Liverpool have cashed in on a number of their star players in years gone by and how they've replaced them has been key
Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez pose in front of Liverpool badge
Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez signed for Liverpool on the same day(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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When it comes to unforgettable and frantic transfer deadline days, Liverpool's in January 2011 takes some beating. The last summer window saw the Reds splash the cash to the tune of £400million and there could yet be more to come on deadline day this year, but it's hard to match 2011 for drama.
There was a sense of optimism surrounding Anfield at the time despite an underwhelming first half of the 2010/11 campaign under Roy Hodgson leaving the Reds seventh. Hodgson was dismissed just months into his tenure, though, and club icon Kenny Dalglish was brought in as manager on a short-term deal.
At boardroom level, Fenway Sports Group, who remain in charge today, had only just taken the reins. Yet the positive atmosphere was short-lived as news broke that Chelsea were pursuing much-loved striker Fernando Torres.
The Spaniard, who had been a sensation upon his 2007 arrival with a 33-goal return in his maiden campaign, was now open to a change of scenery. Hamstring problems and knee surgery in 2010 had robbed Torres of his explosive pace, causing his performances to decline, though he still found the net 22 times in 2009/10.
While Torres' name continued to ring out passionately from the Anfield terraces, there were question marks after the exit of manager Rafa Benitez, with whom he enjoyed a strong relationship, and doubts surrounding the club's ownership situation.
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Torres gave fans reason to be hopeful in August 2010, saying: "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed." However, things would soon change.
The dismal displays under Hodgson quickly extinguished that commitment and Chelsea made their move with a £40million bid on January 27. Liverpool knocked back that approach, maintaining their star forward was not available for purchase, only for Torres to devastate supporters with a transfer request just a day later.
Chelsea's Italian Manager Carlo Ancelotti (L) and new signing, Spanish striker Fernando Torres pose for photographers during a press conference at Chelsea's training grounds in Cobham, Surrey, on February 4, 2011.
Fernando Torres at his Chelsea unveiling(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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On the final day of the window, Liverpool accepted a colossal £50m offer, establishing a new British transfer record. The deal made Torres the sixth most expensive player in the history of the game at that point.
He penned a five-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea, damaging his standing at Anfield by moving to a direct rival and ultimately receiving a hostile reception in subsequent matches against his former club. Liverpool had already been preparing to bring in a replacement late in the window, though, landing Luis Suarez from Ajax at approximately 9pm on deadline day for what was then a club record £22.8m.
However, they weren't satisfied with the Uruguayan alone, believing they also required a Premier League experienced forward. The transfer record stood for just a few hours, as the Reds pulled off a remarkable £35m deal to bring Andy Carroll from Newcastle with just moments remaining before the window slammed shut.
"It's a dream to be able to come and play here," said Suarez upon his arrival. "My ambitions for the future are to do my very best for Liverpool, to try to learn more about English football and to become a champion."
Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll and Maxi Rodriguez at Liverpool
Carroll was far less of a success on Merseyside than Suarez(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, Dalglish discussed how Carroll could integrate into the squad following his remarkable emergence at Newcastle that campaign: "He's a big lad but is very good on the deck as well, he has good feet, he's very strong in the air and he'll give us a bit of presence up front. He's a little bit different to what we've been used to but it won't change our principles and philosophies of how we want to play."
In total, Premier League clubs invested more than £100m on a single day across those three forwards. Within a week, early signs emerged of what lay ahead as Suarez found the net on his Liverpool debut against Stoke, Torres endured a difficult first Chelsea outing – a loss to Liverpool – whilst Carroll remained unavailable due to a thigh problem.
Despite netting a vital goal in the build-up to Chelsea's 2012 Champions League final victory, Torres' spell west London was largely underwhelming in the context of the fee, while Carroll would manage just 11 goals for the Reds before departing for West Ham.
Suarez emerged as the genuine successor to Torres at Liverpool. The divisive forward would net 82 goals in 133 outings, including 31 in his final campaign, before securing a high-profile transfer to Barcelona in 2014.