A total of 11 players left Liverpool for good during the summer transfer window and they aren’t all finding it easy post-Anfield
Leaving Liverpool is never the most easy of decisions. And for many players, it can be difficult adjusting to life after being at such a major club.
While there were only two new signings during the summer – one of which, Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, will only arrive next year – there were a raft of departures as new Reds head coach Arne Slot began to mould his squad.
Some, such as the majority of the six who left on a free transfer, had already known they were on their way before Slot was officially appointed as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at the start of June.
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However, a further five players subsequently departed before deadline day. And the fortunes of the 11 players who left Liverpool in the summer underline the issues that can often be faced when making is usually regarded a step down in standard.
For two players, though, it represented the end of the road regards their playing career, with Joel Matip having decided to follow Thiago Alcantara into retirement. Thiago had confirmed during the summer he was hanging up his boots and subsequently spent a brief spell coaching with former club Barcelona. He was last seen attending the goalless League One clash between Stockport County and Wigan Athletic earlier this month.
Fabio Carvalho was arguably the most high-profile player to leave for a fee, having joined Brentford in a deal that could net Liverpool £27.5million. The attacking midfielder has made a solid beginning with two goals and three assists in nine appearances in all competitions, although he has made only two Premier League starts.
Sepp van den Berg also moved to Brentford for a potential £25m and has become more firmly established in the line-up, the centre-back starting six of the last seven games.
However, Bobby Clark has been having a more testing time at Red Bull Salzburg having joined up with former Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders in a £10m switch. The 19-year-old midfielder hasn’t yet started a league game, but claimed an assist when beginning the 4-0 win over Wiener Viktoria in the Austrian Cup. However, two heavy defeats in two Champions League starts have prompted rumours of unrest in the dressing room at the arrival of both Clark and on-loan Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic.
Two more Academy players left for a transfer fee during the summer. Harvey Blair, a winger who featured under Slot during pre-season, joined Portsmouth for £300,000 and has made one start and six substitute appearances in the Championship for the South Coast side, who are yet to win this campaign and languish next to bottom.
Billy Koumetio, meanwhile, moved for an undisclosed fee to Scottish Premiership side Dundee. The centre-back has started the last six games but has yet to taste victory at his new club.
The other four Liverpool summer exits were on free transfers. Adrian returned to former club Real Betis as reserve goalkeeper and has made one appearance thus far in the UEFA Conference League.
Adam Lewis has become a regular on the left wing at Morecambe who are struggling at the foot of League Two, while winger Melkamu Fraudendorf has only recently returned from injury to make his debut for Hannover’s reserve team, who are in the third tier of the German pyramid.
And finally attacking midfielder Mateusz Musialowski moved to Cypriot team Omonia Nikosia but has so far been only to manage one brief substitute outing in a UEFA Conference League qualifier.
