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While Liverpool's summer midfield arrivals have enjoyed decent debut campaigns at Anfield, many of those who departed have struggled.

In 2023, Jörg Schmadtke snapped up Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru End? for roughly the same price that he sold an underperforming Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.

The pair have rejuvenated Liverpool's midfield ranks, while Dominik Szoboszlai cost more and Ryan Gravenberch is yet to show a level of consistency that will need to come in time, but both could easily become two more steals.

Naby Keïta, who cost $65m (£52m/€60m) in 2018, was one that didn't live up to the billing.

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In many ways, the excitement that built after Michael Edwards agreed the deal for Keïta was unhelpful.

He signed a three-year deal with Bremen but could be looking for another club already this summer, having failed to impress on and off the pitch.

The reason that Liverpool was so keen to sign Keïta was that the Bundesliga talent, then 22 or 23, was showing up highly in all of the numbers.

While that didn't happen at Anfield, there is a player now who is fulfilling that role.

Mac Allister, signed for around two-thirds of what Keïta cost, is doing what Liverpool wanted.

He is in the 88th for the total number of shots and the 85th for tackles, showcasing just how rounded a midfield player he is.

That kind of all-action, world-class presence in the center of the pitch was what Liverpool thought it was getting when Keïta arrived.