This chart shows how much Brendan Rodgers has spent on transfers compared to Rafael Benitez, Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and Gerard Houllier
After signing Roberto Firmino for £36m, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has now spent over £275m on transfers in his three seasons at Anfield.
The Brazilian forward is Rodgers' 27th signing and biggest purchase to date, costing slightly less than club record transfer Andy Caroll, according to reports. With Southampton's highly-rated Nathaniel Clyne thought to be joining recent signings Firmino and Joe Gomez, the Liverpool boss could become the club's biggest-spending manager in history if he continues to spend big this summer.
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As demonstrated in our chart above, which visualises every single player Liverpool have signed since Gerard Houllier joined the club in 1998, Rodgers and Benitez have reached into the club's coffers far more than their predecessors or successors. In fact, the two managers account for 66 per cent of transfer fees paid by Liverpool in the last 12 years.
Currently dealing in his seventh transfer window, Rodgers is just £34m behind the £310m Benitez amassed in six seasons and 12 transfer windows on 54 players.
Kenny Dalglish, who spent just a year and a half in the dugout during his second stint as manager between 2011 and 2012, splashed out £118m on 11 players, Gerard Houllier spent £154.6m in six seasons on 41 players while Roy Hodgson was granted just £26m and eight signings in his sorry half-season on Merseyside.
When it comes to the average cost per signing, Dalglish is out in front with an average fee of £10.7m per player (however, that stat is skewed by the relatively small sample size and big fees paid for Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January 2011). Rodgers follows with a £10.2m average far higher than Benitez's £5.7m or Houllier's £3.8m.
Firmino fits Rodgers' preference for attacking players. The Northern Irish manager has bought 11 forward players for £119.4m, compared to six midfielders, seven defenders and three goalkeepers.