How Michael Edwards generated £270m for Liverpool and turned the team into Champions League winners

With financial constraints making selling as important as buying in modern football, Liverpool have brought back one of their best.

Michel Edwards, former sporting director of the club, has He returned to Anfield as director of football operations, and is tasked with reshaping the entire club after Jurgen Klopp.

Previously employed by the Reds from 2012 to 2022, Edwards was promoted to sporting director in 2016, just in time to help their transformation under Klopp.

Liverpool Since then, they have won every trophy on offer thanks to that set-up and dominated the transfer market to turn a Europa League team into Champions League winners without the benefit of state backing.

Edwards' deals for club legends like Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane They clearly grabbed the headlines, but none of them would have been possible without their excellent sales skills.

Given that UEFA's Financial Fair Play laws and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules mean clubs have to be even more prudent in the market, executives like Edwards are worth their weight in gold.

The returning director has already proven this, with a series of lucrative deals that are incredible.

And here at talkSPORT.com we've looked at the best deals Edwards made.

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Philippe Coutinho, profit of 133.5 million pounds

Coutinho, a great Reds player in his own right, probably deserves a statue outside Anfield for his impact after his departure.

Signed for just £8.5m from Inter Milan in 2013, the Brazilian remains one of the biggest earners in football history, and his departure in 2018 funded deals for Alicia Becker and Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool won every trophy on offer once he left, while Coutinho himself had a disastrous season at dream club Barcelona, ​​and is currently in the desert in Qatar as Aston Villa are unable to sell him. .

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Rhian Brewster, £23.5m profit

Brewster looked like the real deal when he tore up the Championship with Swansea on loan in 2019/20, and looked set to be promoted to the Reds' first team when their academy product returned.

However, the opportunities did not present themselves, but Brewster still commanded a huge fee from Sheffield United, who must feel that Edwards saw them coming.

Dominic Solanke, £16m profit

Never cutting the mustard at Liverpool despite a stellar youth career, particularly with England, Solanke was sold for £19m to Bournemouth in 2019 it seemed disconcerting.

That decision now looks a lot more sensible thanks to the genius of new Cherries manager Andoni Iraola, but that's still nothing compared to the profit the Reds made on a player who cost them just £3m in compensation from Chelsea in 2017. .

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Ki-Jana Hoever, profit of £13.4 million

Moving to Merseyside from Ajax's academy for £90,000 in 2018, Hoever showed some promise in the cups when Klopp's side were stretched thin.

It probably wasn't enough promise for Wolves to pay £13.4m for him in 2020 and, despite some indications, he is now on loan at Stoke.

Danny Ward, £12.4m profit

Signed from Wrexham for £100,000 in 2012, Ward made three appearances for Liverpool despite being asked to get more given his regular minutes for Wales.

He eventually left for Leicester to make big gains in 2018, and when he finally got his chance in 2022/23, the Foxes ended up relegated.

Danny Ings, £12m profit

Still much loved for his impact in the dressing room, Ings never managed to succeed under Klopp as a series of injuries ruined his time at Anfield.

Despite that, Edwards still negotiated £20m with Southampton in 2019, a big jump from the £8m a court forced Burnley to pay in 2015.

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Harry Wilson, £12m profit

Long considered a future Liverpool star due to his performances in the academy and his goalscoring performances on loan, Wilson never made it to Anfield.

That didn't stop Edwards from pocketing £12 million Fulham in 2021, where he became a decent Premier League winger.

Mamadou Sakho, profit of 8 million pounds

Sakho definitely served a purpose as Liverpool starred in their near-title victory in 2014 in his first season after an £18million arrival. Paris Saint Germain.

When Klopp arrived in 2015, things soon went downhill, but Edwards still got a whopping £26m from Crystal Palace for a surplus player.

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Kevin Stewart, profit of 8 million pounds

Stewart, who arrived on a free transfer from Tottenham in 2014, threatened to break into the first team as a bench option and made 20 appearances, mainly in cups.

Clearly not going to work out for the midfielder, Edwards moved him to Hull in 2017 for a decent £8 million, and he is now an EFL regular.

Ryan Kent, profit of 7.5 million pounds

Like several names on this list, Kent was a promising talent that Edwards turned into cash when it was clear he wouldn't make it.

The speedy winger shone in Liverpool's academy before moving on to £7.5million. Forest ranger in 2019, where he became a great player in the league victory and reaching the Europa League final.

Taiwo Awoniyi, profit of £6.1 million

Awoniyi may be the only player on this list who comes with a small dose of regret, given the fact that he has proven that he is good enough to be a Premier League starter.

However, his talent was not the only thing stopping him from joining Liverpool, as work permit issues prevented him from appearing in the first team.

The Nigerian burst onto the scene with Union Berlin in 2020/21 and then joined the German team permanently for £6.5m.

Nottingham Forest later paid £17 million for his services and he doesn't regret a penny.

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Marko Grujic, profit of 5.4 million pounds

Responding to the pub quiz, as Klopp's first Liverpool signing, Grujic looked like he had all the tools to be a first-team star after his arrival in 2016 from Red Star Belgrade.

He never stopped at his sporadic appearances, and after a series of loans, Port He doubled Liverpool's money with a £10.5m purchase in 2021.

Andre Wisdom, £4.5m profit

Used as a utility player during the 2012/13 season, loans showcased his talent before Edwards netted a very reasonable £4.5m in pure earnings for the 2017 academy graduate.

Ovie Ejaria, profit of 3 million pounds

Ejaria, a product of the Reds' academy, looked like he could have first-team potential in their youth teams and occasional first-team displays, but failed to deliver and instead pocketed the club's £3m from Reading. in 2020.

Kamil Grabara, £2.75m profit

Most recently seen as the masked bouncer doing a Copenhagen howler against Manchester City In the Champions League, Grabara certainly had the ability to be a potential backup for the Reds in goal.

However, the goalkeeper, who has one cap for Poland, was sold to his current team for £3m in 2021 after Liverpool paid £250,000 for him in 2016.

Herbie Kane, £1.25m

Academy graduate Kane made two first-team appearances in the cups before the club decided he wasn't going to make it. That didn't stop them from getting a reasonable £1.25m from Barnsley in 2020.

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