of like when Channel 5 bought Big Brother and put it back on television, thinking it was still cool. A sound addition if you must, but would anyone really have noticed if you didn’t do that? Probably not.


14. Andre Wisdom

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Derby County - Sky Bet Championship

Sold to: Derby County (2017)

Andre Wisdom broke into the Liverpool first-team in 2013 after coming through the youth system. A promising loan at Derby County followed, but he was then stuck in the trap of loan moves at every possible chance. Spells at West Brom, Norwich and even Red Bull Salzburg followed, before returning to Derby on a permanent transfer in 2017.

Wisdom has remained there since, asserting his place at Derby as a key asset to the club in an admittedly difficult season for the Rams. At this point, Wisdom could be considered a mainstay in Championship football. 


The most interesting thing about this whole thing however, is that Andre Wisdom is still only 26 years old. I refuse to believe it personally, but go figure.


13. Brad Smith

Brad Smith

Sold to: Bournemouth (2016)

Australian-born Brad Smith made his breakthrough into the Liverpool first team alongside Jordan Rossiter in 2013, and would go on to make 11 appearances in all competitions before signing for Bournemouth in July 2016.

While he has failed to make a significant impact with the Cherries, he enjoyed a successful season-long loan spell with the Seattle Sounders in 2018/19. Smith went on to win the MLS Cup with the Sounders, starting in the final, and becoming the first Australian to ever do so.

Although his time in England has been somewhat underwhelming, his impact in MLS sees him rank in ninth.


12. Mario Balotelli

FBL-ITA-SERIEA-JUVENTUS-BRESCIA

Sold to: OGC Nice (2016)

Where do we even begin with Mario Balotelli? After an interesting three years at Premier League side ​Manchester City - which involved goals, fireworks in his own house and controversial celebrations - Balotelli eventually found himself back in England with Liverpool after signing from Milan in 2014.

A poor debut season however, littered by controversy and simply not enough goals, saw him fail to replace Luis Suarez, who had just left for Barcelona. He spent the 2015/16 season back at Milan on a season-long loan, which also didn’t go his way as he managed just one league goal in 20 appearances.

Balotelli had no future under Jurgen Klopp, and moved to French side OGC Nice on a free transfer ahead of the 2016/17 season. In typical Balotelli fashion, he enjoyed a prolific three years in Nice, netting 43 goals in all competitions. He moved to Marseille in 2019, before moving back to Italy with hometown club Brescia in the same year, where he remains currently. 


11. Simon Mignolet

Simon Mignolet

Sold to: Club Brugge (2019)

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet endured an up and down time at Liverpool. When signing in 2013 under Brendan Rodgers, he looked to be one of the most promising goalkeepers in the league. And while performances in general were okay, his inconsistency would ultimately cost him his spot as number one.

Fellow ‘keeper Loris Karius was signed to provide competition for Mignolet ahead of the 2016/17 season. Mignolet started as number one, but by October 2016 had become second choice behind the German, who admittedly didn’t impress too much himself.

Jurgen Klopp struggled to establish a consistent number one between the two, which ultimately led to the then-record signing of Alisson Becker in summer 2018.

Mignolet spent the 2018/19 season as backup after Karius had been quickly shipped off to Besiktas on a two-year loan, but moved on last summer to Club Brugge in his home nation of Belgium. Now 31, he can enjoy being a wiser head in the dressing room at a lesser side, perhaps where the pressure is easier to handle. 


10. Joe Allen

Joe Allen

Sold to: Stoke City (2016)

Dubbed the 'Welsh Pirlo', Joe Allen made the move to Merseyside in 2012 after an impressive stint at Swansea City. He enjoyed four years at Liverpool, filled with ups and downs, but in the end expressed his desire to play regular first-team football.

Allen moved to then Premier League side Stoke City in July 2016, and has remained there since, becoming a key asset to the Potters in a difficult spell. Although Stoke now play their football in the Championship, Allen is a positive in a dark period. He also bosses it for Wales still, and is one of their most important players.

His ability has seen him consistently linked with a move back to the top flight, although judging by his haircut alone you'd think he was preparing for a big money move to Spain.


9. Danny Ward

FBL-ENG-FACUP-BRENTFORD-LEICESTER

Sold to: Leicester City (2018)

Goalkeepers have it difficult, don't they? Dean Henderson is currently considered one of the best in the Premier League, but the fact that David de Gea remains number one at parent club ​Manchester United makes things infinitely more awkward for him.

While Danny Ward might not be at Henderson's level, his ability is there. Impressive loan spells at Aberdeen and Huddersfield however were not enough to convince Liverpool to pull the trigger on him, and his future was set in stone when they signed Alisson.

Ward secured a move to Leicester City in the same window, after falling further down the pecking order. He remains second-fiddle behind Kasper Schmeichel, but has a much better shot at game time with an admittedly very good Leicester side, than he ever did at Liverpool.


8. Christian Benteke

Christian Benteke

Sold to: Crystal Palace (2016)

Belgian striker ​Christian Benteke earned a move to Liverpool in 2015 after setting the Premier League alight with Aston Villa in previous seasons. This was his chance to announce himself at the top level, but unfortunately it didn't quite work out.

A disappointing season saw him score just 10 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, who shipped him out the following summer to Crystal Palace, recouping most of the £32m they paid for him. Benteke looked revived in his debut season with Palace, scoring 17 goals in all competitions as their top scorer.

Things haven't been smooth-sailing since, admittedly. He's barely managed just four goals since, due to injuries and inconsistencies. He still appears regularly for Palace however, and recently signed a new deal. It is clear that they haven't lost faith in him, and believe his goal scoring ability is ready to be unleashed once more.


7. Mamadou Sakho

Mamadou Sakho

Sold to: Crystal Palace (2017)

Perhaps Crystal Palace deserve some credit when considering Liverpool's recent success, for providing them with sufficient funds to use elsewhere. Mamadou Sakho enjoyed a good career for the most part at Liverpool, until disciplinary issues in 2016 saw Jurgen Klopp send him home from their pre-season tour of the United States.

A loan move to Palace would follow in January 2017, and the move would eventually be made permanent for a fee of £24m plus add-ons in the summer. Since then, Sakho has been one of Palace's best players; while his off-field antics may have cast doubt in the minds of some, he has always had the ability.


6. Ryan Kent

Ryan Kent

Sold to: Rangers (2019)

A highly-rated prospect of the Liverpool academy, Ryan Kent impressed for the reserves enough to be included in the Reds' 2015 pre-season tour. After impressing in pre-season, loan moves would follow. 

Eventually, Kent found his feet on loan at Rangers ahead of the 2018/19 season, now managed by former Liverpool great Steven Gerrard. Suddenly, Kent excelled in Scotland and come the end of the season, he had been named Scotland's Young Player of the Year, as well as being in their Team of the Year.

After a brief return to Liverpool ahead of the 2019/20 season, Kent ultimately returned to Rangers, this time on a permanent transfer. At just 23, Kent has a bright future ahead of him, and the chance to play regular first-team football in Scotland will do him the world of good. This one is one to watch.


5. Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho

Sold to: Barcelona (2018)


Placing this one was difficult. Philippe Coutinho arrived at Liverpool as a kid from Inter in 2013, but left them as one of the best forwards in the world at the time. Coutinho grew into a fan favourite amongst the Anfield faithful, and his performances stole the show on a weekly basis in the Premier League.

He probably could've waited until summer for his big move, but forced his way out in January 2018 amid interest from Barcelona. Liverpool accepted an offer worth up to £142m depending on add-ons, and he was now at the top of the footballing tree.

His move didn't go as planned however; after a promising start in the second half of the 2017/18 season, he found himself struggling for a regular spot - and it got to the point where a move away was the best choice. He is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, although it is unlikely he will remain there beyond this season...because he can't get in their team either.

There was only one winner here, and it was not Philippe Coutinho.


4. Lucas Leiva

Lega Calcio Serie A TIM"FC Internazionale v SS Lazio"

Sold to: Lazio (2017)

After 10 years at Liverpool, Lucas Leiva ended his stay in July 2017 after following Luis Alberto to Lazio. 

Now 33, the Brazilian is entering the latter stages of his career, but still offers a lot to the Italian side in their title charge. The slower pace of Serie A may well be on his side, but his experience is something that many clubs can only wish for. 

Lucas could be considered to Lazio what The Undertaker currently is to WWE; a fierce, slightly intimidating locker-room leader who brings irreplaceable wisdom and experience to a side in need as his career winds down. 

I don't think he pretends to be an actual dead man, though.


3. Emre Can

Emre Can

Left for: Juventus (2018)

Emre Can signed for Liverpool as a highly-rated youth prospect in 2014, arriving from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. He made over 150 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, before departing for Juventus upon the expiration of his deal in summer 2018.

Can joined ​Juventus in June that year, and would debut in August as a substitute against Chievo Verona. However, after being left out of their Champions League squad ahead of the 2019/20 season by new boss Maurizio Sarri, it seemed like Can may have been deemed surplus to requirements. 

He joined Borussia Dortmund in January 2020 on what was initially a loan deal; the deal became permanent the following month, with Can signing a four-year deal.

While his time both during and after his spell at Liverpool may have been somewhat up and down, Can has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and has a chance to make a name for himself in a Dortmund side that once again looks to be developing into one of Europe’s most exciting squads. He's started brilliantly.


2. Luis Alberto

Luis Alberto Romero

Sold to: Lazio (2016)

Once a product of Barcelona, Luis Alberto struggled to break into Liverpool's first team. After just a handful of appearances after signing in 2013, he spent two seasons on loan elsewhere, before moving permanently to Lazio in August 2016.

He has since established himself as a key player in a Lazio side that is challenging for a Serie A title, contributing to 15 goals so far this season. 

Perhaps one that goes under the radar, Luis Alberto is still only 27, and could easily find himself in the Premier League once again, if the option becomes available.


1. Danny Ings

Danny Ings

Sold to: Southampton (2019)

​Danny Ings quickly became one of England's hottest young prospects during his time at Burnley. The striker impressed enough to earn a move to Liverpool in June 2015, and it looked like this was the next step on the way to announcing himself on the big stage.

In unfortunate circumstances, injuries plagued his time with the Reds. He was sidelined with an ACL injury in his first training session with Jurgen Klopp in 2015, and after making a brief comeback at the end of that season, he would soon be sidelined again in October 2016 for nine months.

A loan move to Southampton ahead of the 2018/19 season was agreed, which became permanent in 2019. Ings has turned his career around once more with the Saints. He's bagged 26 times in 55 appearances so far, including 15 Premier League goals this season.

With Gareth Southgate facing a selection crisis due to injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford ahead of Euro 2020, 27-year-old Ings could be in for the call-up, which would be the perfect way to come full circle in his revival since life at Liverpool.


Source : 90min