Southampton welcome Liverpool to St Mary’s this weekend, in the Reds’ first Premier League away day of the season.
Given the recent transfer history between the two sides, it’s a perfect time to look back at the eight players Liverpool have signed from the south coast club since the millennium.
Here’s how we rank them from worst to best.
8. Paul Jones
If you don’t remember Paul Jones it’s because he was a Liverpool player for just 19 days.
Signed on loan in January 2004 during an injury crisis between the sticks, he only made two appearances for the Reds and quickly returned to Southampton.
7. Rickie Lambert
Coming off a fantastic first two seasons in the Premier League with Southampton, where he scored a combined 28 goals, created a further 18 and made his England debut, Rickie Lambert was seen as a smart signing by Liverpool.
Lambert’s dream move was anything but a success, though, and the boyhood Red spent just a single season on Merseyside, scoring three times and assisting twice in all competitions.
The striker did have good moments, such as captaining Liverpool in the League Cup and scoring a late goal away to Aston Villa in the league, but he was shipped off to West Brom at the end of the season.
His career never really recovered after that.
6. Nathaniel Clyne
With just a year left on his contract, the signing of Nathaniel Clyne for £12.5 million in 2015 – he was one of the country’s best young full-backs at the time – was seen as a real coup.
In his first two seasons, Clyne played an integral part in Liverpool reaching the League Cup and Europa League finals, while also helping get the club back into the Champions League.
During this time he was arguably Liverpool’s most consistent and reliable player, but a long-term spell on the sidelines during his third season saw youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold brought in in his place.
Clyne has never regained it back since and the side has evolved without him, with Alexander-Arnold offering more in attack than the 28-year-old ever did.
His Liverpool career would arguably have come to an end this summer had it not been for another serious injury ruining any chance of a possible transfer.
5. Adam Lallana
Another Liverpool career ruined by multiple injuries, the tone for Adam Lallana’s Liverpool career was set when he got injured in training during his first pre-season.
Lallana was a mainstay for both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp for his first two seasons, before reaching his peak in his third.
Moved into an advanced midfield position for the 2016/17 campaign, the 31-year-old was a key part of the side that qualified for the Champions League – he scored eight goals and assisted seven more – but he never reached those heights again.
On his day Lallana is a fine player, but unless something massively changes, his Liverpool career will be known for his time spent off the pitch, rather than on it.
4. Dejan Lovren
Some Liverpool fans may be rejoicing right now as Dejan Lovren’s time at the club is coming to an end, but although there have been many lows, he has been a decent centre-back for the Reds.
Never the best defender, he always gave his all and was important during runs to finals and top-four finishes. His 2017/18 season might have been his best at the club, as Liverpool reached the Champions League final.
Plus, who could forget his winner against Borussia Dortmund?
3. Peter Crouch
The last Southampton signing before the recent batch, Peter Crouch was signed by the then European Champions Liverpool for £7 million in 2005.
Crouch’s start on Merseyside couldn’t have gone any worse, beginning with a 19-game goal drought spanning four months.
After finally breaking his duck, the striker went on to have three successful seasons at Liverpool, scoring some beauties along the way.
In his most fruitful campaign at Liverpool, 2006/07, Crouch found the back of the net 18 times, including a ‘perfect’ hat-trick against Arsenal.
After playing a key role in helping the club reach its second Champions League final in three years, Crouch found his game time shortened by the arrival of Fernando Torres and returned to former club Portsmouth the following summer.
Crouch is rightly remembered as a cult figure at Anfield for his goals, abnormal height, wonderful chant and wit.
2. Sadio Mane
Fans may not have known it at the time, but the arrival of Sadio Mane signalled the true beginning of Klopp’s Liverpool.
After two good seasons in England, the German splashed the cash and brought in the winger for a reported £36 million – a fee that was seen as a bit too much at the time.
Needless to say, Mane is worth more than double that right now.
In his first season he scored 13 goals, sending Liverpool to the Champions League and winning the club’s Player of the Season award.
The next year saw the Senegal international net 20 times in all competitions, including a staggering 10 in the Champions League, scoring in the final defeat to Real Madrid.
Mane ended last season with a career-best 26 in all competitions, and as a European champion.
Without his signing, Liverpool would have not reached the top four in 2016/17, therefore not making back-to-back Champions League finals.
He may be one of the club’s most important signings of all time.
1. Virgil van Dijk
Although Mane signalled a massive change at Anfield, no player has ever had the instant impact Virgil van Dijk has at Liverpool.
In January 2018, Liverpool announced the signing of the centre-back for a then world record £75 million for a defender – he has since set an unreachable standard for others to reach.
How can you when you are competing with someone who hasn’t been dribbled past in over 60 games?
Van Dijk’s influence brought Liverpool to consecutive Champion League finals, winning one as he helped the Reds cement themselves among Europe’s elite once again.
The first defender since John Terry to win the PFA Player of the Year award, Van Dijk is also the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or later this year.
He has had a colossal impact at Anfield, becoming the best centre-back on the planet and one of the world’s leading players.
