Liverpool have seen lots of players leave for huge money in the past, but who are the most expensive departures in their history?
Transfer business was relatively quiet at Anfield in recent windows before owners FSG splashed the cash on the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in 2025.
Liverpool's most expensive signings of all time
Liverpool have splashed the cash in recent years, but who are their priciest additions?
ByLewis Thompson
In the past, Liverpool have generated huge funds through the exits of certain players. Here are the 20 most expensive sales in Reds history.
Rank
Player
Sold to
Year
Fee
Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona
2018
Luis Suarez
Barcelona
2014
Luis Diaz
Bayern Munich
2025
Fernando Torres
Chelsea
2011
Raheem Sterling
Man City
2015
Darwin Nunez
Al-Hilal
2025
Fabinho
Al-Ittihad
2023
Sadio Mane
Bayern Munich
2022
Jarell Quansah
Bayer Leverkusen
2025
Christian Benteke
Crystal Palace
2016
Xabi Alonso
Real Madrid
2009
Fabio Carvalho
Brentford
2024
Mamadou Sakho
Crystal Palace
2017
Ben Gannon-Doak
Bournemouth
2025
Danny Ings
Southampton
2019
Sepp van den Berg
Brentford
2024
Dominic Solanke
Bournemouth
2019
Javier Mascherano
Barcelona
2010
Neco Williams
Nottingham Forest
2022
Andy Carroll
West Ham
2013
10 Christian Benteke Liverpool to Crystal Palace (£32m)
The signing of Christian Benteke in 2015 never quite felt right for Liverpool, during a time when doubts were starting to creep in about Brendan Rodgers as manager.
The Belgian had admittedly caused the Reds plenty of problems in an Aston Villa shirt in the past, but his performances at Anfield were lacking, and he only spent one season at the club.
Granted, Benteke’s overhead kick away to Manchester United was stunning, albeit in a losing cause, but a tally of just 10 goals in 42 appearances outlined his struggles, as he failed to justify his £32m price tag. Like Sakho, he was sold to Crystal Palace, with Liverpool breaking even following his departure.
9 Jarell Quansah Liverpool to Bayer Leverkusen (£35m)
Jarell Quansah was a product of Liverpool’s academy, so his £35m transfer to Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 was seen as pure profit to help with FFP and the club’s summer spending spree.
The centre-back made 58 senior appearances for the Reds prior to his move to the Bundesliga, and there is thought to be a buy back clause included in the deal.
8 Sadio Mane Liverpool to Bayern Munich (£35m)
It’s easy to think about current stars Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah as the poster boys of the current era at Liverpool, but Sadio Mane cannot be ignored.
The Senegalese was an unbelievable servant for the Reds during a six-year period between 2016 and 2022, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances and arguably standing out as his side’s best player in the title-winning 2019/20 season.
Fast, skilful, strong, tenacious and full of end product, Mane was a world-class player at the peak of his powers prior to moving to Bayern Munich for £35m, just when he was showing signs of being on the wane.
7 Fabinho Liverpool to Al-Ittihad (£40m)
Fabinho felt like a huge piece of the jigsaw being filled when he joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2018, and it is no coincidence that the Reds won the Champions League and the Premier League in his first two seasons at the club.
A dominant presence at the heart of the midfield, the Brazilian was one of Europe’s leading No 6s in his prime, combining an elite reading of the game with his underrated quality on the ball.
However, Fabinho’s legs seemed to go in 2022/23, as was the case with Jordan Henderson, and it made sense to sell him to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad for £40m the following summer.
6 Darwin Nunez Liverpool to Al-Hilal (£46.2m)
Darwin Nunez cost Liverpool an initial £64m from Benfica back in 2022, and after failing to hit the heights at Anfield across three seasons, the Reds decided a change was needed.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal came calling in 2025, and with the Reds already having Hugo Ekitike through the door at Anfield and soon signing Alexander Isak, cashed in on Nunez for just over £46m.
5 Raheem Sterling Liverpool to Manchester City (£49m)
Raheem Sterling’s meteoric rise at Liverpool was hugely impressive, with the Englishman going from youth team star to key first-team player in no time during the early part of the 2010s.
He was outstanding in the 2013/14 season despite still being a teenager, coming so close to playing a big role in the Reds winning the Premier League, and performed at a level of maturity beyond his years.
However, Sterling burned his bridges with Liverpool fans when he opted to join Manchester City for £49m in 2015, and many appearances at Anfield since have seen him booed relentlessly.
4 Fernando Torres Liverpool to Chelsea (£50m)
When Fernando Torres joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007, he felt like one of the most exciting signings in the history of the club.
The Spanish star backed up the hype, becoming one of the world’s best strikers in his first couple of years on Merseyside, giving defenders nightmares – not least Nemanja Vidic. He may not have won a trophy at Liverpool, but 81 goals in 142 games was a stunning return.
When Torres controversially joined Chelsea for £50m in January 2011, many supporters were devastated, but the truth is that his very best days were already behind him.
3 Luis Diaz Liverpool to Bayern Munich (£65.5m)
Luis Diaz was brilliant for Liverpool during his three-and-a-half-year stay at Anfield, so it was a slight surprise that he wanted to pursue a move to Bayern Munich in 2025.
The Colombia international, who cost the Reds an initial £37m, won the Premier League before heading to the German giants, with Liverpool making a tidy profit on Diaz in the process.
2 Luis Suarez Liverpool to Barcelona (£75m)
Has there ever been a more talented player in Liverpool’s history than Luis Suarez?
What the Uruguayan achieved in a Reds shirt between 2011 and 2014 was unforgettable, with only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo arguably better than him during that period.
Suarez came painfully close to inspiring Liverpool to title glory in 2013/14, scoring 31 goals in just 33 league appearances, and his £75m exit to Barcelona at the end of that campaign was hard to take.
1 Philippe Coutinho Liverpool to Barcelona (£142m)
In hindsight, the £142m sale of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018 is one of the best pieces of business the Reds have ever done.
While there was discontent about him leaving at the time, having grown into his side’s attacking talisman, it allowed Liverpool to use the funds to sign Alisson and Van Dijk, and the rest is history.
The legendary goalkeeper and centre-back completely transformed the Reds as a team under Klopp, turning them into one of the best club sides of their generation. Meanwhile, Coutinho’s career has completely petered out ever since, with injuries and patchy form turning him into a shadow of his former self.