BBC Sport assesses Liverpool’s record £415m summer spending

BBC Sport has published a comprehensive assessment of Liverpool’s six record-breaking summer signings, evaluating their impact following a season where the club secured Champions League qualification only on the final day. The acquisitions, which totalled £415m, included Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Giovanni Leoni. Despite the historic investment, Liverpool finished the campaign with 24 fewer points than in the previous term, marking the worst season-to-season point swing in the league.

The report notes that none of the six new signings started the final match against Brentford, underscoring the transitional nature of the squad under manager Arne Slot. While Slot anticipates a "little transition" rather than drastic changes, the institutional performance data suggests significant hurdles in integrating high-cost talent into a cohesive unit.

Alexander Isak’s tenure has been defined by limited availability rather than pure output. Signed for £125m, the striker managed only 1,033 minutes in the 2025-26 season, scoring three goals in 14 appearances before suffering a fibula fracture. The assessment highlights that while Isak showed flashes of class, his inability to maintain fitness has been a primary constraint, with the club needing greater involvement from the central striker role to rectify a routinely poor performance in that position.

Midfield creativity and forward efficiency presented a complex picture. Florian Wirtz, acquired for £116m, recorded seven goals and eight assists, yet none of these contributions came against teams that finished in the top half of the league. He played just 618 minutes alongside Isak. Conversely, Hugo Ekitike made the most immediate impact, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists before rupturing his Achilles tendon in April, ending his season.

Defensively, the results were mixed. Milos Kerkez established himself as the first-choice left-back, playing in 34 of 38 league games and receiving praise from captain Virgil van Dijk for his defensive improvement. However, Jeremie Frimpong struggled in the right-back role, a position he did not occupy frequently at his previous club, Bayer Leverkusen. Meanwhile, young centre-back Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL tear on his debut, limiting him to just 81 minutes of play.