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The 61-year-old was coaxed out of retirement to serve as the Reds’ interim sporting director in the summer of 2023.

Having spent his entire playing, coaching and director career in Germany prior to his switch to Anfield, his native market was one that he knew like the back of his hand.

Sure enough, Liverpool wasted no time in putting him to work in acquiring their desired transfer markets from his homeland.

After Julian Ward’s last act in the role was finalising the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, the Reds completed a treble swoop on the Bundesliga under Schmadtke’s watch.

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Dominik Szoboszlai arrived in a £60m deal from RB Leipzig, before Liverpool completed the left-field signing of Wataru Endo in a £16.2m from VfB Stuttgart to solve their number six woes.

They would then complete their business by landing long-time target Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich in a £40m deal.

That would be the limit of Schmadtke’s incoming transfer activity, with the German confirmed to have left the club towards the end of the subsequent January transfer window.

Richard Hughes would then be appointed the following summer, and while he oversaw a quiet first transfer window, it is a very different story for the Scot 12 months on.

Now 18 months on from Schmadtke’s Anfield exit and Liverpool are active in the Bundesliga market once again.

The Reds are in talks to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, having already agreed personal terms with the striker.

Should they conclude a deal, he will become Liverpool’s third signing from Germany already this summer after the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5m) and Florian Wirtz (£116m) from Bayer Leverkusen.

Given that the Reds’ last shopping spree in Germany ultimately produced a midfield that would win Arne Slot’s side the Premier League title, Liverpool will be hoping for similar success this time around.

And there is perhaps a good reason why they have turned to Germany again, with it actually proving to be a fruitful market for them repeatedly over the past decade.

Ekitike is set to become the Reds’ 57th permanent senior signing since the summer of 2014.

From such a total, Liverpool have shopped most frequently from Premier League and Bundesliga sides.

Ekitke will be the 15th arrival from Germany during this time-period, going once again level with the English top-flight following Milos Kerkez’s signing last month.

With the striker, the Reds could put together a starting XI containing seven players who joined the club from the Bundesliga.

Six of their last 11 signings have arrived from Germany in their incoming striker, Wirtz, Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Endo and Gravenberch, while they also landed Ibrahima Konate in a £36m deal from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021.

While the France international could well leave the club on a free transfer next summer, there is no debate that he has been a resounding success during his time at Anfield.

Prior to the centre-back, Liverpool also snapped up Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita in the summers of 2020 and 2018 respectively.

The Spaniard joined in a £25m deal from Bayern Munich, while the Reds spent £52.75m on the Guinean two years prior.

While both would be plagued by injury problems during their time at Anfield before leaving at the end of their contracts, they also proved their worth and showed their quality when fit under Jurgen Klopp’s stewardship.

Keita won the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and League Cup and was often turned to in the biggest of games by his manager.

And while Thiago was limited to ‘just’ the FA Cup, he too was a favourite of both Klopp and supporters when available.

In Klopp’s first summer transfer window in 2016, Liverpool brought in four players from the Bundesliga.

Loris Karius would admittedly flop, and is best remembered for his costly, calamitous showing in the 2018 Champions League final, while veteran goalkeeper Alex Manninger never made an appearance for the club.

But Joel Matip established himself as a modern Reds legend, winning every major honour with the club, while Ragnar Klavan was a popular squad player.

Meanwhile, in the summers of 2014 and 2015 Liverpool brought in Emre Can and Roberto Firmino respectively.

The German was first-choice in the Reds’ midfield despite his tender age for the majority of his four-year stint, while the Brazilian would become one of the club’s best Premier League legends as he formed a deadly attacking triumvirate with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

He too won every major honour as he scored 111 goals and provided 72 assists during eight years at Anfield.

Prior to this summer, Liverpool had spent £277.9m on their last 12 signings from the Bundesliga over the past decade.

With Wirtz, Ekitike and Frimpong, such a total will reach roughly £500m after this latest £225m splurge on Germany.

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The Bundesliga market is one the Reds trust and has served them well, with a plethora of players successfully making the step-up to Anfield and adjusting well to Premier League football.

If the trio go to have the same impact as some of the names that went before them, it will once again be money well spent by Liverpool.