So, if it wasn’t Robertson, Mane or Salah, who would come next? The obvious answer was Alisson Becker, whose arrival in 2018 coincided with Liverpool winning the Champions League and Premier League in the next two seasons. The Brazilian stopper was a huge upgrade on Loris Karius and, even if he was an expensive signing at £68m, it has proved to be money well spent.
But not even Alisson can boast to have the same impact as Virgil van Dijk, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or in 2019 to Lionel Messi. The Dutchman is widely regarded as the best defender to grace the Premier League since the likes of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, taking another step towards greatness after his £75m switch to Anfield.
Again, it is difficult to argue against Van Dijk’s placement. Liverpool have never had trouble scoring goals like Salah, but their defensive reaguard action led by the centre-back was pivotal to their first domestic title in 30 years back in 2019-20.
As ChatGPT concludes: “Van Dijk has been a transformational presence in Liverpool’s defence, helping the team win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. His commanding presence and defensive prowess have been instrumental.”
