Liverpool signed £35m Man Utd target and relegated bargain after World Cup heroics
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World Cup 2026 is well underway and Liverpool could be eyeing up players who make a major impact in the summer tournamentThe World Cup often sees its brightest stars make transfers once the tournament concludes and Liverpool have pounced on eye-catchers in the past. The RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger impressed in his nation's opening win against Ecuador, intensifying the rumours that Andoni Iraola's Reds could make a move.This will not be the only ace whose stock skyrockets after World Cup heroics and the ECHO takes a look back at some players Liverpool snapped up post-tournament.Cody Gakpo - World Cup 2022Cody Gakpo is still a pivotal member of the Liverpool squad, having arrived under Jurgen Klopp in January 2023.
Clubs immediately came sniffing and Manchester United were reportedly interested in the then-PSV man.But it was Liverpool who secured a £35million deal and Gakpo remains one of his country's leading lights, starting for them at this tournament.Xherdan Shaqiri - World Cup 2018Four years before Gakpo was snapped up, Xherdan Shaqiri, who had just been relegated with Stoke City, played his way onto Liverpool's radar.Shaqiri was irreplaceable for a Switzerland side that were eliminated in the round of 16 and his goal to seal a win against Serbia became iconic. While his spell at Anfield wasn't exactly groundbreaking, he was an ideal squad player, didn't complain about a lack of minutes and even bagged a brace against Manchester United.Divock Origi - World Cup 2014Speaking of cult heroes, one of Reds fans' most beloved strikers arrived at the club on the back of a stellar World Cup campaign.
In the years to come, he would earn himself a place in the hearts of supporters, scoring that goal against Barcelona and sealing the Champions League final in 2019.El Hadji Diouf - World Cup 2002Not all of Liverpool's post-World Cup signings were successful, however. World Cup 2002 produced a fairytale result for Senegal, as they beat France in the opening game and made it all the way to the quarter-finals.Young El Hadji Diouf was the standout with his direct running and he was even named in that year's World Cup All-Star team.