Where are they now? Jurgen Klopp’s most expensive signing from every season since 2010
Jurgen Klopp is one of the greatest managers of the modern generation and while he tends to work within his means, the German boss has splashed plenty of cash over the years.
Recruitment is one of the most important aspects of the modern game and Klopp has managed to land his fair share of bargains throughout the years.
We’ve gone back to the 2009-10 season and have found Klopp’s most expensive signing from every season to see where all of those players are today.
2009-10: Mats Hummels
Klopp’s biggest purchase of 2009-10 was for Hummels who originally arrived at Dortmund for a fee of around £3.5million. Given the years of service he’s given to the club, this proved to be an excellent deal.
With a few years at Bayern Munich sandwiched in between, Hummels has made over 500 appearances for the club and is still going strong today.
2010-11: Robert Lewandowski
Pound for pound, this is arguably the best signing of Klopp’s career to date. Dortmund paid a mere €4.5million for the Polish forward and the rest is history.
He helped the club secure back-to-back Bundesliga titles and after scoring a bucket load of goals, the club banked around £42.5million when selling him to Bayern Munich.
Still scoring goals today for Barcelona at 35 years old, there can be little doubt that Lewandowski ranks among the best strikers of all time.
Robert Lewandowski of Fc Barcelona celebrates
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 35 top goalscorers in Champions League history?
2011-12: Ilkay Gundogan
Gundogan was by no means the finished article when Klopp picked him up in 2011, but the German coach saw his potential and was richly rewarded in the end.
“When I came to Dortmund at the age of 20, I had an adaptation problem,” Gundogan told Turkish TV channel Tivibu Spor.
“The first six months were tough for me. But Klopp helped me because he treated his players like a father figure, like a friend. He was always with me, gave me confidence. I spent five successful years with him.”
After collecting 14 trophies with Man City, the German midfielder is now strutting his stuff for Barcelona.
2012-13: Marco Reus
Still playing for Dortmund to this day, there’s no denying that Reus has earned legendary status at the Signal Iduna Park.
While plenty of his former teammates were being poached away by Bayern Munich, Reus always stayed loyal to BVB. His contract with the club is set to expire this summer and it remains to be seen what his next move will be.
2013-14: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Signed for a fee of £23.6million, Mkhitaryan became the club’s most expensive signing upon his arrival in 2013. He managed to live up to the hype too, scoring 41 goals across three seasons before the club then sold him for a profit.
Following stints with Man Utd, Arsenal and Roma, the Armenian playmaker is still going strong for Inter Milan to this day.
The 35-year-old has chipped in with 10 goal contributions from midfield to help Simone Inzaghi’s side win the Serie A title.
2014-15: Ciro Immobile
The Italian forward only got to play under Klopp for one season as the German boss decided to leave Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
Immobile’s time in Germany never really went according to plan and that’s perhaps as a consequence of Klopp leaving when he did.
Despite struggling to show his best form in the Bundesliga, he’s since built his reputation back up with Lazio and is still scoring goals on the regular to this day.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Liverpool’s 25 highest goalscorers under Jurgen Klopp?
2015-16: Marko Grujic
Signed in January 2016 for a fee of £5.1million, Grujic was the only signing that Klopp made during his debut season with Liverpool.
There was plenty of hype surrounding the Serbian midfielder at the time, but his opportunities at Liverpool were fairly limited in the end.
Following a series of loan spells, Grujic eventually left Liverpool in 2020 to join Porto, where he still plays to this day.
2016-17: Sadio Mane
This was the signing that really kickstarted the Klopp era at Anfield. Signed from Southampton for £36million, Mane was a hit with the Liverpool fans from day one.
His post-Liverpool career hasn’t quite had the same shine to it, although he seems to be doing alright in Saudi Arabia these days. Following a disappointing spell with Bayern Munich, Mane linked up with Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer at Al-Nassr.
2017-18: Virgil van Dijk
Looking back on this transfer with hindsight, it seems crazy that people were questioning Klopp for splashing £75million on the Southampton star.
The very definition of a Rolls-Royce defender, Van Dijk has been worth every single penny that Liverpool originally splashed on him. Even now at 32 years old, he’s still considered as one of the best defenders in the world.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk applauds the fans
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Liverpool’s 30 most expensive transfers of all time?
2018-19: Alisson
This one was another masterstroke from Klopp and Liverpool’s recruitment team. Alisson instantly proved his worth at Anfield as the Reds won the Champions League in his debut season at the club.
A world-class shot-stopper with excellent distribution skills? The 31-year-old has easily paid back the £66.8million that Liverpool originally spent on him.
2019-20: Takumi Minamino
With a strong core of players already in place, Liverpool didn’t really push the boat out in 2019-20 as their most expensive signing was Minamino who arrived for just £7.2million in the January window.
The Japanese playmaker showed a few flashes of quality, particularly in the cup competitions, but his chances at Anfield were somewhat limited.
After departing in 2022, he’s since managed to recapture his best form with Monaco in Ligue 1. He’s not the only former Liverpool player who’s currently thriving away from Anfield either.
Dominic Solanke is currently one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
READ: 7 former Liverpool players who are currently thriving away from Anfield
2020-21: Diogo Jota
Arguably the best finisher at the club, Jota has been an excellent pick-up since his arrival from Wolves in 2020. Signed for a reported £45million fee, the Portuguese international remains a popular player at Anfield today.
His injury record has perhaps hindered his progress at times, but when fully fit, he’s one of the most lethal players at Klopp’s disposal.
2021-22: Luis Diaz
Signed as the heir to Mane, Diaz is certainly one of Liverpool’s most enjoyable players to watch. The Colombian winger has an abundance of pace and is able to burn almost any full-back with one slick drop of the shoulder.
His contract with Liverpool is valid until 2027, although the likes of PSG and Barcelona have reportedly been sniffing around him of late. Watch this space.
2022-23: Darwin Nunez
He misses the odd sitter here and there, but we can’t help but love him.
READ: 10 of Darwin Nunez’s funniest moments from fighting thin air to absurd finishes…
2023-24: Dominik Szoboszlai
Signed for around £60million in the summer, Szoboszlai still has time to prove his value yet. He’s certainly shown flashes of quality, but as Klopp said in the summer, fans will have to be patient with the midfielder while he develops.
“There is no pressure, though. Dominik is still a very young player,” Klopp told the club website upon Szoboszlai’s arrival.
“He has so much development ahead of him and this means it makes sense for us all to be patient and to give him the time and space to allow his talent to come through within our team.”