Liverpool may have gained greater benefits from a long-forgotten historic jewel…
Liverpool’s incredible rise under Jurgen Klopp has, of course, been due to the players on the field, but delve a bit deeper and the intricate Anfield machine is the result of diligent transfer work.
The Reds have been completely transformed since the advent of the German manager in 2015, and have already earned silver-laden rewards that much outweigh any optimistic fan’s impact when he first joined the club.
There has been plenty of transfer movement over the past seven years or so, and while the lion’s share has hit the bullseye, there have been certain deals that have left an air of poignancy.
Naby Keita’s £53m acquisition is the salient one, with the Guinean midfielder arriving with a weight of expectation only to see his Anfield stay ravaged by injury.
Regarding sales, there have been very few shifted on to then prosper at the highest level elsewhere, but one departure that went under the radar is that of Taiwo Awoniyi, who is thriving in the Premier League at the spearhead of Nottingham Forest.
How much did Liverpool sign Awoniyi for?
Nigerian striker Awoniyi was signed for Liverpool after graduating from the Imperial Academy in his homeland, believed to have joined for around £400k.
Viewed with the potential to become a first-rate forward at the highest level, Awoniyi was shipped out to Bundesliga 2 side FSV Frankfurt immediately upon his Anfield acquisition, and so began an interminable journey jumping from ship to ship on loan.