Liverpool's best free transfers of all time

James Shearman

• 24 Dec 2023 14:24 GMT
• 4 min read

Liverpool are the Premier League club that has perhaps been most noted for their excellent transfer policy in recent seasons, even if things began to unravel under Jurgen Klopp a bit this term.

Klopp, who has won a Premier League and Champions League in his time at Anfield, has been backed by an excellent team of scouting staff, and the Reds have more often than not got things right in the transfer market.

Perhaps the best recent example of this came in January 2022, when they signed Luis Diaz from Porto and the Colombia international winger instantly became a hit at Anfield.

But while Diaz arrived for millions of pounds, the Reds have also worked smartly in the free agent market, securing some players who have become mainstays of their team on a long-term basis for absolutely nothing.

Prior to Klopp's arrival, Liverpool's free transfer business was typically disappointing, but all that now looks like history.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the Reds' best free transfers of all time.

Joel Matip

Joel Matip took a while to settle in at Anfield, initially the fourth-choice centre-back behind Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren.

But the Cameroon international saw off the competition and established himself as Van Dijk's most trusted partner in what has been an exceptional defensive unit.

The emergence of Ibrahima Konate has reduced Matip's playing time at Anfield, but the former Schalke man has been a resounding success for a player picked up for nothing.

Fabio Aurelio

A fan favourite in his seven seasons at the Merseyside club, Aurelio won plaudits as a cultured modern left-back.

The only disappointment to this transfer was the lack of appearances (134) that he managed to accrue.

The Brazilian defender suffered greatly with injuries in his time in the Premier League, and eventually made way for Jose Enrique.

Gary McAllister

Gary McAllister is a perhaps unlikely name to have made this list, having been signed as a 35-year-old from Coventry City.

However, Gerard Houllier's decision to bring the Scotsman to Anfield turned out to be a fantastic one.

He played 90 times across two seasons in a Reds' shirt and was part of the side that won the 2001 UEFA Cup final against Spanish club Alaves.

James Milner

James Milner's arrival created little excitement among the the Reds faithful when he arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2015.

Yet, the Englishman has defied expectations, making well over 300 appearances and earning a place in Liverpool folklore.

The do-it-all midfielder has proved his worth several times over years, with important goals, crucial tackles and inspirational leadership.

Bolo Zenden

Rafa Benitez signed Bolo Zenden in 2005, initially as a squad player before he developed into an important figure.

Zenden's experience, intelligence and work rate, much like Milner's, meant he was a key part of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League title run.

Indeed, he played on the left and in the centre of midfield in the final in Istanbul, in which the Reds came out victors via a penalty shootout against AC Milan after coming back from 3-0 down in normal time.