Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed a number of huge successes in the transfer market over the years throughout his time at Anfield.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Alisson were all signed by the German head coach and went on to become influential players for the club, with some of them remaining key figures to date.
Who are Klopp's most expensive Liverpool signings?
Klopp has not been afraid to splash the cash when provided the chance to do so by FSG and has struck gold a number of times since his move to the club in 2015.
Virgil van Dijk
£73.8m
Darwin Nunez
£69.7m
Dominik Szoboszlai
£61m
Alisson
£54.5m
Naby Keita
£52.3m
Whilst it is easy to focus on the big-money signings who caught the eye and became stars for the club, Klopp also played a blinder with the bargain signing and then sale of winger Xherdan Shaqiri.
He was a solid and reliable performer for the Reds during his spell at Anfield and the German boss went on to sell him at the perfect time before his market value plummeted.
How much did Liverpool pay for Shaqiri?
The Reds reportedly splashed out a fee of £13.5m to sign the Switzerland international from Stoke City in the summer of 2018 after they activated a relegation clause in his contract with the Potters, who dropped down to the Championship that year.
Klopp described it as a "perfect" move and a no-brainer for the club as the talented forward had already proven his quality at Premier League level. Coincidentally, he'd also proven himself to be a little like one former Red. After scoring at Euro 2018, just a month before his move, one football writer Andrew Beasley said: "That Shaqiri goal reeks of Suárez against Everton at the Kop end in 2014."
The Swiss joined Stoke from Italian giants Inter in the summer of 2015 and enjoyed an impressive few years at the club with 15 goals and 15 assists in 92 appearances in all competitions.
His most productive season in a Potters shirt came during the 2017/18 campaign as he contributed with eight goals and seven assists in 36 Premier League starts.
The Switzerland forward averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.24 which happened to be the highest score within the squad, ahead of second-placed Kurt Zouma's 7.07.
Shaqiri was unfortunate to end the season with only seven assists as the left-footed winger created a whopping 14 'big chances' for his teammates and provided 2.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, 1.2 more per match than any other Stoke player with more than one league appearance.
That sublime form came after the ex-Bayern Munich prospect produced four goals and two assists in 21 Premier League starts during the 2016/17 campaign. In that time, he created five 'big chances' and delivered two key passes per outing.
These statistics show that Liverpool were bringing in a player who had already proven himself to be an effective forward in the top-flight of English football for a relatively low fee.
How many goals did Shaqiri score for Liverpool?
The Switzerland star racked up eight goals in 63 appearances in all competitions for the Reds in three seasons with the club before his exit in 2021.
Shaqiri, who joined as a back-up to the likes of Mane and Salah, caught the eye when called upon by the ex-Dortmund head coach throughout his first season on Merseyside.
The talented attacker scored six goals and provided three assists in 11 Premier League starts for the Reds, which worked out as an average of one goal contribution every 1.2 starts. Evidently, he was a reliable option for Liverpool to bring in when one of the frontline options needed a rest or missed a game through injury or suspension.
Only Roberto Firmino, Mane, and Salah scored more league goals for Liverpool than Shaqiri during the 2018/18 campaign, illustrating how impactful he was in spite of his limited game time on the pitch.
He also provided two assists in two Champions League starts for the club that season as Klopp's side went on to win the competition with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
However, Shaqiri then struggled even more for minutes on the pitch over the next two years as he managed seven Premier League starts in his final two campaigns at Anfield, in which time he chipped in with one goal and two assists.
Where is Xherdan Shaqiri now?
Liverpool ended up playing a blinder with the Swiss gem as they opted to sell him to Lyon in the summer of 2021 after his lack of game time. Since then, his value has plummeted, suggesting a sale was made at precisely the right time.
Football Transfers rated his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €11.2m (£9.8m) in December of 2021, shortly after his move to France.
Shaqiri only played 16 matches for the Ligue 1 outfit and contributed with two goals and three assists before a move to MLS side Chicago Fire in 2022.
He has racked up 12 goals and 11 assists in 59 appearances for the American team to date and has scored three goals and produced three assists in 26 MLS outings in 2023 so far.
At the time of writing (25/09/2023), FootballTransfers has his xTV at €2.9m (£2.5m), meaning that his market value has dropped by a staggering 74% in just two years since his move from Liverpool.
Klopp clearly made a terrific decision to cash in on Shaqiri when he did as the 31-year-old has struggled to get back to his best and currently finds himself playing outside of Europe's major leagues with a decreasing market value.
Liverpool picked him up for a fairly cheap price and enjoyed his talents throughout the 2018/19 season and, although they may be disappointed with how the next two years went, have now been able to watch on as he has struggled since moving on from Anfield.
