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A little over 12 months ago, Andy Carroll's ignominious place in Liverpool history still stood firm.

An unwanted beacon of a bygone era where chaos ruled over clarity in Liverpool's transfer dealings, the £35million signing is still head-scratcher over seven years on.

The fact that Liverpool spent so much on an injury prone target-man who netted just 11 times in 58 games was repeatedly used as a stick to beat the Reds with by the hoards in the online banter brigade.

Thankfully, for Liverpool supporters, Carroll's £35m fee is the inglorious footnote that is no more.

(Image: ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Carroll has slipped from first to sixth in the list of the most expensive players in Liverpool's storied history. Even in the current climate where transfer fees have spiralled beyond all reasonable recognition, Liverpool - and FSG's - show of intent in the transfer market has been felt across Europe.

Liverpool have spent the past 12 months, thinking, acting and performing like a big club.

Big deals. Minimal fuss. Maximum output.

Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards will rightly take the plaudits for how Liverpool are progressing in the transfer market, but owners FSG have backed them to the hilt. It's a recipe which hints at a glorious future for the Reds.

(Image: (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))

First was the June arrival of Mohamed Salah, who joined from Roma for £36.9m. It initially appeared to be something of a gamble by Klopp, but the Egypt international made those concerns look laughable in a truly stunning debut season.

Salah ended his first year at Anfield with literally dozens of personal awards and records, a 44-goal haul and a 'world-class' status.

Another summer recruit was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who joined the Reds for a fee reported to be between £35m and £40m in August last year.

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Eyebrows were raised when Klopp spent big on a player who had never reached his full potential in north London and had less than a year left on his contract, but the Reds manager was convinced.

After an initial struggle to impose himself, Oxlade-Chamberlain started to find his feet and had become an important part of the hard-running, energetic midfield prior to his cruel, season-ending injury in April.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was arguably in the form of his career before the knee injury sustained against Roma. The England international finally thriving after being entrusted to perform in his favoured role as a central attacking midfielder.

Naby Keita's future arrival was another that was confirmed last summer, with the Reds being made to wait 11 months for the arrival of the gifted Guinean from RB Leipzig.

Liverpool's fee for the all-action midfielder was confirmed in May after Leipzig finished their Bundesliga campaign in sixth. The Reds paid the Germans £52.75m.

The Keita deal was a decisive one. After negotiations appeared to be dead in the water, Liverpool struck and announced the future transfer on an August Bank Holiday, catching many by surprise in the process.

January finally saw Virgil van Dijk become a Liverpool player. The Dutchman more than doubling the fee of Carroll as he became the most expensive defender in world football at £75m.

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The classy and commanding Van Dijk wasted little time proving why Klopp was so fierce in his determination to snare him from Southampton.

The centre-back was key to helping Liverpool towards the Champions League final, and he is the bedrock behind the promise of a thrilling Reds adventure next term.

If the Keita deal was a surprise to many in August 2017, Liverpool's completion of the Fabinho one in May was a genuine bolt from the blue.

The Brazilian midfielder was confirmed as a Liverpool player on May 28 for £39.3m as the Reds dusted themselves off from Champions League final heartache in emphatic fashion.

(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Fabinho is the man many believe has solved the problem position of defensive midfield in the Anfield engine room. He was a player reportedly courted by Manchester United for so long, but Liverpool's move was as stealthy as it was stunning.

Which brings us to the latest name in the frame - Alisson.

The Reds made a whopping £62million bid this week in an effort to finally put to bed the goalkeeping issue that has threatened to engulf their pre-season campaign so far.

After Loris Karius followed up his costly Champions League final meltdown with another mis-step at Tranmere, the Reds acted decisively, making a potentially world-record breaking offer for Roma and Brazil's No.1.

Again, the Reds have acted aggressively and pursued a top target with a big-money bid that will make their competitors sit up and take note.

Karius, it has since transpired, was actually concussed when he committed the two horrendous, goal-gifting errors in the biggest game of his career - but the cold, harsh reality is that Liverpool were undone by the lack of a top-class goalkeeper in between the posts in Kiev.

Should Alisson become the latest through the door at Anfield this summer, then a season which already promised so much will be even more eagerly anticipated by Reds fans.