Liverpool of the season, contrary to expectations, found themselves in a problematic situation. Virgil Van Dyke was injured, Joe Gomez joined him and the defense was left orphaned. As a result, Jürgen Klopp was forced to use his magic and sign two acquisitions in January: Ben Davis and Ozan Kabak. The pair of brakes, talented as they are, are quite anonymous in relation to where they come from – but a look at the pages of history shows that this is exactly where Klopp’s strength is revealed. Therefore, and just before the battle against Manchester City, the “goal” decided to rank the ten biggest signings in the German coach’s career. Do not agree? Takabko.
10. Pierre-Emerick Obamyang (Saint-Etienne to Dortmund)
After not getting credit in Milan, the striker was promoted to the French league. In the 2013 season, he found himself scoring 19 goals in 37 appearances in the Saint-Etienne uniform – and that was more than enough to catch the eye of then-Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. In July of that season, Obmiang was sold to the Yellow-Blacks for 13 million euros – and from that moment began a particularly fruitful affair, which by the end, the striker had managed to score 141 goals in 230 games and sold for 55 million pounds to Arsenal.
9. Shinji Kagawa (Sarso Osaka to Dortmund)
The current player of PAOK Thessaloniki, who scored seven goals in 11 games in the Japanese league at the time, was quite anonymous when he was bought by the Germans somewhere in 2010. In fact, he was so anonymous that it cost Klopp a total of 350,000 euros – but that did not stop the German coach from selling him for £ 12 million to Manchester United two years later. In total, Kagawa scored 21 goals in 49 appearances for Dortmund.
8. Ilkai Gondwana (Nuremberg to Dortmund)
When Gonduan first joined Nuremberg, he bought his world with cooking and a first goal at the expense of Bayern Munich. In May 2011, that was enough to catch Klopp’s eyes – who signed him to a four-year contract. Gonduan managed to win with Dortmund a double remember, and was then sold to Manchester City for 25 million euros and became Klopp’s direct rival.
7. Andrew Robertson (Hull City to Liverpool)
By the time he got to Anfield, the Mardi Gras had mostly moved to small clubs in England. In the 16/17 season, he was relegated with Hull City while completing 33 games and scoring his debut goal in England. But the professional failure did not really interest Klopp, who signed Robertson on a long-term contract for £ 8 million. The Scottish defender was selected as an outstanding player already in his debut, and from there he slowly took over the place in the squad.
6. Sadio Mane (Southampton to Liverpool)
During his time at Southampton, the striker’s name was often linked with a move to Manchester United – but he eventually signed with Klopp for 5 years for 34 million euros, becoming the most valuable African player in history at the time. To this day, Klopp has made Mana one of the formidable pioneers on earth. In all his years at Liverpool, except for the current season in full swing, Mana has scored a double-digit number of goals.
5. Mats Hummels (from Bayern Munich to Dortmund)
The brakeman did not get the chance with the Bavarians and played almost exclusively in the reserve team, but Klopp recognized the potential and loaned him out for 4 million euros. Homeless was injured in his first season at Dortmund and missed a large part of it, but Klopp insisted and bought him from Bayern for an additional 4 million euros. Homeless became a brakeman and helped Klopp win the championship, and Bayern mistakenly admitted and returned him to their ranks for 35 million euros. It pays off, doesn’t it?
4. Muhammad Salah (Rome to Liverpool)
In 2017, when Klopp signed the Egyptian who was then playing in Rome for 37 million euros – he knew he was getting a great player, but he probably could not have imagined where he would develop in England. Very quickly Salah became the star of the team, when that season he scored 32 league goals and won the player of the season in England. Since then, Salah has twice been selected as the queen of Premier League goals, the African Footballer of the Year and twice finished third in the UEFA Player of the Year competition.
3. Alison Becker (Rome to Liverpool)
Hardes’ problems between the posts led Klopp to pay no less than 75 million euros for the Brazilian, who also came from Rome, a sum that made him the most valuable goalkeeper in history at the time until he arrived at Chelsea. Already in the eldest cattle kept a clean gate and made it clear to everyone why it was purchased for such an expensive sum, when in the next two rounds it was again not absorbed. That was enough to pick up the “golden gloves” in the Premier League and become one of the significant players on the team.
2. Virgil Van Dyke (Southampton to Liverpool)
Taking the brake out of his former team, probably after extending his contract by six years, was not easy at all – but today, when he is injured and missing, it is clear to everyone how much it has paid off. Van Dyke was bought for a whopping £ 75million, making him the most valuable footballer in Liverpool history, but immediately became an anchor on defense and the Ace on offense. And if that did not convince Liverpool fans, then a winning goal over Everton in their debut yes.
1. Robert Lewandowski (Go Poznan to Dortmund)
The cherry in the whipped cream, of course, we left to the end. In 2008, Poznan signed the striker who would later become the best in the world for 1.5 zlotys. In his debut season in Poland he was already second in the table of conquerors, and the following season he became the league’s top scorer. Following this, Dortmund were the first to lift the glove and sign him for four years for 4.5 million euros. Under the same contract, Lewandowski “defected” to Bayern Munich for free and became a goal monster. Today he already stands at 448 such and in the trophy cabinet he has the title of UEFA Player of the Year.
