Since his appointment in 2015, Jurgen Klopp has transformed Liverpool into one of the best clubs in the league, but he has made some very poor signings along the way.
It has been revealed by the Liverpool Echo that one of the German’s most recent sub-par incomings, Loris Karius, will be allowed to depart the club on a free transfer in January.
The German shot-stopper’s contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2022 but the Reds have come to the conclusion that they are not going to receive a fee for the keeper so are willing to let him leave sooner rather than later.
But Karius isn’t the only questionable incoming from Klopp in the last six years, here are his top five worst signings at Merseyside, starting with the soon-to-leave 28-year-old…
Loris Karius
Karius was handed the no.1 shirt when he arrived at Anfield in 2016 and was named as Klopp’s first-choice keeper, but several mistakes in his debut campaign meant Simon Mignolet regained his spot between the posts.
In the 2017/18 season, Klopp put his faith back in Karius, which proved a costly decision.
Poor performances in the league and in Europe meant that the Reds were trophyless, with the former Mainz player dropping his worst ever performance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid – being at fault for two goals in the 3-1 defeat.
Marko Grujic
Expectations were somewhat high for Marko Grujic when the midfielder arrived from Red Star Belgrade, however, in five years at Anfield he made eight appearances for the Reds which tells you everything you need to know about his time at the club.
Grujic was very highly sought after before Klopp persuaded the Serbian to come to Anfield, going above and beyond to ensure the club secured his signature.
But the 25-year-old never showed enough to justify being given regular opportunities and he was loaned out to Red Star, Cardiff City, Hertha Berlin and Porto during his time on the books of the Premier League outfit.
Again, although a flop, Klopp did make a healthy profit of £5m for the midfielder.
Dominic Solanke
Although he only cost a few million in tribunal fees, Dominic Solanke endured a poor few seasons at Liverpool.
The striker scored once in 21 appearances and struggled to really make an impact for the side off of the bench.
For a young forward who had performed so well whilst working through the ranks with England, Solanke certainly disappointed – though Klopp did manage to fetch an unbelievable £19m fee for him.
Ben Davies
English centre-back Ben Davies was purchased from Preston North End last season for £500,000 whilst the club was in the heart of a defensive crisis.
But in reality, the signing was pointless. Davies didn’t make a single appearance after making the move and has since been loaned out to Sheffield United for the season.
In true Klopp style, the manager will probably make a profit on the 24-year-old, but the singing very much seemed like a ‘heat of the moment’ purchase rather than the well-thought-out incomings you would expect from the manager.
Ozan Kabak
Another central defender brought to Merseyside last year to cope with injury woes, Ozan Kabak was signed on a loan deal with the option to purchase the Turkish defender for £18m at the end of the season.
Although he looked capable in parts, Kabak largely struggled with the pace and intensity of the Premier League.
Understandably, Liverpool refused to sign the defender from Schalke at the end of the season and instead he went out on loan to Norwich, and he has hardly helped their hopes of survival.
