Earlier this month, Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a world record £75m, for a defender.
Liverpool football club has spent so much money on players from Southampton FC over the last few years that you would be forgiven if you thought the South coast club was the feeder team to the Reds.
Looking at it now, actually buying Southampton football club as a feeder team would have been a cheaper option for Liverpool. In 2009, Marcus Liebherrpaid £13 million for the entire club but as at January 1st this year, Liverpool have paid a total of £171.5m on six Southampton players.
Now, who are the six players and what has been their impact on the team since they joined?
Rickie Lambert (£4m, June 2014)
Lambert returned to his boyhood club after impressing at Southampton. He was only brought in to be a backup striker but fate had other plans. The club had to sell Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli started to misbehave as usual so Lambert had to be pushed forward to lead the attack. He was not mentally prepared for this task and truth be told, he lacks the quality of being a top four club’s leading striker. The pressure was too much for him. He managed only three goals in all competitions for Liverpool before he was released after one season.
Adam Lallana (£25m, July 2014)
Just while the ink was drying on the contract signed with Southampton on Rickie Lambert, the money men at Anfield got out their cheque books and went for then Southampton captain, Adam Lallana. He had had a brilliant previous season and that convinced Liverpool to pay the asked price for him. At first, he struggled when he made the move but as soon as JurgenKlopp arrived at Anfield, his form improved. He became so good that he was the first name in the English national team. He was the main man in the middle of the park for both club and country. He has not played a lot of games this season because he has been injured. Experts believe it was his recent return to fitness that made the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona a lot less of a blow to deal with for the Merseysiders.
Dejan Lovren (£20m, July 2014)
The Croatian defender impressed so much in the previous season that some people were actually calling him the new Jamie Carragher. Probably that was the reason Liverpool went for him. Sometimes, when a player moves from a small club to a bigger one, it takes a while before he can make the adjustment and settle down. That was the case with Lovren as well. However, he picked up form under Klopp and improved the Reds defensively, although if there is one day he would love to forget, it would be the game against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season when he had a very bad game as Liverpool were convincingly beaten 4-1.
Nathaniel Clyne(£12.5m, July 2015)
One of the best right full backs in the premier league. He can also double as a wing back although he has not been able to provide enough assists and goals as his manager would like. He is the only genuine threat to Kyle Walker for the England number two shirt at the World Cup in Russia. Considering that Manchester City paid £50m for Walker one will agree that Liverpool struck it lucky getting Clyne on the cheap. He has not played a lot of games this season because of injury but with him coming back and Virgil van Dijkcontrolling the centre of defence, Liverpool will be a force to reckon with in the next months and seasons.
Saido Mane ( £30m, June 2016)
Arguably the most successful of the Southampton recruits to Anfield. Saido is the main engine in the Liverpool midfield. Coutinho was the most skilful, Salah, the fastest and most potent, but Saido Mane does all the grafting for the team and he holds it all together. His quick thinking and magnificent pass range make him a vital part of the pressing and counter attack style of play favoured by Klopp. He is a crowd favourite and Liverpool must now be happy they went the extra mile to get him despite interests from Manchester United and Manchester City.
So, apart from Rickie Lambert who has since left the club, it appears Liverpool have the Southampton scouts to thank for helping to improve their club. When you remember that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed from Arsenal in the summer was also from the Southampton academy, you will probably conclude that the Saints from Southampton are having a great time at Anfield.
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