Ranking top 10 Liverpool signings in history

Mohamed Salah’s departure in 2026 has added a new dimension to the debate over Liverpool’s greatest signings. During his nine years at Anfield, he broke records, won major trophies, and delivered consistently, earning a place among the club’s most successful recruits.

Yet any credible ranking of the Reds' best signings has to look beyond one era. Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush set the historical standard, while Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker reshaped a Liverpool side capable of winning at home and in Europe.

This list includes only players signed from other clubs, so Academy greats such as Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Trent Alexander-Arnold are excluded.

The selections are based on five criteria: sporting impact, trophies won, individual peak, length of Liverpool career, and value for money. Transfer fees are considered in the context of their era. They are compared directly across decades.

10. Alan Hansen

Alan Hansen joined Liverpool from Partick Thistle in 1977 and made 620 appearances over 14 seasons, helping the club win eight league titles and three European Cups.

Known for his reading of the game and composure on the ball, Hansen helped Liverpool build attacks from defence while keeping opponents at bay. His consistency and trophy record give him the edge over other contenders, including Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen, for the final place on this list.

9. Graeme Souness

Graeme Souness joined Liverpool from Middlesbrough in 1978 and quickly became a key figure in midfield. He made 359 appearances, scoring 55 goals, and helped the club win five league titles and three European Cups.

He combined tough tackling with technical quality and an ability to control the tempo of games. Souness played a key role in Liverpool’s dominance of English and European football in the early 1980s, becoming one of the defining players of that era.

8. Luis Suárez

Liverpool signed Luis Suárez from Ajax in January 2011 for a reported £22.8 million. The Uruguayan scored 82 goals in 133 appearances, making a major impact during his three-and-a-half years at the club.

Suárez’s best season came in 2013–14, when his goals and creativity helped Liverpool mount an unexpected Premier League title challenge. He was one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards, combining close control, inventive passing, and ruthless finishing.

7. Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso joined Liverpool from Real Sociedad in 2004 and quickly established himself as the organiser of the midfield, using his passing range and composure to control games.

He helped Liverpool win the 2005 Champions League, scoring from the rebound after his penalty was saved during the famous comeback from 3–0 down against AC Milan.

Alonso also played a key role in the 2006 FA Cup triumph, leaving a lasting mark on the club despite spending fewer seasons at Anfield than several other players on this list.

6. Sadio Mané

Sadio Mané joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 and quickly established himself as a key player under Jürgen Klopp. He scored 120 goals in 269 appearances, helping the club win six major honours during his six seasons at Anfield.

5. Alisson Becker

Liverpool signed Alisson Becker from Roma in July 2018 for a then-world-record fee for a goalkeeper, and he quickly became a key figure under Jürgen Klopp.

He helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2019–20, while keeping 21 clean sheets to claim the 2018–19 Premier League Golden Glove, becoming the first Liverpool goalkeeper to win the award.

4. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool paid Southampton around £75 million for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, making him a record signing for a defender at the time. Van Dijk brought authority, pace and composure to a defence that had struggled for consistency.

He helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2019 and their first Premier League title in 30 years the following season. He later captained the team to another league title in 2024–25.

3. Ian Rush

Liverpool signed Ian Rush from Chester in 1980, and he went on to become the most prolific goalscorer in the club’s history. Across 660 appearances, the Welsh striker scored 346 goals, a record that remains unmatched.

Rush was at his most prolific during Liverpool’s dominant years in the 1980s. His 47 goals in the 1983–84 campaign helped the club win the First Division title, the European Cup, and the League Cup.

2. Kenny Dalglish

When Kevin Keegan left for Hamburg in 1977, Liverpool needed a player capable of filling an enormous gap. Bob Paisley turned to Celtic forward Kenny Dalglish, paying a British transfer-record fee of £440,000.

The move proved inspired. Dalglish scored 172 goals in 515 appearances, won six league titles, and lifted three European Cups as a Liverpool player.

1. Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in June 2017 for a reported fee of around £40 million and made 442 appearances over nine seasons, scoring 257 goals in all competitions.

He became Liverpool’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer, helping the club win the Champions League in 2019, Premier League titles in 2019–20 and 2024–25, the FA Cup and two League Cups.