We have put together the comprehensive list of Liverpool FC’s best free transfers of all time. These are seven bargains who have won the heart of the Kop.
Liverpool have had many free transfers over the years and we have picked the seven who have become Anfield heroes. Some of these are current players while others gave us a few seasons of magic. Each has found the adoration of the Kop and cult status. Free agents often arrive unwanted by their previous clubs with much to prove. These seven chose Liverpool as the place to show the world their worth and ability.
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We are in the age of the $100 million transfer. The best players in the world are worth over 9 figures. There is a glut of TV money and foreign investment pouring into the transfer market, with transfer agents making huge cuts on mega deals. Every so often a good player will see out their contract and hit the market as a free transfer. Attracting the best free agents is essential in maximizing the budget. As transfer fees inflate they become even more important.
Obviously the primary factor in choosing this list is their performances on the pitch but there are a few others things that came into consideration. Winning really matters and players who contributed to winning teams get a bump. We are also taking into account the fan reception to these players. Those who became cult heroes figure higher. Now let’s get to it!
Number Seven: Robbie Fowler
On the Kop they call him ‘God’. One of the most beloved players in Liverpool history, the ‘Toxeth Terror’ returned to Liverpool on a free transfer in January 2006. He had left the club to join Leeds in 2001 after falling behind Michael Owen and Emilie Heskey in Gerard Houllier’s pecking order. This came just a few months after lifting the UEFA cup to cap Liverpool’s treble winning season. The feeling was he left us too soon and should have never been allowed to walk away from Anfield.
Therefore Fowler’s surprise return under Rafa Benitez was a joyous moment for the fans. He came in to bolster an underperforming frontline with Peter Crouch, Dijbril Cisse and Fernando Morientes struggling to dominate defenses. By the end of the season he was the best striker at the club despite his fitness issues. The next year Fowler was part of the side that got all the way to Athens to face AC Milan in the Champions League final though was unlucky not to make the match squad.
Though he never matched the scoring success of his first spell at the club his arrival brought hope and joy to the fans. It also gave the Anfield legend the dignified exit he was denied the first time round.
The seventh spot on the list was the hardest as you have to leave out some great players. There are a couple of honorable mentions to make: Jari Litmanen was one of Europe’s best players in the 90’s and it was exciting to see him in Liverpool Red in 2001; Marcus Babbel only made 42 appearances for the Reds but was a stalwart of the back four in the 2000/01 treble winning season; Craig Bellamy came to be an important squad player when he re-signed for the club in Dalglish’s side that made the finals of the League Cup and FA Cup in 2012.
Number Six: Maxi Rodriguez
The free transfer of Maxi Rodriguez in the January of 2010 was a bit of a coup for the club. The Argentinian was a fixture of his national side and an exciting contributor to Atletico Madrid. He joined his ex-teammate Fernando Torres at Anfield and Kopites were eager to see if they could rekindle their connection.
He was a very talented attacker who possessed an amazing first touch and killer finish. In sheer ability and performance he would be higher on this list. However he was at the club during its lowest moments of the Premier League era. His introduction to the side in 2010 was not enough to spark the team and Benitez was fired at the end of the season. The following year saw Roy Hodgson in the dug out and the struggle for ownership at the club which saw FSG arrive. It was after Dalglish was appointed manager we saw the best of Argentinian.
The tail end of the 2010/11 season was sensational for Maxi. While he lost his striking partner in Fernando Torres he gained a new friend and partner in crime in Luis Suarez. His role with Torres was as a provider whereas Luis Suarez was much more than a finisher. He brought out the best of his teammates and Maxi was the leading recipient; finishing the season in double figures for goals. The purchase of Philippe Coutinho in 2012 eventually saw him lose his place in the side. It is a great shame we never got to see him play in one of our better seasons.
Number Five: Kolo Toure
The two-time Premier League winner came to Anfield as the first move of the 2013 summer transfer window. At 32-years-old he was brought in to be a squad player and provide cover and competition for first team pairing Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger. The further acquisition of Mamadou Sakho made Toure the fourth choice. Despite this, injuries conspired to give him 24 first team appearances. This was enough to endear him to the hearts of the Kop.
Kolo Toure’s passion for the game and playing for the Reds was infectious. His on-field leadership and off-field lightheartedness gave Liverpool a positive injection. This in no small part helped the culture of Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers. The Ivorian’s enthusiasm and experience brought life to the young squad and was key in the title run in of 2014. I have never known such positivity around the club than we had during that amazing run. Kolo Toure will always remind Reds of those electric few months.
His performances varied from the sublime to the ridiculous. When Liverpool faced Real Madrid away in the Champions League he managed to keep Ronaldo in check all game, putting in a terrific display. Then there were the hands on the head moments of horrible error. Through it all he played with a huge smile and a love for the game. In the era of the cold stone faced professional Toure’s love of the game – and his love for life – was a delight to see in Liverpool red.
Number Four: James Milner
While not exciting the free transfer of James Milner has been a success. Not because it has been sensational but because it has been smart. The Yorkshireman has made 85 appearances in just 2 seasons. Milner was brought in by Brendan Rodgers to gird the midfield after Steven Gerrard’s exit in 2015. The Premier League winner left Manchester City looking for regular first team football and has found it at Anfield.
After a year helping the midfield under Rodgers and then Jurgen Klopp he spent the 2016/17 as Liverpool’s first choice left back. After Klopp decided that Alberto Moreno could not be trusted in that role he turned to Mr. Dependable. He has an abundance of qualities that managers love. He is a hardworking professional; never do you hear a complaint from our vice-captain. The teamwork ethic which is so important in Klopp’s system finds its most willing manifestation in Milner.
His attacking productivity shows he is not just a willing worker. His haul of 14 goals and 17 assists is excellent for a player rarely deployed in attacking situations. He is now Liverpool’s designated penalty taker and led the team for much of the last season with Jordan Henderson out with injury.
There are no trophies to show for Milner’s time at Liverpool but there has been a measure of success. Reaching two finals in 2016 and qualifying for the Champions League in 2017 have been important markers in the development of Klopp’s growing side.
Testament to James Milner’s ability and effort is that Liverpool have not made left back a transfer priority this summer. If Moreno is to leave there will be no specialist left back on the roster. Such is the trust in Milner’s dependability and fitness. While he is not considered a fan favorite the Englishman is vital to strength of our current squad. He remains on of the smartest free transfers that Liverpool have ever made.
Number Three: Fabio Aurelio
He is often a forgotten man in our recalling of important Liverpool players but Fabio Aurelio deserves his place in the top three. Despite having numerous injuries at Liverpool he made 134 appearances for the Reds, the most of any free transfer. Perhaps we tend to forget him because he was never a star at the time. Playing alongside Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt we don’t tend to think of him as one of our best imports.
Fabio Aurelio was the first Brazilian to play for Liverpool after signing from Valencia in 2006. He was well known to Rafa Benitez as the left back for both the Spaniard’s La Liga titles at Valencia. More known for his stereotypical Brazilian technical attributes he was also a solid defender. Not blessed with immense pace or strength he made up for that with great positional sense and tactical awareness.
His best moment for Liverpool was against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2009. He scored a sumptuous free kick in the second half to give Liverpool a 3-1 lead. That goal took us beyond United’s reach. The 4-1 victory is one of Liverpool’s best performances in the Premier League era and was vital in turning a good run into a title challenge.
Perhaps Liverpool’s most technically proficient left back, we were robbed of seeing more of him through injuries. During his time at Liverpool his left back competitors were Emiliano Insua, Andrea Dossena and Paul Konchesky. He was lightyears ahead of that uninspiring trio. I am grateful for him and will continue to wax lyrical about our very first Brazilian.
Number Two: Joel Matip
Joel Matip only has one season at the club, so the sample size is small, but what a player. The Cameroon international was Jurgen Klopp’s first signing at the club after leaving Schalke on a free in the summer of 2016. As a young defender he had impressed for the Bundesliga side and become a crucial at the heart of their defense. Despite interest from a number of big European sides Matip chose to work with Klopp and join the Reds.
Although it is only one season we can see what an incredible free transfer he is. He has the calmness in defending and composure on the ball we have missed since Sami Hyypia. To say we looked better with him in the side is an understatement. Every category improves with him in the side; win rate; goals conceded; tackles made; defensive errors. I still don’t feel good about our back four and goal keeper but slight worry turns into paranoid fear when he is missing.
There was controversy about his refusal to represent Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations, due his international retirement. During that time he did not play for the club to avoid any possible punishment. Liverpool’s defense turned as soft as a marshmallow in his absence. Many Reds still wake up at night screaming about our defense in January. I think I have PTSD.
Securing a top rate defender on a free transfer gives us a lot of transfer budget flexibility this season. It allows us to pursue a £70 million defensive partner in Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk. While the Dutchman is probably not worth such an exorbitant fee, a combined transfer outlay of £35 million each for van Dijk and Matip seems very reasonable. That is what quality free transfers can of offer us. I can’t wait to see how progresses in his sophomore year at Anfield.
Number One: Gary McAllister
When Gary McAllister arrived from Coventry on a free transfer in the summer of 2000 many Liverpool fans were questioning the decision to give good wage money to a 35-year-old midfielder. We already had Dietmar Hamann, Jamie Redknapp, Danny Murphy and a young man named Steven Gerrard. Why sign an old man who will just take minutes from one of our brightest prospects in years? One season, three trophies and a Champions League place later and those questions were well and truly answered.
The Scotsman brought much to Gerard Houllier’s side but most of all he brought leadership and became an example of focus and expertise. A league title winner and 15 year veteran of the Premier League he led the way for the talented but unsuccessful Liverpool side. His influence was instrumental in the development of character and work ethic of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. It brought a new professionalism to the club that was still in the lingering aftertaste of the ‘Spice Boys’ years.
There are two high points that Reds will long remember. Liverpool had not played in Europe’s leading club competition since the Heysel disaster of 1985. The race for Champions League places was fierce and Liverpool were facing a must win game with Everton. The Merseyside derby was tied in the 94th minute before a 44 yard free kick (FORTY FOUR) from McAllister clinched the crucial win. Then in May, McAllister had a hand in three Liverpool goals in the 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alaves and was named Man of the Match.
He will long be remembered by the Kop faithful for his set pieces and crucial contributions at key times. He fully deserves his title as Liverpool’s best ever free transfer.