Who do Liverpool need to sign to retain the title? Keep up with all the Reds news with our free daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The phrase 'selling club' isn't often used in a positive sense. The idea that a team regularly flog their best players tends to be a criticism, not a pat on the back.

But is that fair? In the modern game, should clubs be praised for getting top dollar for their biggest stars?

We ask because, once they have seen the table below, Liverpool fans are going to be posing that very question.

According to CIES Football Observatory , an academic research group in Switzerland known for their SERIOUS football analysis, Liverpool are officially the 'selling club' of Europe.

(Image: Getty)

They looked at the money every club in Europe's top five leagues has received from the sale of players during this decade (i.e. 2010-2016).

And, partly thanks to the money The Reds got for these guys…

(Image: Clive Brunskill)

…Liverpool have made a whopping €442million (£379million) from player sales in that time.

That is comfortably the highest figure in the Premier League, ahead of Tottenham and Chelsea:

English clubs with biggest player sales, 2010-2016 LIVERPOOL €442 million Tottenham €369 million Chelsea €358 million In Euros

However, Liverpool are not just English football's leading salesmen.

They head the 'table of transfer incomes' for the WHOLE OF EUROPE this decade, ahead of Valencia and Juventus:

Income from players sold, 2010-2016 In Euros, millions

A remarkable stat, made all the more astonishing by the fact Southampton - the team who supposedly sell ALL their players to Liverpool - are down in 15th on the list, having made €268million (£230million) from player sales in the period.

That's nearly £150million LESS than their pals at Anfield.

Still, the question remains: do these numbers reflect well on Liverpool… or are they bad news?

We'll let you decide: