Highlights

• Michael Edwards played a crucial role in building Liverpool's success with brilliant signings like Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.
• FSG are eyeing Edwards to take control of football operations at the club, including hiring Jurgen Klopp's successor.
• Edwards's signings for the Reds have been ranked by GIVEMESPORT, including hits like Fabinho and misses like Naby Keita.

Michael Edwards is a Liverpool legend despite never setting foot on the pitch or in the dugout. He looks set to return to the Premier League club after previously serving as the sporting director and being responsible for some remarkable transfer business, coinciding with a very successful period for the club.

Jurgen Klopp is credited with the majority of the Reds' success over recent years, and rightly so, but a lot of that wouldn't have been possible without the foundations Edwards put in place for the German boss. Now, with the departing manager entering into the final months of his reign at Anfield, concerns have grown about how the owners of the club, Fenway Sports Group, will navigate into the uncertain future.

Edwards looks to be the first name FSG are looking to put in place, with Edwards expected to take charge of Liverpool's footballing operations. This means he would play a big part in hiring a sporting director and Klopp's successor.

Fans of the club are excited at the prospect of the man behind the acquisition of many star names returning, with many keen to see if he still has the Midas touch in the transfer market. GIVEMESPORT have ranked all the previous signings made by Edwards during his first stint at the Merseyside-based outfit to whet the appetite of such supporters.

Ranking factors

Five separate categories have been used to separate the 20 players, with the following factors taken into consideration:

• Longevity
• Performance for the club
• Expectations upon arrival
• Statistical performances
• Profit/loss made upon sale

Waste of Money

Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Ben Davies, Dominic Solanke, Ozan Kabak (loan)

Naby Keita was brought in with huge expectations to be the future of the Reds' engine room for many years to come. Injuries plagued his time on Merseyside as the former RB Leipzig man slipped down the pecking order at Anfield. Ultimately, Keita never lived up to his £51 million price tag before departing on a free transfer in 2023.

Look up ‘bit-part figure’ in the dictionary, and a picture of Minamino will be there. After he arrived from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020 for £7.25 million, the Japan international played just 30 Premier League matches - most of which from the substitutes' bench. Minamino played a big part in the domestic cup successes the club achieved in 2022 before quietly being moved on to Monaco.

Liverpool were in the middle of a defensive crisis during the 2020/21 season when they snapped up Ben Davies from Preston. The fee was minimal but, considering Davies never played a single minute for the club, it’s got to be considered a waste. Ozan Kabak was brought in during the same window as an emergency loan option, but the Turkish centre-back struggled to keep up with the pace of the English top flight.

Liverpool ended up paying Chelsea a £3 million tribunal fee for Dominic Solanke. The striker was young at the time but scored just once in 27 appearances in all competitions. He may not have been good enough for Liverpool, but the Englishman is currently banging in the goals for Bournemouth.

Not Great

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adrian, Sepp van den Berg, Andy Lonergan

There were times when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked excellent in a red shirt. He was brilliant before his serious knee injury during the 2017/18 campaign. But the former Southampton youngster never put in the same energetic midfield performances upon his return.

The only reason Adrian has avoided being put in the ‘Waste of Money’ category is the fact he didn’t cost the club a penny. He has cost them a few matches, though - most notably against Atletico Madrid during the 2019/20 season. The Spaniard is now the club’s third-choice goalkeeper behind Caoimhin Kelleher.

Sepp van den Berg was one of Liverpool's two signings in the summer after winning the Champions League. He played four domestic cup games and now is on loan at Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga. Still only 22, it's hard to judge the young Dutchman too harshly just yet.

After Alisson’s injury at the start of the 2019/20 season, goalkeeper Andy Lonergan was signed from Middlesbrough. The shot-stopper never made it on the pitch but was on the bench during the club’s Super Cup and World Club Cup victory. Like Adrian, he didn’t cost a penny and finds himself in this category as a result.

Average

Xherdan Shaqiri, Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago

Xherdan Shaqiri was never really a Klopp-type player, so he did well to last three seasons at the club and contribute to the team's incredible success during that time. He arrived from relegated Stoke for £13.5 million and played 63 times. The Swiss technician's highlights at Anfield include his brace against Manchester United and his assist for Georginio Wijnaldum during Liverpool’s famous 4-0 victory over Barcelona.

Kostas Tsimikas has had to settle for playing second-fiddle to Andy Robertson throughout his tenure at the English club. However, the Greek defender has slowly improved and played a reliable role when called upon to give his Scottish colleague a rest. The 27-year-old gave Liverpool fans a special moment they will always remember at Wembley Stadium in 2022 as he netted the winning penalty in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

There hasn't been too much to write home about when it comes to cultured midfielder Thiago Alcantara's time in England. The maestro was expected to join from Bayern Munich and convert Liverpool from a heavy-metal outfit to a controlled side that dominated possession. This hasn't panned out as one of La Masia's finest products has struggled to consistently get on to the pitch due to various injury problems. His longest run in the side came in the 2021/22 season, where he helped the men in red come agonisingly close to lifting a historic quadruple.

Great Signing

Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate

Fabinho established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in world football and, at £39 million, proved to be a bit of a bargain. He helped out as a centre-back at times, but the man nicknamed 'The Lighthouse' by his teammates at Anfield was incredible just in front of the back four.

Liverpool snapped up Harvey Elliott as a 16-year-old from Fulham, paying just a compensation fee. He made a few appearances during the 2019/20 season before impressing on loan at Blackburn the following year. Jurgen Klopp has helped the 20-year-old reinvent himself to become a central midfielder rather than a wide player. Elliott ranks among the top young talents in the Premier League.

The club found it hard to sign a quality striker who was willing to compete with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino when the trio were at the peak of their powers. However, they managed to convince Diogo Jota to join in 2020 for around £45 million. And he’s been brilliant when available, as the Portuguese marksman has become one of the best finishers in the English top flight.

Ibrahima Konate was brought in for £36 million in 2021 and has been in constant competition with Joel Matip to be the number two central defender at the club. The French defender has an incredible amount of pace and power and can compete with the biggest and best strikers the Premier League has to offer.

Incredible

Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Alisson

Andy Robertson hasn’t been at his best for a couple of seasons now, but it's inarguable that £8 million for the left-back is an incredible piece of business. The Scot struggled to get in ahead of Alberto Moreno when he first arrived but hasn’t looked back since. He rarely missed a game in his first three full seasons and played a pivotal role in Liverpool winning both the Champions League and Premier League during that period.

Virgil van Dijk became the most expensive defender in football history when the club paid £75 million for him in January 2018. Liverpool had wanted to sign him in the previous summer but were made to wait after Southampton made a complaint. But the Dutchman was well worth the wait, being one of the most dominant defenders in world football for the majority of his stint with the Reds. He even became the captain in 2023 after Jordan Henderson departed for Saudi Arabia.

Another man who helped transform Liverpool defensively was Alisson, with the Brazilian solving the long-standing goalkeeping problems at the club. He’s been sensational since signing for £66.8 million in 2018. Liverpool fans will never forget his incredible header against West Brom in the chaotic 2020/21 campaign that helped them finish in the top four.

The best has been saved until the end. In truth, Mohamed Salah probably deserves a tier of his own. Signed for £43 million, the Egyptian has scored a ridiculous number of goals in the famous red shirt, as the winger broke into the list of the top 10 Premier League goalscorers of all time. This was the best piece of business Edwards did during his time as Sporting Director and, honestly, it's not even close.

All transfer fees and statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt (Correct as of 09/03/2024)