Today we’re looking at Klopp’s predecessor at Anfield – Brendan Rodgers. The Joe Allen-loving, platitude-producing Northern Irishman spent more than three years with the Reds, coming oh-so-close to winning a Premier League title on one occasion.
Here are Brendan Rodgers last 7 Liverpool signings: Where are they now?
In order of least to most recent.
7. Joe Gomez – Liverpool
We start this seven with youngster Joe Gomez. Signed by Brendan Rodgers from Charlton Athletic for a fee of £3.5 million in his final summer in charge of the Reds, Gomez had just turned 18 at the time. Three years on and the versatile defender made 31 appearances in all competitions last season, even winning 3 caps for the national team. A decent piece of business by Rodgers you’d have to say, the now 21-year-old has a chance to become Virgil van Dijk’s regular centre-back partner at Anfield this season.
6. James Milner – Liverpool
James Milner of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United at Anfield on August 12, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
The first of five players who were signed on the same day by Liverpool – July 1st 2015. In sixth place is James Milner. The versatile Yorkshireman who is renowned for his work rate and professionalism reportedly became Liverpool’s best paid player when Rodgers brought him to the club on a free transfer after his contract expired with Manchester City. Having originally arrived as a midfielder, Milner deputised as a left-back under Jurgen Klopp, although he moved back into midfield following the emergence of Andy Robertson last season. An excellent squad player who is always a positive influence on the dressing room, it would be fair to say Milner was another decent signing by Rodgers.
5. Danny Ings – Southampton
In what looked like a shrewd signing at the time, Danny Ings joined Liverpool after his contract expired at Burnley. The industrious centre-forward scored 11 goals in his first season in the Premier League with the relegated Clarets, having bagged 26 in the previous season. A tribunal set the fee at £6.5 million, but injuries have prevented Ings from ever making a real impact on Merseyside. He joined Southampton on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move worth £18-20 million at the end of the season, so even in his case, the move made sense for Liverpool from a financial point of view at least.
4. Adam Bogdan – Hibernian
Wigan Athletic’s Adam Bogdan in action during todays match during the Sky Bet Championship match between Brentford and Wigan Athletic at Griffin Park on October 1, 2016 in Brentford,…
Hungarian shot stopper Adam Bogdan only ever joined Liverpool as a second or third choice goalkeeper, and that is exactly what he proved to be. The ginger-haired former Bolton ‘keeper made 6 appearances in his first season with the club, but hasn’t recorded one since then. Now in the last year of his contract at Anfield, Bogdan spent last season on-loan at Wigan, and he is spending this season on-loan at Hibernian.
3. Roberto Firmino – Liverpool
A lot of people may have convinced themselves that Roberto Firmino was a Jurgen Klopp signing, and it would be easy to see why. The Brazilian forward is quick, technical and incisive, as well as being perfectly suited to the Germans high-intensity and high-pressing style. There was plenty of interest in Firmino when Liverpool got their man for £29 million, and we dare say he’d be worth a great deal more than that to the club now. The only criticism of Firmino has been that he isn’t clinical enough, but he scored 27 goals in all competitions last season.He is still only 26.
2. Nathaniel Clyne – Liverpool
Nathaniel Clyne of Liverpool reacts during a training session at Melwood Training Ground on August 15, 2018 in Liverpool, England.
Well, you’d have to say Brendan Rodgers did a pretty good job on the transfer front in his final summer in charge of Liverpool, and the number of his signings still at the club is testament to that. Nathaniel Clyne cost the Reds £12.5 million from Southampton, and he looked more than competent in his first two seasons at the club. Sadly, however, the former Crystal Palace trainee missed almost all of last season through injury, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s form in his place has left him with a real battle for that right-back spot. Clyne is now fit and firing, but he knows he’ll have to be at his best to keep his place in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.
1. Christian Benteke – Crystal Palace
The only one of Brendan Rodgers’ last seven Liverpool signings who is no longer contracted to the club, albeit a couple are out on-loan, is his worst signing of the seven – Christian Benteke. The big Belgian centre-forward made sense as a £32.5 million signing on paper, with his record of 49 goals in 101 games for a struggling Aston Villa side being absolutely sensational. However, Benteke’s powerful forward play didn’t really suit the Reds’ own style of play, and he scored 10 goals in 42 games in his only season with the club.
Jurgen Klopp flogged Benteke to Crystal Palace in his first summer in charge, and to be fair to Rodgers, Liverpool pretty much recouped what they had paid for the Belgian, with the £27 million move having the potential to reach £32 million with add-ons. Having scored 17 goals in his first season at Selhurst Park, Benteke had a pretty miserable campaign last term.
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