Liverpool are embarking upon a crucial summer transfer window, with Jurgen Klopp needing to rebuild his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The Reds finished fifth in the Premier League last season and will therefore go into the Europa League after the off-season is complete. Klopp has guided his side in the Champions League for the last six campaigns, so it will be an unfamiliar experience next season.
He doesn’t yet know which players he will be in charge of either, with Alexis Mac Allister the only new arrival to have been confirmed. The German manager does know that James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be involved, having left the club upon the expiry of their contracts.
Plenty of new signings are needed, with midfield an area of particular importance. So what can Liverpool learn from the last time they were in this position?
Mirror Football takes a look back over their business from the summer of 2015, before they began the 2015/16 season in the Europa League on the back of a sixth-place finish under Brendan Rodgers the year before.
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Joe Gomez
Gomez joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic when he was just 18 years old following an impressive campaign in South London. The England under-19 international cost Liverpool £3.5million on the back of just 24 appearances – and 16 starts – for Charlton in the Championship.
Joe Gomez joined from Charlton in June 2015 (Getty Images)Liverpool were playing the long game with Gomez and there can be no doubt he’s repaid their faith. Still at the club, Gomez has made 173 appearances for that £3.5m, turning out at centre-back and right-back. Although he’s been hindered by injuries, the 26-year-old has been more than a useful squad player, and was once Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice partner at the back.
Adam Bogdan
Adam Bogdan joined from Bolton on a free transfer (Getty Images)Bogdan joined Liverpool on a free transfer after his Bolton contract expired. The Hungary international was 27 at the time and joined after excelling in two FA Cup matches against Liverpool.
He made little impact with his new club, making just six appearances for the first team over four years at Liverpool.
James Milner
Another free agent, Milner signed for Liverpool after his Manchester City deal expired. He rejected a new contract with City worth £165,000-a-week to move to Liverpool, who got there before Arsenal to snap up the experienced 29-year-old midfielder.
James Milner left Liverpool as a club legend (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)Milner enjoyed a stellar career with Liverpool, making 332 appearances, scoring 26 goals and contributing 46 assists before leaving this summer for Brighton. A fantastic professional and incredibly versatile, Milner will likely go down as one of Klopp’s favourite players when he eventually leaves Merseyside himself.
Danny Ings
Liverpool continued their hunt for bargains by snapping up Ings from Burnley, taking him upon the expiry of his contract in Lancashire. Just 22 years old at the time, Ings arrived after scoring 11 goals in Burnley’s relegation campaign.
Danny Ings was plagued by injuries at Liverpool (PA)Unfortunately for both parties, things didn't work out for Ings at Liverpool. He made just 25 appearances over the next four years, scoring just four goals. That was largely due to injuries, with an anterior cruciate injury coming in the first training session under Klopp and another serious knee problem requiring surgery a year later.
He left on loan for Southampton in the summer of 2018 before making the move permanent.
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Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Clyne became first-choice right-back (Getty Images)Clyne was the fourth player to move from Southampton to Anfield within a year when he completed a £12.5m transfer. He followed Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Rickie Lambert to Merseyside after 94 solid appearances for Saints.
Clyne was immediately installed as the first-choice right-back by Rodgers – a position he held under Klopp, despite the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. But a serious back injury before the 2017/18 campaign handed Gomez and Alexander-Arnold opportunities and he eventually joined Bournemouth on loan in January 2019 and then suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a pre-season that summer which spelt the end of his Reds career.
Roberto Firmino
Roberto Firmino was given a hero's send-off at the end of the season (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Firmino arrived from Hoffenheim on a five-year deal for a fee of about £29m in the summer of 2015. At the time there was plenty of scepticism about the Brazilian, who became the club’s second most expensive player, after Andy Carroll (£35m).
Over the next eight years he dispelled those worries and became just about every Liverpool fan’s favourite player. The hard-working, intelligent and consistent striker was an integral part of Klopp’s best sides and left this summer an undisputed club legend.
Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke proved to be a poor signing for Liverpool (Getty Images)Benteke was a serious signing that summer, arriving after scoring 49 goals in 101 games for Aston Villa. He cost £32.5m, eclipsing Firmino to become the marquee arrival.
He was supposed to be the answer after the departure of Luis Suarez left an under-performing Daniel Sturridge, Mario Balotelli and Lambert as the club’s strikers. It did not work out that way.
Just 10 goals in 42 appearances followed for the Belgian targetman, who lasted just one season before being sold to Crystal Palace.
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