The 12 players Liverpool let go in the summer – & how they’re faring elsewhere

While Liverpool certainly aren’t shy of splashing the cash, they have made selling fringe players something of an art form over the last few years.

In the 2024 summer transfer window alone, the club shifted 12 players from their books at the start of the Arne Slot era.

We’ve taken a closer look at those 12 players that Liverpool sold over the summer and have assessed how they are fairing in their new surroundings.

Thiago Alcantara

Thiago announced his retirement in July 2024 after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season.

The 33-year-old midfielder, who also played for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the Spanish national side, was dogged by injury problems during his time on Merseyside but remained a peerless passer of the football.

He enjoyed a brief coaching spell at Barcelona over the summer and is expected to make the arrangement permanent in 2025 if the Spanish club sorts out its issues with the taxman.

Adrian

After joining on a free in 2019, Adrian was instantly thrown into the deep end when first-choice keeper Alisson picked up a calf injury.

Some minor successes were overshadowed by his presence in infamous defeats to Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa in 2020 and saw Adrian relegated to bib and bench-filler status for the rest of his time at Liverpool.

The goalkeeper returned to Real Betis this summer, but has only played in the Conference League so far in 2024-25.

Joel Matip

After leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract in the summer, Matip has confirmed his retirement from football.

The 33-year-old had his battles with various injuries, but arrived at Anfield on a free transfer in 2016 after a brilliant stint with Schalke and was key to Liverpool winning a Champions League and eventually their first-ever Premier League in 2019-20.

As free signings go, he’s up there with the best.

Mateusz Musialowski

Having joined from Lodz in 2020, Musialowski drew comparisons to Lionel Messi from the more excitable corners of the internet.

The reality for the Polish winger has been more prosaic; he made one sole Europa League appearance for Liverpool before being released in the summer of 2024 and joined Cypriot club Omonia.

Musialowski has talent, but should act as a cautionary tale against hyping every youngster who makes an impression at youth level. The chances of not making it remain much higher than doing so.

Melkamu Frauendorf

Frauendorf was handed a couple of opportunities by Jurgen Klopp with appearances in the EFL Cup and FA Cup over the latter half of the German’s time at Anfield.

The German midfielder has played all over the shop for the Liverpool academy from holding midfield to playing as a number nine. But that wasn’t enough to save him from being cut adrift this summer and he moved to Hannover 96 on a free transfer.

Frauendorf has made four appearances for the club’s second team and the 20-year-old will hope to break into the senior set-up in the coming months.

Adam Lewis

Lewis’ sole appearance for Liverpool came in an FA Cup win over Shrewsbury Town in February 2020 and the defender spent time on loan at Amiens, Plymouth Argyle, Livingston and Newport County before leaving Anfield this summer.

He joined Morecambe as one of 15 signings announced by the League Two outfit on the day their transfer embargo was lifted, but hasn’t been able to prevent them from anchoring the fourth-tier table despite his regular starts at left-back.

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Anderson Arroyo

Arroyo signed for Liverpool in 2018, but after no league appearances and seven loan spells elsewhere, his time at Anfield ended in low-key fashion this summer.

He joined Burgos, who play in Spain’s Segunda Division, for an undisclosed fee and has made 10 appearances for the club in 2024-25.

Billy Koumetio

Koumetio was handed his senior debut by Klopp as a half-time substitute for Fabinho as Liverpool played out a 1-1 draw in the Champions League against FC Midtjylland in December 2020.

Many thought the defender had a bright future at Anfield, but Koumetio was unable to establish himself and failed to sufficiently impress the club’s hierarchy during loan spells away.

He was sold to Dundee in August 2024 and has made nine appearances for the Scottish Premiership side in 2024-25.

Fabio Carvalho

After joining the Reds from Fulham in the summer of 2022, Carvalho struggled to find consistent playing time, scoring three goals across 21 appearances for Liverpool.

His permanent switch to Brentford, for a fee north of £20million, wasn’t exactly a surprise despite the regret both player and club felt at how events panned out.

Carvalho has featured more regularly for Brentford and scored his first league goal for the Bees in their 5-3 win over Wolves in October 2024.

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Bobby Clark

Son of former Newcastle United cult hero Lee Clark, Bobby developed his skills at the North East club’s academy before making the switch to Melwood in 2021.

Clark made his professional debut during the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth in August 2022, becoming the first player born in 2005 to make his Premier League debut.

He enjoyed further success at Anfield, playing in the EFL Cup final win over Chelsea and scoring in the Europa League against Slavia Prague in early 2024.

But the Reds sold him to RB Salzburg for £10million this summer, a move that saw the midfielder reunite with former assistant Pep Lijnders. He is yet to score in seven appearances for the Austrian club.

Sepp van den Berg

Following loan spells at Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz, Van den Berg pushed to leave Anfield on a permanent basis at the start of the summer.

“I understood that I wasn’t going to play Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate out of the team,” the defender told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf back in June. “But I thought I could be right behind it.

“When I didn’t get a chance again, I said: ‘Figure it out, I want to leave. You [Liverpool] didn’t exude confidence in me all this time, but you do want to hinder my future. I want to keep playing every week and develop myself further.”

The 22-year-old got his move to Brentford and has been a regular in Thomas Frank’s impressive side this season. Van den Berg backed himself and is reaping the rewards.

Harvey Blair

Blair’s only senior appearance for Liverpool came in an EFL Cup clash with Preston in 2021. The winger endured a tough time with injuries and had several loan moves away from Anfield.

He was offloaded to Portsmouth in the summer for a fee of £300k and has made seven appearances without scoring for the Championship strugglers in 2024-25.