The Liverpool fans in the Football Transfer Tavern have seen some pretty poor strikers in recent years…
26 years without a league title is almost unheard of at Anfield, but when you look at their transfer activity in recent years – it comes as no major surprise to see why Liverpool have failed to reclaim English football’s top prize.
However, the majority of our locals here at the Tavern remain optimistic that Jurgen Klopp can finally deliver a much-awaited Premier League title.
After a number of years in the wilderness, Liverpool’s transfer policy has finally started to improve in recent years. Significantly, a much-coveted striker is finally leading the line at Anfield in Daniel Sturridge – something that hasn’t always been available at Anfield lately.
Whilst things are now on the up, it cannot be forgotten that millions have been spent and wasted on forwards that have simply not repaid their transfer fee.
With that said, these are 3 of the worst signings our landlord feels have failed to cut the mustard at Liverpool in the past decade…
Andriy Voronin
Our Liverpool regulars are still having nightmares about Andriy Voronin’s performances during the 2007-2008 season.
The Ukraine international signed on a free-transfer in 2007 from Bayer Leverkusen with the club keen to secure a league title. Voronin kicked off his Anfield career with six goals in his opening 2 months but everything went downhill shortly afterwards.
Another 32 appearances saw Voronin fail to find the net again and he was sold to Dynamo Moscow in 2010 with Liverpool fans everywhere rejoicing at the news of his departure.
Robbie Keane
Rafael Benitez had finally gotten his man in July 2008 when boyhood Liverpool supporter Robbie Keane swapped Tottenham for Liverpool.
The Republic of Ireland international was expected to thrive alongside Fernando Torres, and their partnership was expected to finally secure Liverpool a first Premier League title.
However, after just 19 appearances and having failed to secure his first-team place, Keane returned to Tottenham just six months later with Liverpool likely taking a huge loss on the Irish hit-man.
Mario Balotelli
When you just miss out on a league title and lose your best player to Barcelona, you cannot replace him with someone like Mario Balotelli and expect to improve on the previous campaign.
Staggeringly, that was the thought of Brendan Rodgers when he bought former Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli in 2014. The Italian international was signed to replace Luis Suarez after he left for Barcelona earlier in the summer.
Balotelli managed to score just one league goal during his Liverpool career before he was allowed to leave on a free.
Easily one of the worst transfers in recent memory.
