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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
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Kieran King

8 Liverpool stars who left in summer transfer window - and how they've fared so far

Sadio Mane was amongst eight Liverpool players to leave the club in the summer - a period of change at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp freshened up his squad.

The Reds only made three summer additions but offloaded some of the deadwood, apart from Mane of course, after he made the big-money move to Bayern Munich. Mane spent six years at the Reds, winning five major trophies including the Champions League and the Premier League.

However, Klopp brought in Darwin Nunez to replace the Senegal international, with the 22-year-old arriving in a deal worth around £85million from Benfica. Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsey also joined the Reds as Klopp began to lower the average age of his squad. That meant eight players inevitably left, with some departing for fees and others on a free transfer.

So, with that in mind, here is a look at the eight players that departed Liverpool in the summer.

Loris Karius

The German shot-stopper became one of Klopp's first signings in May 2016 when he arrived from Mainz to become the club's No.1 after Simon Mignolet struggled during his time at Anfield. However, Loris Karius made just 49 appearances before being replaced by Alisson two years later.

He spent time out loan at Besiktas and Union Berlin, before leaving the Reds at the end of his contract in June - over four years since his final game for the club. Karius spent a number of months as a free agent, before Newcastle United captured his services last week following Martin Dubravka's departure on deadline day.

Loris Karius made the switch to Newcastle United on deadline day (Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Divock Origi

A cult hero amongst many Liverpool fans, Divock Origi delivered some memorable moments during his time at the Reds, including scoring in the Champions League final against Tottenham. However, Origi would depart after eight years at the club in the summer, with the forward netting 41 goals in 175 matches.

Origi joined AC Milan on a free transfer in July but it is safe to say his time in Italy has not gone to plan. Italian journalist Alvise Cagnazzo has labelled Origi as the 'worst signing of the season' in Serie A in a report in the Daily Mail , and he doesn't hold back with his verdict on the former Liverpool striker.

"There is no doubt who the worst signing of the season has been in Serie A: Divock Origi," Cagnazzo's report read. "The Belgian left Liverpool hoping to finally nail down a starting spot at a top club, but his time at AC Milan has so far been a disaster."

Divock Origi is yet to score for AC Milan (Roland Krivec/Getty Images)

Sheyi Ojo

Exciting winger Sheyi Ojo was tipped to be the next Premier League talent when he made the £2m switch to Liverpool in 2011. He came through the club's academy before breaking into the first-team. However, Ojo made just 13 appearances for the Reds, before going on a number of loan spells to the likes of Fulham Millwall and Rangers.

His time at the Reds came to an end in the summer, however, with Cardiff City capturing the services of the 25-year-old on a two-year deal. Ojo has made nine Championship appearances to date, although he has failed to register a goal or an assist in that time.

Sheyi Ojo in action for Cardiff (PA)

Ben Woodburn

Like Ojo, Ben Woodburn was backed to shine at the Reds, but his career turned in a similar fashion. The winger became Liverpool's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of just 17 when he scored against Leeds United in 2016.

Woodburn would play just 11 games for the Reds, while he also spent some time out on loan at Hearts, Oxford and Sheffield United, before leaving in the summer. He has since joined Preston North End, with Woodburn scoring one in seven matches so far.

Sadio Mane

The most high-profile player to leave the Reds, Mane has struggled during his short time at Bayern so far. He has scored just three times in nine matches, with Mane dropped for their game against Stuttgart on Saturday.

Sadio Mane playing for Bayern Munich against Barcelona (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Should Liverpool have kept Sadio Mane? Let us know in the comments below!

Bayern boss Julian Nagelsman expressed his concern over Mane's form following their 2-0 win over Barcelona. "He put in so much for Liverpool," Nagelsmann, whose club snapped up the 30-year-old in June, began. "He's a new signing. He just needs to adapt. He was trying. I'm certain he will succeed for us."

Takumi Minamino

Another cult hero, Minamino arguably singlehandedly kept Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last season, with a dramatic last minute equaliser against Leicester City in the quarter-final. The Reds eventually won the game on penalties and went on to win the competition by beating Chelsea in the final.

Minamino, however, decided to pursue a new challenge in the summer, having netted 14 goals in 54 matches for the club since his move from RB Salzburg. The midfielder made the £17m switch to Monaco but has failed to find the net in six matches so far.

Takumi Minamino was a cult hero at Liverpool (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Neco Williams

Having acted as back-up as Trent Alexander-Arnold for a number of years, Neco Williams chose to leave the Reds as he joined newly-promoted Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £17m. The 21-year-old came through the Reds' academy and appeared 33 times for the first-team, picking up a Premier League medal in the meantime.

Williams has started in every Forest league game so far this season, providing one assist against Bournemouth. The arrival of Serge Aurier earlier in the month will provide some competition for Williams, while Loic Bade can also play in the same position.

Neco Williams has made a bright start to his Nottingham Forest career (PA)

Ben Davies

One of the most bizarre signings in Premier League history, Ben Davies joined the Reds from Preston in January 2021 with Liverpool short for numbers in central defence following injuries to Virgil van Djik, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. But Davies didn't even make a senior appearance during his 18-month stint at Anfield and left to join Rangers.

Davies has made three appearances for the Gers so far, and made his Champions League debut last month.

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