Jürgen Klopp’s best Liverpool signing decided as unforgettable nine-year spell comes to end

Liverpool has had some pretty special moments with Jürgen Klopp at the helm. He has worked with some incredible players and those stars have won every trophy going in some remarkable circumstances.

But if you had to pick the best signing or the best player of the Klopp era at Liverpool, who would it be? Trent Alexander-Arnold would be right up there as well, of course, if you extend that question to best players rather than just signings.

Even so, there are several options to choose from. Some of our Liverpool.com writers have had their say and you can tell us yours in the comments section.

Mohamed Salah - Matt Addison

There is only one correct answer to this question: Mohamed Salah. Signed for just $45m (£36m/€42m), he has proven to be far more than just a one-season-wonder.

Salah has been at the top level at Liverpool for longer than any other player of the Jürgen Klopp era. There is a reason, after all, that he has outlasted the other members of the famed forward line which also included Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané.

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With all of his 211 goals for the Reds coming during Klopp's time at Anfield, the Egyptian has become one of the very best players in Liverpool's history with the German's guidance. And with an almost perfect injury record, he has played nearly 350 games under Klopp.

Salah sent Liverpool on its way with the early penalty in the Champions League final in 2019 and he got 29 goal contributions in the top flight when the Reds won the Premier League title in 2019/20. Even when Liverpool has struggled, Salah has still been consistent, scoring 30 times last season, for instance.

One of the best photographs of the Klopp era is the one with Salah celebrating his Champions League goal at the Etihad Stadium in front of the traveling supporters, and even when he wasn't playing against Barcelona, Salah's Never Give Up t-shirt became iconic.

For longevity, big moments, and sheer volume of games and goals, Salah is the number one player of the Klopp era. Without him, Liverpool's time under Klopp wouldn't have been the same.

Virgil van Dijk - James Martin

When Klopp first signed Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool had still not won anything during his tenure. 18 months after the defender's arrival, the Reds were champions of Europe again, having conceded just 22 goals across 38 league games.

Somehow, that was not enough for the Premier League crown. But it was enough to secure Van Dijk second place in the Ballon d’Or, just seven votes behind Lionel Messi. And the Premier League would come the following year. Liverpool again boasted the meanest defense in the division on the way to the long-awaited title.

A serious injury rocked Van Dijk’s case to be the best player of the Klopp reign, but the sheer extent to which he was missed tells its own story — it’s not fun to think about how much more Liverpool could have won without Jordan Pickford’s intervention.

But Van Dijk certainly hasn’t left Liverpool short-changed. He turned challengers into champions, and the man whom Klopp made captain has defined this era just as much as any of the attackers.

Alisson Becker - James Findlater

Van Dijk and Salah have undoubtedly been transformative signings for Liverpool. The Reds though wouldn’t have enjoyed the success they’ve had under Klopp without a certain Alisson Becker.

There’s a reason why he’s considered the best goalkeeper in the world, and he’s built that reputation at Anfield. Liverpool was in truly dire need of a top-class goalkeeper following Loris Karius’ nightmare showing in the Champions League final, and they got just that.

Alisson has produced some simply jaw-dropping moments over the years. Without that save against Napoli, Liverpool might never have won its sixth European crown. The save against Newcastle was out of this world. And of course, that header against West Brom — there’s a reason why it’s Klopp’s favorite goal.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Brazilian though is he manages to make what is a very difficult job look easy. His positioning is nearly always perfect, and even when his teammates’ levels dropped last season, he remained rock steady. You shudder to think just how much worse the Reds might have been without him during that campaign.

Goalkeepers generally don’t get the same credit as the outfielders. Alisson though should absolutely be considered just as important a signing, if not even more so, than some of his teammates.

Sadio Mané - Liam Prenderville

He was one of Klopp's first ever signings and in terms of value for money, few have been better than Sadio Mané over the years. The Senegalese forward arrived in 2016 in a $46m (£36m/€42m) deal and while he had impressed at Southampton, few could have predicted the impact he would have at Anfield.

Mané got off to a dream start on his debut by scoring in the win over Arsenal and it was to be a sign of things to come. He was named in the PFA Team of the Season in his debut campaign, one of four inclusions in his six seasons at Anfield, while he also claimed the Golden Boot in 2019.

The arrival of Mohamed Salah saw Mané hit new heights as the pair formed a formidable front three with Roberto Firmino that will go down in Liverpool folklore. Having arrived as a talented winger, he developed into a world-beater and his last-gasp derby winner at Goodison Park and sensational backheel against Watford remain incredible highlights.

His career has not exactly gone to plan since leaving Liverpool in 2022 but his impact during his time at Anfield should never be forgotten.