8) Luis Suárez - €26.5m
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Suárez was acquired from Dutch club Ajax in January 2011, a transfer window that saw Liverpool make two of the most expensive signings in their history. The two-time Ajax ‘Player of the year’ and ‘Dutch Footballer of the Year’ for 2010, racked up a total of 111 goals in 159 appearances during his three-and-a-half year stint at the club. Suárez also captained Ajax and won the Eredivisie with them in 2011 (he was given a winner’s medal for his contribution despite transferring to Liverpool mid-season).
The Uruguayan settled well at Liverpool, becoming the club’s top goal-scorer in his first full season with them. Despite controversies surrounding the player on and off the pitch – due to his biting and public courtship of Arsenal – Luis went on to stay with Liverpool and powered them to a second-place finish during a thrilling title challenge in 2013/14. He formed a lethal partnership with teammate Daniel Sturridge and topped scoring charts again with a tally of 31 goals in 33 appearances for the Reds.
Suárez endeared himself to Liverpool fans with his work-rate, commitment, never-give-up attitude and ability to drive up the performance of his teammates. Along with the nickname ‘El Pistolero’ (the gunman), he earned numerous plaudits for his performances with the English side including PFA Players' Player of the Year, Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year, European Golden Shoe (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo), Premier League Golden Boot and Liverpool FC Player of the Year (two consecutive seasons).
A Bloomberg Sports study in 2014, named the former Liverpool number 7 as the most influential player across Europe’s top five football leagues, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His achievements saw him move to Spanish giants FC Barcelona where he continues to enthral fans with his ingenuity, dedication and perseverance.
