Michael Edwards' best sales at Liverpool - ranked
- Michael Edwards has returned to Liverpool as FSG's CEO of football
- Liverpool's former sporting director is a master negotiator
- The Englishman got quite the reputation for his impressive player sales at Anfield
Unlike some of their rivals in recent years, Liverpool have generally operated on a smaller budget in the transfer market.
That's not to say they haven't spent big - Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Darwin Nunez cost a combined £201m - but the Reds have often had to facilitate big deals by sending players through the exit door.
During Michael Edwards' spell as sporting director, Liverpool became the masters of offloading mediocre talent for big money, quickly earning him a reputation as a shrewd negotiator.
With Edwards returning to Liverpool as owners Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football, here are his best players sales during his first spell with the club.
10. Kevin Stewart - £4m
Liverpool picked up Kevin Stewart from Tottenham for free in 2014, but the young midfielder failed to make a great impression on Merseyside despite registering 20 senior appearances for the Reds.
As a result, Stewart was shipped off to Hull City for £4m in 2017, with Andy Robertson going the other way for just £8m.
When you take into consideration that the former is currently without a club at 30 and the latter is one of Liverpool's greatest ever full-backs, it's clear to see just how impressive the deal was by Edwards.
9. Ryan Kent - £7.5m
Ryan Kent enjoyed an impressive spell at Rangers under Steven Gerrard following his Liverpool exit in 2019, but the winger was never able to capture the imagination at Anfield.
He made just one appearance for the Reds during a 2-2 draw with Exeter City in the 2015/16 FA Cup, yet Edwards was still able to get £7.5m for his services.
8. Harry Wilson - £12m
During Edwards' final season at Liverpool, the club eventually sold academy graduate Harry Wilson following several successful loan spells.
Liverpool received £12m for the Welshman in 2021, an impressive total given he made just two appearances for the senior side.
While he has gone on to become a dependable Premier League player, Liverpool won't regret their decision to cash in on the Fulham attacker.
7. Dejan Lovren - £10.9m
Dejan Lovren was always a divisive figure at Anfield, but the centre-back did enjoy some fantastic moments with Liverpool despite his inconsistent displays - most notably scoring the winning goal in a 4-3 comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League.
However, the Croatian found himself surplus to requirements over time, with Edwards able to recoup £10.9m of the £20m Liverpool spent on the defender despite the fact that he was 31 when he made the switch to Zenit Saint Petersburg.
6. Danny Ward - £12.5m
Selling a back-up goalkeeper who had made just three appearances for the club for £12.5m is another astute piece of business, with Leicester City the side willing to splash the cash for the Welsh stopper.
Danny Ward had a difficult season during the Foxes' relegation from the Premier League in 2023 and is no longer first choice at the King Power Stadium.
Liverpool will be relieved they cashed in on Ward and put faith in Caoimhin Kelleher instead.
5. Danny Ings - £20m
Despite being a prolific goalscorer in English football, Danny Ings' move to Liverpool never worked out due to several serious injuries.
Ings produced just four goals in 25 Liverpool appearances before making the £20m move to Southampton in 2019, with the Reds actually securing a sizeable profit for the England international after recruiting him from Burnley in 2015.
4. Dominic Solanke - £19m
Liverpool took a chance on Dominic Solanke when picking him up from Chelsea's academy after his contract expired with the Blues, but their faith was never rewarded on the pitch.
However, the Reds were able to sell the forward for £19m to Bournemouth in 2019. The signing was initiated by the Cherries' sporting director Richard Hughes, who will join Liverpool in the same role following Edwards' return.
Liverpool did also manage to sell Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith for a combined £21m to the south coast side in 2016, but that was technically before Edwards became sporting director - even if he may have been influential in the deals as the club's technical director at the time.
3. Rhian Brewster - £23.5m
There were high hopes for Rhian Brewster as he rose through the Liverpool academy, but a £23.5m offer from Sheffield United for his services was just too good to turn down.
In the end, it has proved wise business from Edwards and his team, with the forward having seriously struggled during a difficult spell at Bramall Lane.
Liverpool also have a 15% sell-on clause for the striker should he leave Sheffield United before his contract expires in 2025.
2. Mamadou Sakho - £26m
Similarly to Lovren but with less influence in a red shirt, centre-back Mamadou Sakho was always an unpredictable figure in the heart of Liverpool's defence.
The Frenchman had an unorthodox gait and passing style, with costly errors never too far away from the former Paris Saint-Germain defender.
In the end, Liverpool snapped Crystal Palace's hand off when the Eagles submitted a £26m bid for Sakho in 2017, with Klopp not convinced by him.
1. Philippe Coutinho - £142m
Liverpool may have been initially reluctant to sell the dazzling Philippe Coutinho, but his £142m move to Barcelona in January 2018 enabled the Reds to become what they have under Klopp.
Liverpool re-invested that enormous sum into signing Van Dijk and Alisson, two of the club's most transformative players of all time.
Given Coutinho's struggles at Barcelona, the sale looks even more inspired, with the Brazilian still remembered somewhat fondly on Merseyside for his magical displays in red.
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