Liverpool: Summer Signings Rated

With the season well underway and the transfer window soon to reopen we thought it would be a good time to rate how our main summer signings have done so far...

Collectively Liverpool have experienced an up-and-down season to date; erratic league results, out of the League Cup but through to the Europa League knock-out stages.

The club currently sits firmly in mid-table, 10th at the time of writing, but in a closely congested league a couple of wins could easily elevate Brendan Rodgers' side onto the coattails of the top four.

Individually there have been some standout performers such as Luis Suarez, Glen Johnson and more recently Jose Enrique but how have the club's newest acquisitions faired?

The following is our take on the performances of the main summer signings so far. Let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments section below...

Fabio Borini

Age: 21
Nationality: Italian
Signed from: Roma
Price: £10.5m
Position: Forward
LFC appearances: 11
Goals: 1

The Italian was Brendan Rodgers' first signing after the 39-year-old took charge at Anfield during the summer. After working previously with the player at both Swansea City and Chelsea, the signing of Borini was a fairly predictable swoop by Rodgers although it was somewhat surprising to see Roma let him depart. Unfortunately his career on Merseyside is yet to take off and the full international has spent the past two months on the sidelines with a broken foot. During the game time he has seen, Borini looks a decent player with a lot of potential but it is difficult to assess exactly where he will fit into the team. Although a striker by trade he does not seem a natural goalscorer and instead Borini has often been played out wide but there he seemingly lacks the skill or pace to regularly trouble oppositions. One for the future certainly but given our lack or attacking resources and the price paid he would have been expected to contribute more heavily straight away.

Rating (out of 5):

---

Joe Allen

Age: 22
Nationality: Welsh
Signed from: Swansea City
Price: £15m
Position: Midfield
LFC appearances: 22
Goals: 0

Another who was both already familiar to Rodgers and a well documented target. Although unquestionably a good player, a few eyebrows were initially raised over the price paid and the fact Liverpool already possessed a number of central midfield players. Those concerns were quickly put to bed though as the Welshman seamlessly slipped into the team and produced consistently good performances. After a couple of lesser displays, the return of Lucas Leiva has seen Allen getting forward more in recent games which suggests he has a lot more to offer than the controlled passing game for which he is renowned. A quality player who is also still young enough to develop and improve further and who will hopefully becoming one of the best midfielders in Europe before too long.

Rating (out of 5):

---

Oussama Assaidi

Age: 24
Nationality: Moroccan
Signed from: Heerenveen
Price: £2.5m
Position: Winger
LFC appearances: 10
Goals: 0

A surprise signing who few had heard of previously, Assaidi has provided the first team squad with some additional strength in depth. Not a regular by any means but the wide man has impressed on a couple of occasions in the Europa League. Very skilful and with good technique, the Moroccan could become a very useful player for the club should he adjust to the physical nature of the high-octane Premier League. Given the small outlay and the lack of expectation concerning the signing he has performed more than adequately when called upon and consequently could go on to see more game time in the future.

Rating (out of 5):

---

Nuri Sahin

Age: 24
Nationality: Turkish
Signed from: Real Madrid
Price: Loan
Position: Midfield
LFC appearances: 12
Goals: 3

The loan capture of Sahin was seen as somewhat of a coup given his ability and the other clubs who were interested. However, despite his undoubted pedigree, Reds fans are yet to see the best of the gifted midfielder and he has struggled to hold down a regular starting place. After missing most of last season through injury it is understandable that Sahin would take a little additional time to find his feet but other than one noticeable performance against West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup the Turkish international has generally struggled. With a reported loan fee of around £5m plus a sizeable contribution to the players rumoured £100k+ a week wage, the signing has unfortunately not really worked out so far. Sahin can certainly still come good for the Merseysiders but it is by no means a certainty. The player seemingly prefers a deeper role than the one he has often been utilised in so far but with Lucas back and Allen more than capable in the holding role his chances there are likely to remain limited.

Rating (out of 5):

---

Samed Yesil

Age: 18
Nationality: German
Signed from: Bayer Leverkusen
Price: £1m
Position: Striker
LFC appearances: 2
Goals: 0

Signed almost exclusively as someone for the future it should not only be taken as a sign of our lack of attacking resources that the youngster has caused a stir amongst fans in the here and now. An unbelievable scoring record of eight goals in six games for the German U19 side, coupled with some impressive cameos for the Reds youth teams, suggests a great career lies ahead. Based on what we have seen so far his capture, which flew under the radar to a certain degree, could prove to be a shrewd piece of business which benefits the club for many years to come.

Rating (out of 5):

Follow me on Twitter @superbag

	Not a Vital Liverpool member? It's a 100% free to join and get involved. Plus it only takes a few moments to sign up. Click here to become a member now!

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.