Where did it all begin? Jurgen Klopp dug Liverpool out of the trenches after replacing Brendan Rodgers at the helm, crafting a dynasty that restored the Premier League side as a global superpower.
He was a brilliant manager, and he worked wonders on Merseyside, inculcating an absorbing style of football that claimed silverware across every front. The whole gamut.
Partnered with Michael Edwards' transfer expertise, Liverpool thrived, and one of the biggest masterstrokes, if not the biggest, has got to be the £34m signing of Mohamed Salah from AS Roma.
The legend of Mohamed Salah
Salah earned a second shot at the Premier League back in 2017, having flattered to deceive as a younger, unpolished prospect with Chelsea, scoring two goals for the Blues before moving to Italy.
You know the rest… he's now one of the finest forwards in Premier League history, having scored 214 goals and added 92 assists across 352 appearances, hailed for his "world-class" ability by analyst Raj Chohan, among many others.
The Egypt international is an extraordinary forward, with peak athleticism, deadly finishing and elite-level technique and creativity that makes him a unique attacking asset.
1.
Mohamed Salah
44
25
0.56
2.
Darwin Nunez
54
18
0.33
3.
Cody Gakpo
53
16
0.30
4.
Diogo Jota
32
15
0.47
5.
Luis Diaz
51
13
0.25
Salah turned 32 in July, but he's started life under Arne Slot with utter dispatch, posting three goals and three assists apiece across Liverpool's opening three Premier League fixtures, recently tearing Manchester United to shreds.
He continues to shine as Liverpool's centrepiece, but what if the signing of Salah was not actually Liverpool's watershed moment?
It was actually an outgoing transfer that had the biggest effect on Klopp's dynasty and the present-day fortunes of Slot's Reds. It was the sale of Philippe Coutinho.
Selling Coutinho was Klopp's watershed moment
It was, at the time, as if a hole had ripped Liverpool's beating heart asunder. Klopp's tenure was in full swing, and the Merseysiders were starting to establish themselves as an incredible attacking force.
The iconic front three: Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino. They enjoyed over five years together and won it all during that timeframe, but for five balmy months, they were supplied by the ball-playing brilliance of Coutinho.
Matches (starts)
14 (13)
Goals
7
Assists
6
Pass accuracy
79%
Key passes*
2.9
Dribbles*
2.8
Tackles*
1.2
Total duels won*
5.6
Coutinho only made 14 Premier League in 2017/18, before he fled during the winter, but what a masterclass in scoring, in assisting, in dominating. Lucas Leiva, former Redman, hailed him as a "magician" and, honestly, it's fitting.
But alas, Coutinho had caught wind of Barcelona's interest, and, let's be frank, was playing out of his skin to convince Barcelona to pay the big bucks to secure his signature, having enjoyed several successful years in England, joining Liverpool from Inter Milan for just £8.5m in January 2013.
In August 2017, the former Brazil international handed in a transfer request as he sought to force his way through to Catalonia, and though this was rejected by Klopp and Co, La Blaugrana returned in January with an offer that could not be refused.
Barcelona paid £146m to bring Coutinho from Anfield to Camp Nou in January 2018. Look, he was rather irreplaceable, but he wasn't that irreplaceable. That's quite the payday for FSG, no doubt giddy and in need of a lie down upon the official bid.
After all, that sale meant that he left for 1570% more than was once paid for, which can only go down as brilliant business.
It was the most important bit of transfer business that Liverpool have conducted in a long, long time. More so than the signing of Salah, more so than the signing and sale of Luis Suarez, an iconic centre-forward of which Liverpool may never see the like of again.
Why? It opened up a world of opportunity, of course. Liverpool went on to sign Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson Becker (£67m), in the year that followed, ending a Klopp side that teemed with attacking talent but suffered for its defensive fragility.
They revolutionised the squad, proved to be transcendental deals that took a good team and turned it into a great one. It's a Liverpool side that still enjoys the veteran performances of both players today, and looks ready to tackle the obstacles for the biggest prizes under Slot's leadership.
Coutinho made it all very real. He proved to be the winning lottery ticket toward a golden age. We love him for his performances in Red, but we thank him for moving to Barcelona and sparking the most illustrious of periods.
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