Liverpool have been big fans of the German Bundesliga over the years having bought plenty of talent from the division.
Given former manager Jurgen Klopp spent his whole career in German football prior to joining the Reds, it was perhaps no surprise that he often returned to his homeland to pilfer players.
But with Klopp now out of the picture, Liverpool look set to continue their fascination with signing German-based players.
Jeremie Frimpong is set to sign and with Liverpool looking into a bold move for Florian Wirtz, this trend is clearly not going away any time soon. In preparation for the potential additions of Frimpong and Wirtz, the Reds’ last 10 Bundesliga signings can give an indication of what supporters can perhaps expect.
Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images
Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images
10. Loris Karius – £4.75m, Mainz, 2016
Sitting in 10th place in our ranking is former goalkeeper Loris Karius. Given some of the other names on this particular list, this is no disgrace to Karius, although he did not cover himself in glory at Liverpool.
Things started badly for the former Mainz man, with a wrist injury sustained in pre-season meaning he was always playing catch-up.
It was certainly not all bad for Karius, but after failing to secure the number one spot ahead of Simon Mignolet, the German had a nightmare in the 2018 Champions League final which proved to be his final ever game for Liverpool.
LFC appearances: 49. LFC goals: 0. Rating: 3/10.
9. Ragnar Klavan – £4.2m, Augsburg, 2016
Arriving with Karius was centre-back Ragnar Klavan, as Klopp raided his former division in his first summer as Liverpool manager.
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Joining as the first ever Estonian to play for the Reds, Klavan did a serviceable job as a back-up in a pre-Virgil van Dijk Liverpool defence.
While he was not the most gifted player, Klavan became a cult hero at Anfield and never let Liverpool down throughout his two years with the club.
LFC appearances: 53. LFC goals: 2. Rating: 6/10.
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
8. Naby Keita – £48m, RB Leipzig, 2017
Given the way some Liverpool supporters remember Naby Keita‘s time at the club, this one may be controversial.
However, when it is all boiled down, the Guinean still played his part in a hugely successful and memorable period for the club.
The £48m fee and the injuries are often all anyone remembers of Keita at Liverpool. But the midfielder also helped the Reds to big trophies, starting in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals of 2022 and there’s an argument that had he began over a half-fit Thiago Alcantara in the Champions League final that same year, Liverpool would have won it.
LFC appearances: 129. LFC goals: 11. Rating: 6/10.
7. Wataru Endo – £16m, Stuttgart, 2023
Liverpool’s latest signing from the Bundesliga is Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, who joined from Stuttgart in August 2023.
Initially seen as an underwhelming alternative to Liverpool’s huge failed move to sign Moises Caicedo, Endo soon proved himself in his own right.
An excellent first season as a regular under Klopp was followed up by a smaller role with Arne Slot in 2024/25. However, while Endo may have wanted to play more football, he still made his mark in a Premier League winning campaign and has developed into a real fan favourite at Anfield.
LFC appearances: 74. LFC goals: 2. Rating: 7/10.
6. Thiago Alcantara – £20m, Bayern Munich, 2020
Another who’s ranking may be slightly controversial, Thiago was arguably Liverpool’s biggest name signing of all time when he joined in 2020.
The Reds have had some enormous players over the years, but it isn’t often they sign a genuine superstar. Having just come off the back of a Man of the Match display in a Champions League final, Thiago was that.
Unfortunately, injuries badly disrupted his time at Anfield, leading many to peg his signing as a failure. However, the transfer fee was not enormous and Thiago still played his part in some good times at Liverpool. On his good days, he was simply unplayable and there were enough of those for us to put the bad stuff to one side.
LFC appearances: 98. LFC goals: 3. Rating: 7/10.
5. Dominik Szoboszlai – £60m, RB Leipzig, 2023
The second arrival on this list from Leipzig, Dominik Szoboszlai took over the No. 8 shirt vacated by Keita in 2023.
Immediately, Szoboszlai set about impressing the Anfield faithful, leading to suggestions the Hungarian could be ‘the new Steven Gerrard.’
Although those calls have since died down and Szoboszlai has struggled for true consistency in his game, the midfielder has still played an enormous part in an unexpected Premier League title win at Liverpool. And the best is yet to come.
LFC appearances: 93. LFC goals: 15. Rating: 7/10.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
4. Ibrahima Konate – £35m, RB Leipzig, 2021
The final instalment of Liverpool’s Leipzig trio, Ibrahima Konate is perhaps the best of the lot.
Initially arriving as a back-up in the back four, Konate soon blossomed into one of the best centre-halves in Europe.
Having already won four major trophies with Liverpool in four years, the French defender has forced his way into the reckoning as Van Dijk’s regular, recognised partner. Konate’s current contract situation is a worry, but if the Reds can tie him down, he’ll only continue to get better.
LFC appearances: 131. LFC goals: 5. Rating: 8/10.
3. Ryan Gravenberch – £34m, Bayern Munich, 2023
The third Bundesliga arrival of the summer of 2023 and the second addition from Bayern in this list, Ryan Gravenberch has defied the odds to become Liverpool’s starting defensive midfielder.
Signed after a solitary, difficult year at Bayern, Klopp went about building back Gravenberch’s confidence. At the end of his first season, though, it had looked as though the Dutchman may never return to his old self.
But after the appointment of Slot, Gravenberch has been reborn. The 23-year-old was one of Liverpool’s absolute key players in winning the 2025 Premier League title and looks primed to be a starter for the Reds for years to come. A brilliant signing.
LFC appearances: 86. LFC goals: 4. Rating: 8/10.
2. Joel Matip – Free, Schalke, 2016
Quite possibly the most underrated signing of the Klopp era, Joel Matip deserves his place in Liverpool’s pantheon of great free transfers.
Brought in as an immediate starter alongside Dejan Lovren in 2016, it took the arrival of Van Dijk to bring out the best in Matip.
Paired with the Dutch giant, he never looked back. An assist in the Champions League final was probably his crowning moment, but Matip had many during a delightful, eight-year stay with the Reds.
LFC appearances: 201. LFC goals: 11. Rating: 8/10.
1. Roberto Firmino – £29m, Hoffenheim, 2015
As this list proves, Liverpool have had many, fantastic signings from the Bundesliga in the past 10 years. Frimpong and Wirtz could be yet more ammunition for that.
However, if both do end up arriving this summer, they’d do well to get anything close to the legacy Roberto Firmino leaves at Anfield.
Signed for a not inexpensive £29m at the time, Firmino turned out to be a bargain, paving the way to Klopp creating a system to dominate the Premier League and in Europe. A goal scorer, a goal creator and simply a man who played football the right way, Firmino will forever be a Liverpool legend.
LFC appearances: 362. LFC goals: 111. Rating: 9/10.