Though smartness in the transfer market is what has defined Liverpool’s rise to prominence under Jurgen Klopp, one of the undeniable facts of modern football is that you rarely get anywhere without spending money.

The Reds, generally, have spent theirs well in recent years, bringing in a host of players who have gone to become global stars at Anfield.

Their list of hits grows each year, helping erase the memory of some high-profile, and big-money, flops under previous managers.

Here, takes a look at the top 15 most expensive signings in Liverpool history…

Thiago Alcantara | £27m | Bayern Munich | 2020

Perhaps the most established ‘star’ player Liverpool have ever signed. The Spaniard won the Champions League in his final game for Bayern Munich, before arriving on Merseyside in September 2020.

The initial fee for Thiago was £20m ($24m), owing to the fact he had only one year left on his contract, but add-ons will take the deal up to £27m ($32m) in total. 

Either way, it's a bargain.

One of the shrewdest and most important signings Liverpool have ever made, the Brazilian was hardly a household name when arriving from Hoffenheim, but became an integral player once Klopp had replaced Brendan Rodgers as manager in October 2015.

Selfless, reliable and absolutely key to the way Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were able to propel themselves to superstardom at Anfield. Firmino must go down as one of the club’s great bargains, as well as one of its greatest ever centre-forwards.

Christian Benteke | £32.5m | Aston Villa | 2015

Signed in the same summer as Firmino, it is fair to say the Belgian did not have quite such a lasting impact.

Benteke had terrorised Liverpool on more than one occasion while playing for Aston Villa, and was signed with the idea of adding physical presence and goals to a side that had lost its way under Brendan Rodgers.

It didn’t work. Rodgers was sacked within two months of his arrival, and though Benteke scored 10 goals in his maiden campaign at Anfield, it was quickly apparent that Jurgen Klopp was not ready to build his side around the big man. He joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2016, with Liverpool recouping most of the fee they’d paid to Villa.

Sadio Mane | £34m | Southampton | 2016

Another signing which helped transform the club under Klopp. Mane was actually only signed once a move for Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze fell through, but what a player the Senegal star proved to be for Liverpool.

He left for Bayern in 2022 having scored 120 goals in 269 appearances, winning every club trophy possible in that time and leaving countless memories. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | £35m | Arsenal | 2017

Had it not been for the serious knee injury he suffered late in his first season at Anfield, then Oxlade-Chamberlain may well have been spoken about as another of Klopp’s great signings.

The England international was flying at the time, but he has never truly got back to the same level since, having to content himself with a squad role as Klopp’s side achieved domestic and European glory.

He’s still had some big moments, and has always been popular with fans, team-mates and coaches alike, but there will always be that feeling of ‘what might have been?’ with the former Arsenal man.

Andy Carroll | £35m | Newcastle | 2011

One of the most dramatic signings in Liverpool’s history, the big striker arrived at the club via helicopter on the last day of the January transfer window in 2011, signed along with Luis Suarez after Fernando Torres’ £50m ($59m) move to Chelsea.

Carroll tried hard at Anfield, and while he left some abiding memories - a winner against Everton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, for example - he never truly found his feet on Merseyside. He would later admit that he never really wanted to leave Newcastle, and in the end he would be loaned, and then sold, to West Ham, with Liverpool settling for a hefty loss on their investment.

Ibrahima Konate | £36m | RB Leipzig | 2021

Signed on the back of a harrowing season in which Liverpool lost all of their senior centre-backs to injury, the towering centre-back enjoyed a fine debut season on Merseyside, winning both the League Cup and FA Cup, and starring in the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Should go on to have an excellent career with the Reds, and in the summer of 2022 made his senior debut for France.

Fabinho | £40m | Monaco | 2018

Arrived immediately after Liverpool lost the Champions League final in 2018, and having took a few months to find his feet on Merseyside, quickly established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders in Europe.

Nicknamed ‘Dyson’ by Klopp, on account of the way he cleans up in the middle of the park, the Brazilian was one of the Reds’ key players as they won the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup in the space of 18 months, and remains integral now with his calmness, positioning, passing and physicality.

Mohamed Salah | £43m | Roma | 2017

What can you say about the Egyptian King that hasn’t already been said? Derided in some quarters as a ‘Chelsea cast-off’ when joining from Roma in 2017, Salah has quite simply set the world alight since.

Scored 44 goals in his debut season at Anfield, and plundered more than 150 in his first five years. He has won every honour there is, picked up three Premier League Golden Boots and twice been named PFA Player of the Year. 

By the time he leaves the club, he will likely be among the top five goalscorers in Liverpool’s history. He is already one of the Reds’ greatest ever players, without any shadow of a doubt.

Diogo Jota | £45m | Wolves |2020

Another surprise signing who went up a level as soon as he arrived at Anfield. Jota was not an obvious candidate to break up the Mane-Salah-Firmino forward line, but has performed superbly since joining from Wolves.

Scored 13 goals in his first season, and 21 in his second, many of them vital and in big games. A penalty-box predator and a “pressing monster” - assistant manager Pep Lijnders’ words - the Portuguese international has been a fine purchase.

Luis Diaz | £50m | Porto | 2022

Signed on the last day of the January transfer window this year, the Colombian took Anfield by storm following his arrival.

Quick, direct and relentlessly positive in his approach, Diaz immediately established himself as a regular, starting the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League finals, and impressing everyone with his high-level performances.

A gem, who should get better and better under Klopp.

Another plucked from Leipzig, Liverpool waited a year to land the Guinea international, having initially agreed his signing in the summer of 2017.

Keita came with a huge reputation from the Bundesliga, but though he has had moments of real class on Merseyside, Liverpool are yet to sign the kind of game-changing consistency he showed in Germany. Injuries, in particular, have held back his progress.

Klopp’s faith in him, however, remains, and he will give him every chance to prove himself a bona fide hit at Anfield.

Alisson Becker | £65m | Roma | 2018

Another transformative Klopp signing, the Brazilian arrived following Loris Karius’ nightmare in the 2018 Champions League final, and provided the foundation for Liverpool’s success thereafter.

Calm, positionally superb and brilliant in one-on-one situations, Alisson as become one of the best goalkeepers, if not the best, at Anfield.

He scores the odd goal, too.

Virgil van Dijk | £75m | Southampton | 2018

Became Liverpool’s record signing when joining, after a protracted and at-times acrimonious, pursuit in January 2018, and has justified every penny the Reds spent on him.

Transformed Klopp’s defence overnight, scored on his debut against Everton and was the PFA Player of the Year in his first full season. A towering presence, a dressing-room leader and perhaps the finest centre-back ever to pull on the red shirt.

Darwin Nunez | £85m | Benfica | 2022

The Uruguayan will become the most expensive player in Liverpool history, should he fulfil his rich potential at Anfield.

The Reds paid an initial £64m ($76m) to land Nunez from Benfica in June 2022, but the fee will rise to a club-record £85m ($101m) if all performance-related add-ons are met. Even if he performs modestly, Liverpool should end up paying £75m ($89m).

Arrived with a big reputation after a free-scoring season in Portugal, and is seen as the man who can lead the Reds’ attack in the coming years.