With Liverpool confirming this evening that Bobby Firmino and James Milner are among four players who’ll depart the club this summer, it leaves Joe Gomez as the only one of Brendan Rodgers’ 33 signings for the Reds still remaining at Anfield.
We look back at each of the players recruited by the Northern Irishman, assessing how they fared in red and the career they’ve gone on to have since leaving Merseyside.
These names – arranged in the order that they joined the club under Rodgers (as per lfchistory.net) – are a trip between the unforgettable and some you might barely remember!
- Fabio Borini
Rodgers’ first Liverpool signing in July 2012, the Italian was on the Reds’ books for three years, although he spent the second of those on loan at Sunderland. Just the three goals in 38 games at Anfield saw him sold for £8m in August 2015. Spent three years at AC Milan before going on to Verona and current club Fatih Karagümrük, where he’s played since January 2021. - Joe Allen
The Welshman followed Rodgers from Swansea to Anfield in August 2012 and spent four years with the Reds, the 2016 Europa League final being the last of his 132 appearances. Standout memory was his last-gasp equaliser in a madcap 3-3 draw against Arsenal midway through his final season with us. Left for Stoke, where he spent six years before returning to Swansea last July. - Oussama Assaidi
The Moroccan came to Liverpool in August 2012 and was on the books for two-and-a-half years but spent just the first of those at Anfield, with the rest consisting of loan spells at Stoke. He only played 12 times for the Reds and never scored. Moved on to Al-Ahli in Dubai in January 2015 and finished his career at FC Twente. Retired in 2019 to set up his own sports gym in Morocco. - Nuri Sahin
The midfielder signed on loan from Real Madrid in August 2012 who also played just a dozen times for us, but scored three goals in a four-day period shortly after joining. His loan was terminated after just five months, with the Turkey international unhappy on Merseyside. Had a second spell at Borussia Dortmund for five years before retiring at Antalyaspor a year ago. - Samed Yesil
Signed for £1m from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2012, he was a Liverpool player for four years but made only two first-team appearances, his time on Merseyside ravaged by two ACL injuries. After a loan spell at Luzern, he was released in 2016 and has played for six further clubs. Currently with Ratingen 04/19 in the German fifth tier, scoring eight times in 28 games this season. - Daniel Sturridge
The £12m arrival from Chelsea in January 2013 was a success at Anfield, spending six years with us (barring a brief loan spell at West Brom in 2018). Netted 67 times in 160 games and formed a lethal front three with Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling for 18 months. Despite an unlucky injury record, he left for Trazbonspor in June 2019 having spent the best years of his career with LFC. Now with Perth Glory in Australia. - Philippe Coutinho
Another January 2013 arrival, the Brazilian playmaker excelled for Liverpool in his five years with us, scoring 54 times in 201 games. A genius with the ball and a scorer of spectacular goals, although his legacy was tainted somewhat by the manner in which he left for Barcelona in 2018. Didn’t work out for him there or at Bayern Munich, but had a brief revival upon moving to Aston Villa in 2022, where he’s since receded to bit-part status. - Luis Alberto
Joined from Sevilla for £6.8m in June 2013 and was a Liverpool player for three years but only spent the first of those with us. Made just 12 appearances without scoring and was loaned out to Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna before being sold to Lazio in 2016. He’s since become part of the furniture in Rome, with 46 goals in 260 games and counting for the Biancocelesti. - Iago Aspas
Came from Celta Vigo for £7m in June 2013 but spent only one season at Anfield, with a single goal in 15 appearances (against Oldham in the FA Cup) and a legacy of the worst corner kick you could ever see against Chelsea. After a year on loan with Sevilla, he was sold to them in 2015 and they immediately moved him on to Celta, where he’s become astoundingly prolific ever since. Seemed an ideal signing at the time but a classic case of a transfer which just didn’t work out. - Simon Mignolet
A £9m recruit from Sunderland in June 2013, the Belgian crucially saved a penalty on his debut against Stoke, the first of his 204 appearances for Liverpool. Saw off Brad Jones and Adam Bogdan before Jurgen Klopp alternated between him and Loris Karius for a couple of seasons. Alisson’s arrival in 2018 saw him become very much a backup ‘keeper before he left for Club Brugge – where he continues to play – a year later. - Kolo Toure
Signed on a free transfer in July 2013, the experienced Ivorian defender spent three years at Liverpool. Scored a hapless own goal against Fulham in his first season with us but joyously celebrated his first goal for us in a 6-0 drubbing of Aston Villa in 2016. Reunited with Rodgers at Celtic later that year in what was his final season as a player. His first managerial job came at Wigan this season but he lasted just two months and nine winless games.![]( "Aly Cissokho, Liverpool")
- Aly Cissokho
The left-back joined on loan from Valencia in August 2013 and went off injured less than 10 minutes into his debut against Notts County. Made 19 appearances in his only season at LFC as Jon Flanagan carved out a place in Rodgers’ starting XI. Has since gone on to play for seven clubs and is currently captain of Lamphun Warriors in Thailand’s top flight. - Mamadou Sakho
One of three deadline day recruits at the end of summer 2013, the French defender played 80 times for Liverpool across three-and-a-half seasons. A pacy and powerful centre-back at his best but also had a mistake in him. He fell foul of Klopp during pre-season in 2016 and was loaned to Crystal Palace the following January before a permanent transfer a few months later. Returned to his homeland with Montpellier in 2021, where he’s still playing. - Tiago Ilori
The next deadline day recruit was a Liverpool player for three-and-a-half years but played just three times for the first team (all in the 2015/16 FA Cup), racking up the same number of loan spells away from Anfield before being sold to Reading in January 2017. Moved on to Sporting Lisbon two years later and has since been loaned out another three times, most recently to Pacos de Ferreira. - Victor Moses
The third and final deadline day recruit was a loan arrival from Chelsea. Scored on his debut against Swansea but added just one more goal in 21 subsequent appearances for us. The Blues loaned him out five more times (either side of winning the Premier League in 2016/17) before he permanently signed for his current club Spartak Moscow in 2021. - Rickie Lambert
Snapped up from Southampton June 2014 after impressing on the south coast, the Scouser seemed to have secured his dream move, but he only managed three goals in 36 games as he struggled to fill the vacancy left by Luis Suarez. He was sold to West Brom for £3m after just one year at Anfield, also playing for Cardiff before retiring in 2017. - Adam Lallana
He followed Lambert from St Mary’s to Anfield in July 2014 and spent six seasons on Merseyside, accruing 178 appearances. One of the Premier League’s best midfielders in 2016/17 and memorably settled a 5-4 thriller at Norwich, along with a late equaliser at Old Trafford in 2019. Left for Brighton in the summer of 2020, where he’s still playing and reportedly trying to talk James Milner into teaming up with him once more. - Kevin Stewart
A free transfer from Tottenham in July 2014, the midfielder was a Liverpool player for three years but played just 20 times for the first team, mainly in domestic games or as a substitute in the Premier League. He was loaned out three times before signing for Hull in 2017, moving on to Blackpool in January 2021. - Emre Can
The Germany midfielder arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2014 and had four years at Anfield before departing for Juventus on a free transfer. His 167 appearances brought 14 goals, most famously the stunning overhead kick to beat Watford in May 2017. He left Turin for Borussia Dortmund in 2020, where he’s played ever since. - Lazar Markovic
The Serbian cost £19.8m from Benfica in July 2014 but scored only three times in 34 games for Liverpool. He had four loan spells away from Anfield before Fulham signed him on a free transfer in January 2019, going on to Partizan Belgrade and Gaziantep before being loaned to Trabzonspor. Harshly sent off against Basel on the night that the Reds exited the 2014/15 Champions League. - Dejan Lovren
Liverpool raided Southampton for a third time in the summer of 2014 to land the Croatian defender, who like Lallana came from the south coast club and spent six years with us. Criticised for his defending at times but sealed his legacy with the last-gasp winner against Borussia Dortmund in the 4-3 Europa League epic. Left for Zenit St Petersburg in 2020 before coming to Lyon for a second spell at the start of this year. - Divock Origi
Liverpool signed the Belgian from Lille in July 2014 but loaned him straight back for a year. Also had a loan spell at Wolfsburg in 2017/18 as he struggled for regular starts at Anfield, but came back to become the ultimate clutch player with memorable goals in the 2019 Champions League triumph. He left for AC Milan last year but has continued to be mostly a substitute in Italy.![]( "Divock Origi, Liverpool")
- Javier Manquillo
The full-back signed on loan from Atletico Madrid in August 2014 and spent one year at Anfield, making just 19 appearances. The highlight was his sprint which led to a last-gasp penalty to beat Ludogorets at Anfield. He was later loaned to Marseille and Sunderland before a permanent move to Newcastle in 2017, but he’s since become a forgotten man amid their game-changing takeover. - Alberto Moreno
Another full-back signing from Spain in August 2014, Moreno had five years at Liverpool, racking up 141 games. Scored a memorable debut goal against Spurs but was often found wanting defensively, particularly in the 2016 Europa League final. After being displaced by Andy Robertson, he departed for Villarreal in 2019, winning the Europa League in his second season at the club. - Mario Balotelli
Eyebrows were raised when the enigmatic Italian was signed from AC Milan for £16m in August 2014 and he managed only four goals (and one inexplicable miss away to QPR) in 28 games at Anfield. We loaned him back to the San Siro after a year before a free transfer to Nice in 2016. A nomad of five subsequent clubs, he’s now playing with Sion in Switzerland. - Joe Gomez
Brought in from Charlton in June 2015, Gomez is the only man on this list who’s still at Liverpool, eight years and 172 appearances later. The versatile defender has been unfortunate with injuries during his time at Anfield but was a regular in the team which secured Premier League glory in 2019/20. He’ll be at the club for 12 years if he sees out his current contract, which runs to 2027. - Adam Bogdan
The Hungarian goalkeeper was signed on a free transfer in July 2015, having excelled against us in an FA Cup game for Bolton a few months previously, but never recovered from a disastrous top-flight debut against Watford. Played only six times for Liverpool before being released in 2019, with loan spells at Wigan and Hibernian in between. Been with Ferencvaros in his homeland since 2020. - Danny Ings
Joined from Burnley in July 2015 but ruptured his ACL in Klopp’s first training session at Liverpool three months later and suffered another serious injury the following season. Cruelly limited to just 25 appearances in three years with the Reds before a loan move to Southampton in 2018, which became permanent a year later as he thrived on the south coast. Has since gone on to Aston Villa and now West Ham. - James Milner
Picked up on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City in the summer of 2015, Milner has gone on to make 330 appearances for the Reds. A consummate professional, he’s been a vital figure in the dressing room at Anfield under Klopp. Guaranteed a glowing send-off when he plays his final game for LFC in the next couple of weeks. - Nathaniel Clyne
Another raid from Southampton in July 2015, the right-back was a regular for Liverpool until being ousted by the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2017. He stayed at Anfield for five years, aside from a half-season on loan in 2019, but had his entire final campaign at the club wiped out through injury. Left in 2020 as a free agent for a second spell at Crystal Palace, where he remains. - Bobby Firmino
The £29m for which we signed him from Hoffenheim in July 2015 now looks an absolute bargain. With 109 goals in 360 games in the subsequent eight years, along with forming one part of a fearsome front three alongside Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, the Brazilian has secured legend status for Liverpool. His Anfield farewell on Saturday is going to be an emotional one. - Christian Benteke
Rodgers’ penultimate and most expensive signing at Liverpool, costing £32.5m from Aston Villa in July 2015, he scored a respectable if unspectacular 10 goals in 42 games for the Reds, but lasted only one season before being sold to Crystal Palace. He had six years at Selhurst Park before moving to DC United last summer. - Allan
Rodgers’ final Liverpool signing was one who never got to play for the Reds’ first team. Recruited from Internacional as an 18-year-old, he was loaned out to no fewer than six clubs before eventually cutting his ties with Anfield in January 2020 by joining Atletico Mineiro. He’s finally settled back in his homeland, becoming a regular for the Belo Horizonte club.
