2013-14 SEASON
Luis Alberto – £6.8m from Sevilla (via BBC Sport)
How highly did Rodgers rate him? – Another young prospect that Rodgers got overexcited about. He once said of Alberto, in quotes taken by The Guardian: “He has the correct footballing profile and mentality to be a Liverpool player. I look forward to working with him to develop his talent.”
What went wrong? – Alberto, sadly, just wasn’t good enough to be a Liverpool player. A handful of cameo appearances were all he got before he was shipped out on loan and the fact that he was never entrusted with anything more than that underlines how unimpressed Rodgers was with the former Barcelona B star.
Where are they now? – Has recently begun his second consecutive season on loan, this time with Deportivo.
Iago Aspas – £7m from Celta Vigo (via BBC Sport)
How highly did Rodgers rate him? – Aspas hit the ground running for us in pre-season and had Rodgers excited. The boss told the Daily Mirror: “The idea was that Aspas would give another dimension to our attacking play, and he’s done that. We now have some outstanding talent who can make a difference in the final third – and that has been the most encouraging thing, that we have real quality in that final third where it matters.”
What went wrong? – Aspas’ chances were few and far between due, in no small part, to the immense success of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge – also known as the SAS – who smashed in over 50 goals between them during Aspas’ single season with the Liverpool first-team. When he did get his chance, his form wasn’t good, and he ultimately paid the price for that.
Where are they now? – The Spaniard is back with former club Celta Vigo after a season on loan at Sevilla.
Aly Cissokho – Loan from Valencia
How highly did Rodgers rate him? – “His fitness is excellent and he knows the role well. He will provide real stiff competition for that position this season,” Rodgers told the Echo at the time. Although admittedly, he was only up against Jose Enrique…
What went wrong? – Jon Flanagan became the Scouse Cafu and made the left-back spot his own. Oh, and Cissokho just wasn’t very good, that didn’t help.
Where are they now? – The Frenchman joined Aston Villa last summer and has since moved on loan to Porto.
Tiago Ilori – £7m from Sporting Lisbon (via BBC Sport)
How highly did Rodgers rate him? – Rodgers was very optimistic about Ilori’s potential after signing him. He told ESPN at the time: “He is 6’3, super quick, power, can jump, and he just needs to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. He is one for the future, but he can be a really big talent.”
What went wrong? – Back-to-back loan spells with Granada and Bordeaux were not as fruitful as Rodgers would have been hoping. Ilori’s development was also not helped by a series of injuries which restricted him to just 21 league appearances during those two years away from Anfield.
Where are they now? – Ilori joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day.
Victor Moses – Loan from Chelsea
How highly did Rodgers rate him? – He was only really brought in as a squad option and with the likes of Sterling and Coutinho performing so well, Rodgers won’t have been that fussed. He challenged Moses to fight for his place and earn himself a permanent move to Anfield (via the Metro), but it never happened.
What went wrong? – Moses struggled to adapt to life with Liverpool, where he was perhaps a little out of his depth, and failed to make a major impression during his year with us. His success with Stoke City last season suggests that he would be a better player for a mid-table team, rather than one with European ambitions.
Where are they now? – On loan at West Ham United following a deadline day move from Chelsea.
