Five worst Liverpool signings under FSG as owners mark 15 years in charge

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It hasn’t always been smooth sailing under Fenway Sports Group (FSG) since they took control of Liverpool 15 years ago, and even the most successful owners are bound to make mistakes.  Over the last decade, Liverpool’s transfer strategy has become far more consistent, helping the club challenge domestically and in Europe.

Transcript

00:00It hasn't always been smooth sailing under Fenway Sports Group since they took control

00:06of Liverpool 15 years ago and even the most successful owners are bound to make mistakes.

00:12Over the last decade, Liverpool's transfer strategy has become far more consistent, helping

00:18the club challenge domestically and in Europe. Buying the right players is crucial, but so

00:23too is knowing when to let them go, as seen with this summer's sales of Jarl Kwanza and

00:28Harvey Elliott.

00:31Yet even the best-run clubs make signings that simply don't work out. One of Liverpool's

00:35most infamous mistakes came in 2014, the summer that sealed Brendan Rodgers' fate after narrowly

00:41missing the Premier League title. Instead of consolating with players who could elevate

00:47the squad, the club made several puzzling acquisitions.

00:53Mario Balotelli signed for £16 million from AC Milan, managed just four goals in 28 games

00:58and clashed with management. He later admitted the move was the worst mistake of my life,

01:04citing difficulties with Rodgers and Klopp.

01:07Ricky Lambert, another 2014 arrival from Southampton for £4 million but only scored three goals

01:13in 36 games. While he gave it his all, he was clear he wasn't the solution to replace

01:19Luis Suarez.

01:21Liza Markovic signed for £20 million, never settled, making 34 appearances in five years.

01:28Christian Benteke came in 2015 for £32.5 million after shining at Aston Villa. Despite his physical

01:35presence and scoring record, he struggled to adapt to Liverpool's tactical style, netting

01:39just ten times in 42 appearances before being sold at a loss.

01:45Not all bad signings were poor players. Many simply weren't the right fit for the club at

01:51that moment. FSG's overall transfer record has been strong, but these missteps underline

01:56the challenges of building a squad that balances talent, mentality and tactical suitability.

02:03Even with success, recruitment in football is never an exact science. These five cases remain

02:09lessons in the complexities of squad building.

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