There has been a rather mixed reaction among Liverpool fans towards the imminent arrival of Christian Benteke from Aston Villa, with the Reds having met the player’s £32.5m buyout clause on Thursday (via BBC Sport).
There’s no doubting the Belgian’s qualities, 49 goals in 100 games is a more than respectable record for a struggling top flight side, but there are rightly fears over the size of the transfer fee and whether his game is suitable for our preferred style of play.
Liverpool fans won’t want to be reminded of Andy Carroll – our only other striker to cost more than £30m – who was offloaded to West Ham on loan – and later permanently – within 18 months of signing from Newcastle United.
Benteke’s record suggests that he will offer more than the England man, but there’s no point in pretending that this is Luis Suarez or Fernando Torres – who were both greeted with open arms by joyous supporters.
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The 24-year-old won’t be the first new signing that the doubters have questioned. And he’s far from a lost cause. In the list below, we count down six Liverpool players who proved the critics wrong, and became important figures at the club. Let’s hope that Christian joins this list in the near future!
Emre Can
The German midfielder was thought to be one for the future when he was signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, and he started the season in exactly that fashion. He featured just five times before November, with only four of those games in the Premier League. However, he was given a new lease of life after becoming an emergency defender in Brendan Rodgers’ new-look 3-4-3 formation, and he was a virtual ever-present thereafter.
Philippe Coutinho
Rodgers picked up the Brazilian in a bargain deal in January 2013, with a lukewarm reception greeting his arrival from Inter Milan. The midfielder had struggled in Italy, making just 28 league appearances in three years, but the Liverpool scouts had seen something the Serie A giants hadn’t. Over the last two-and-a-half years we’ve had the pleasure of seeing the little magician develop into one of the best players in the country, culminating in his PFA nomination last year.
Jordan Henderson
Henderson was signed by Kenny Dalglish in the summer of 2011, along with the far more forgettable additions of Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing. Like his two former teammates, Henderson started slowly at Anfield, and Brendan Rodgers was not believed to be a fan after taking over the following year. However, since turning down a move to Fulham in order to fight for his place (via The Telegraph), the England man has been nothing short of a revelation. He now proudly wears the captains armband and will be on the cover of FIFA 16 next season.
Lucas Leiva
The Brazilian’s presence was much maligned during his early days at Anfield. He just didn’t look good enough alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. And while it’s true that he’ll never be your traditional Brazilian midfielder – full of Samba magic – his hard-work, determination and loyalty have steadily endeared him to the Liverpool fans over the years. He’s now preparing to go into his ninth season on Merseyside, so let’s hope that this is the year he finally adds to his solitary League Cup winners medal.
Gary McAllister
People just couldn’t understand what Gerard Houllier was doing – signing a player already in his mid-thirties and by all accounts well past the peak years of his career. But to the amazement of everyone, the Scottish international proved us all spectacularly wrong. His first season at Anfield was truly incredible, scoring several crucial goals to help the Reds win the treble. He added the Community Shield and the Super Cup to his collection the following year and left the club a legend.
Daniel Sturridge
Sure, we were quietly hopeful when Sturridge arrived at Anfield. But did we honestly see him as anything more than a back-up to Luis Suarez? Despite our doubts, the man who had scored just two goals in the first-half of that season for Chelsea, proved to be incredible. He struck 11 times in his first 16 games, as the Reds finished the 2012-13 season in style, and added another 24 in his first full campaign to guide us to second place in the top flight. Injuries have reduced his impact over the last twelve months, but he’s still netted 40 times in just 66 games.
