Liverpool new signings: Confirmed ins and outs for Summer 2023

The Merseyside giants are in the middle of a revamp, but who are the Liverpool new signings during the Summer 2023 transfer window?

After missing out on Champions League qualification in 2022/23 and never threatening to get involved in the title race, Liverpool are faced with an important summer as they seek to rebuild their squad and particularly their midfield.

Like many Premier League clubs, they have welcomed interest from Saudi Arabia in some of their older players. They’ve also allowed a number of youngsters to leave on loan but there are some gaps that still need filling if they are going to move in the right direction next term. The Reds have a number of transfer targets in their sights but they’ve already got a couple of big deals over the line.

As the weeks tick over and other side's make blockbuster replenishments, the Reds continue to wait on further arrivals as they aim to balance their departures with incomings ahead of the highly anticipated 2023/24 campaign.

Here are all the confirmed Liverpool ins and outs so far as the club builds towards the new Premier League season.

Liverpool new signings: Summer 2023 arrivals

Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart)

Within the last 24/48 hours, at the time of writing, Wataru Endo has officially become one of Liverpool’s new signings. This is a move that not many Liverpool fans would have expected. But Klopp and the other powers that be at Liverpool decided that Endo would be a great asset for the club. As a result, Liverpool made a move for the Japanese midfielder on Wednesday, August 16th, and just five days later, the deal was done. Then again, Liverpool was left clutching at straws for a moment after they failed to sign Romeo Lavia and Moises Canceido. And since they desperately needed some strength in midfield for the upcoming season, Wataru Endo turned out to be the man that fits the bill.

Liverpool New Signings Wataru Endo

As you can see, Liverpool signed Endo from Stuttgart for a deal that is reportedly worth £16.2 million. This is significantly less than the amount of money that they’ve paid out for Szoboszlai and Mac Allister this summer, so one might say that this is a bargain. And given that Endo scored 15 goals in 133 appearances for VfB Stuttgart in his four-year spell there, he’s going to be a solid man to have in the middle of the park. Yet goals aside, it’s his creativity and ability to drop back and help in defence that must have stood out most for Liverpool.

As for the terms of this deal, Wataru Endo has signed a four-year contract with Liverpool, which will keep him at the club until 2027. Finally, of all the new Liverpool signings, it’s fair to say that Wataru Endo is one of the most thrilled and excited players. In fact, he stated that it’s a ‘dream come true’ to sign for a Premier League side!

Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig)

Liverpool new signings
Photo by Icon Sport

While he may be a relatively new name for Premier League fans, Dominik Szoboszlai has been lighting up the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig in the past two seasons. He previously played for RB Salzburg in Austria and already captains Hungary despite being only 22 years old.

That tells you a bit about his personality and maturity and Szoboszlai has already played a lot of football for one so young. Liverpool will be hoping he can settle quickly into the Premier League and make an immediate impact. An attacking midfielder, Szoboszlai registered 6 goals and 8 assists in the Bundesliga last term and given the hefty £60m fee, the Hungarian will be expected to play a key role for Liverpool in the upcoming season.

Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton)

Given some of the inflated potential transfer fees that are currently being quoted this summer, it feels like Liverpool may have got a real bargain when they snapped up Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton by paying his £35m release clause earlier in the window.

At 24, Mac Allister has already blossomed into a high-quality midfield player. He possesses a unique ability to progress the ball, either by passing or carrying it forwards and he should be a good fit for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The 2022/23 season was Mac Allister’s best yet as he announced himself on the world stage with a serious of mature displays as Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also made 31 starts in the Premier League as Brighton qualified for Europe, reaching double figures for goals.

Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich)

Leaving it till late, Liverpool added another midfielder to their squad in the form of Ryan Gravenberch. Joining for a total of £34.5m, the 21-year-old Netherlands international has put pen to paper on a 5-year deal. Gravenberch signed for Bayern last summer for just £15.8m, so the German side is turning a nice profit on a young player.

He played 24 times for Bayern last season, only 3 of which came as starts. Gravenberch has a lot of time to develop, though it seems for Bayern, they're keen to take a quick profit, rather than develop the young box-to-box midfielder.

Liverpool’s transfer departures

Arthur Melo (Juventus – end of loan)

Arthur Melo was the first of what would turn out to be a long list of Liverpool transfer departures this summer. As you’ll see from the list of players below, there's been a bit of a mass exodus in Merseyside in the last few months. Klopp and Liverpool have lost many top players over the last few weeks and months, and the 26-year-old Brazilian is another that has left the squad. Yet unlike some of his fellow countrymen that have set sail for the Saudi Pro League, Arthur Melo has simply moved back to Juventus – the club that loaned him to Liverpool for the 22/23 season. However, as you might be aware, while Melo joined Liverpool on loan for the 22/23 season, he didn’t have any impact. 

This was purely down to physical issues that prevented him from being able to represent the club as they had hoped. And following his departure back to Juventus, he’s been immediately loaned out again to Fiorentina.

Roberto Firmino (Al-Ahli)

Liverpool new signings
Photo by Icon Sport

A cult figure at Anfield, Roberto Firmino’s time as a Liverpool player is now over after the experienced forward moved to Saudi side Al-Ahli on a free transfer. He leaves after eight years on Merseyside where he helped the Reds win a host of trophies. 

Firmino was always a popular team player who played a key role in some of Liverpool’s biggest recent successes but his importance to the team has waned over the past two seasons with the Brazilian losing his starting role in Klopp’s strongest eleven.

The 31-year-old signed off his dazzling career at Anfield in style, netting in his final two Premier League games to bid farewell to fans both home and away, ending his league tally on 82 goals in 256 appearances.

Fabinho (Al-Ittihad)

After lots of speculation, Fabinho followed Firmino in making the move to the lucrative Saudi Pro League, signing a deal with Al-Ittihad. The Brazilian will join the likes of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante at the club, securing a move worth £40m after making 219 appearances for Liverpool. 

The 29-year-old was instrumental in Klopp’s midfield in the Reds’ charge for the Premier League title and their sixth Champions League win, however will now endeavour in pastures new bringing his five year association with Anfield to a close. 

Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq)

Fabinho and Firmino weren’t the only players to opt to make the move to Saudi Arabia, with captain Jordan Henderson deciding to join fellow ex-red Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. The 33-year-old made the switch that gave Liverpool a fee rumoured to be around £12m, after spending 12 years on Merseyside experiencing the highs and lows. 

The Englishman lifted both the Premier League and the Champions League as club captain, and ended his time representing the club on 492 appearances in all competitions. 

With both Fabinho and Henderson venturing to earn the millions on offer in Saudi Arabia, there is a slight worry as to where the defensive cover will come in the midfield as a result of their absence. 

James Milner (Brighton)

Another very popular player to leave the club this summer is James Milner. Much like Firmino, Milner arrived at Anfield in 2015 and would go on to become a widely respected figure in the Liverpool dressing room, serving the team selflessly and occupying a variety of different positions during his time at the club.

Milner, who made his Premier League debut over two decades ago, will once again be in the English top flight in the 2023/24 season with his experience likely to be a real asset for Brighton as they embark on a European adventure.

Naby Keita (Werder Bremen)

Liverpool are embarking on a big midfield revamp this summer and Naby Keita has been one of the fall guys. Keita has struggled to truly impose himself during his five seasons at Anfield and only made three Premier League starts last term. Injuries have been a big factor in Keita’s inability to really shine in England and he returns to Germany, signing for Werder Bremen on a free transfer.

Fabio Carvalho (RB Leipzig – Loan)

Another Liverpool midfielder heading for the Bundesliga is Fabio Carvalho. Only a year after signing from Fulham, the 20-year-old will continue his development with RB Leipzig having struggled for regular minutes last term. He moves in the opposite direction to Szoboszlai and could feature for the German side in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Sepp van den Berg (FSV Mainz – Loan) 

Joining Carvalho in making a loan move to Germany is defender Sepp van den Berg, who has joined FSV Mainz on a season long loan. The 21-year-old will return to the country after spending last campaign at Schalke, however the centre-back only made nine Bundesliga appearances due to ongoing injury woes. 

In a second shot at the German top-tier, the Dutchman will hope to gain valuable minutes before returning to Liverpool where Klopp can evaluate his growth and determine his future. 

Calvin Ramsay (Preston North End – Loan)

Also heading on loan is fellow defender Calvin Ramsay, who has joined Championship side Preston North End on a season long loan. The 20-year-old was captured by the Reds last summer from boyhood club Aberdeen, where he has since made two senior appearances for Liverpool coming in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup. 

The Scotsman will have the opportunity to gain experience in the highly contested English second-tier. 

Rhys Williams (Aberdeen – Loan) 

While Ramsay arrived from Aberdeen last summer, 22-year-old Rhys Williams will embark on a season-long venture in the Scottish Premiership representing the club. The centre-back spent half of last term on loan at Blackpool before returning to Anfield in January. 

The Englishman has made 19 senior appearances for Liverpool so far, working his way up the academy where he has developed from a young age with the Reds. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Released)

It’s also the end of the road for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Liverpool with injuries seriously curtailing the 29-year-old’s time at Anfield. The Englishman provided some memorable moments including some big Champions League contributions, but has only really been a peripheral figure in recent years, making just 4 Premier League starts last term and only clocking up 17 minutes in Europe.

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