The 2023-24 campaign has not yet drawn to a close, but we already know Liverpool’s fate. The problem is what to make of it! There’s no denying that the campaign now feels like an anti-climax, with the Reds surprisingly getting knocked out in the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and Europa League, by Manchester United and Atalanta, respectively, before seeing their Premier League title bid collapse in April.
However, it’s worth remembering that not only did Liverpool win the Carabao Cup with ‘kids’, nobody even expected them to be challenging for a quadruple when the season began, given they’d overhauled their entire midfield last summer. And then there’s the fact that Jurgen Klopp’s decision to step down this summer took everybody by surprise back in January and completely changed the narrative for the remainder of the campaign.
Looking at the bigger picture, then, it’s been a positive season for the Reds, who are in decent shape for incoming coach Arne Slot. But who has been key to the revival? GOAL rates and ranks all of Liverpool’s squad below to determine their Player of the Season…
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30Thiago Alcantara (N/A) ↔️
The past year has been nothing short of a nightmare for the classy Spanish midfielder, who made his first senior appearance since April 2023 in the Premier League loss at Arsenal on February 4, only to suffer yet another injury setback that sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign.
Just a terribly sad way for Thiago’s time at Anfield to end.
29Stefan Bajcetic (N/A) ↔️
Just like compatriot Thiago, Bajcetic was beset by injury problems this season – but he did, at least, make a welcome return to action before the campaign concluded. In total, though, the teenager managed just three appearances in all competitions – two of which came at right-back – so it wouldn’t be fair to give Bajcetic a rating.
28Kaide Gordon (N/A) ↔️
As soon as the winger started training with the senior squad again after 18 months out with a persistent pelvic problem, Klopp and his coach staff “realised immediately, ‘Ah, that’s what we’ve missed!'” Having joined from Derby in February 2021, Gordon made his Liverpool debut later that year before becoming the club’s youngest FA Cup scorer the following January.
However, while Gordon started in the Europa League group game against Union Saint-Gilloise, he saw only a minute of game time in the both the Premier League and FA Cup.
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27Luke Chambers (N/A) ↔️
After seeing a minute of action in the Carabao Cup clash with Leicester, the 19-year-old realised a dream by making his first start at Anfield in the Europa League rout of Toulouse. Chambers did well, too, earning praise from fellow academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold for a confident display at left-back.
He also saw action against LASK and Union SG before being allowed to join Wigan on loan during the January transfer window, and he enjoyed a productive spell at the DW Stadium.
26Ben Doak (6.5/10) ↔️
After impressing during pre-season and featuring off the bench in the opening-weekend draw at Chelsea, the skilful Scottish winger started against both LASK and Leicester in September. Unfortunately, he picked up a muscular injury while on international duty with Scotland Under-21s and that “cost him a bit of rhythm”, as Klopp put it – but further first-team appearances followed against Toulouse and Union SG.
However, Doak then suffered a serious knee injury while representing the Reds’ U21s that brought a premature end to his season. “He is young, he is a fit guy, he is a positive guy so, for sure, he will come back stronger,” assistant coach Pep Lijnders told reporters. “He can take his time because we will wait for him.”
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25Joel Matip (6.5/10) ↔️
What a terribly cruel way for the Cameroonian’s time at Liverpool to come to an end, with Matip suffering a season-ending injury in December that means he’s probably played his last game for the club, given his contract is up this summer.
Klopp has argued in favour of giving the 32-year-old a new deal – and there’s no denying that he was sorely missed during the second half of the season – but it appears unlikely at this point. Still, Matip will forever be regarded as a cult hero at Anfield and the free transfer from Schalke in 2016 will go down as one of Klopp’s best-ever signings.
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24Kostas Tsimikas (6.5/10) ⬇️
The Greece international spent the first part of the season playing his usual role as Andrew Robertson’s understudy, appearing almost exclusively in cup games, but he enjoyed a run of starts after the Scot suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty, even contributing two assists in the same game at one point, against Brentford.
Tsimikas then broke his collarbone, though, keeping the left-back out of action for just over six weeks. Having returned to full fitness at the start of February, he came off the bench to set up Virgil van Dijk’s winner in the Carabao Cup final, but played little part in the conclusion of the campaign. One wonders if he’ll be up for serving as a squad member again next season.
23Ibrahima Konate (7/10) ⬇️
The frustrating Frenchman looked perfectly placed to finally lock down a regular starting spot until injury once again intervened, thus allowing Matip to move back ahead of him in the pecking order. Konate was recalled for the Merseyside derby in October and started three Premier League games in a row, before being once again relegated to the bench.
Matip’s season-ending injury paved the way for Konate to establish himself as the best option alongside Van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence, but he failed to do so, and Jarell Quansah was often selected ahead of him towards the tail end of the season. Consequently, many fans are questioning Konate’s long-term future at the club.
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22James McConnell (7/10) ↔️
Having featured regularly during Liverpool’s pre-season preparations, McConnell was given his professional debut in the Europa League win over Toulouse in October, before making his Premier League bow against Brentford the following month.
He produced a lovely assist for Curtis Jones in the FA Cup defeat of Norwich in January, but the best was yet to come, with Klopp underlining his faith in the 19-year-old by bringing him on before the end of normal time in the Carabao Cup final.
Switching from a more attack-minded midfielder to a No.6 has been key to McConnell’s progression, with Klopp enthusing at Wembley, “his development is absolutely insane.”
21Jayden Danns (7/10) ⬆️
The versatile forward, who can play as a No.9 or No.10, had the best week of his young life in February. After making his professional debut against Luton, he came off the bench again at Wembley four days later – and very nearly broke the deadlock with a fine header that was just pushed over the bar. The following Wednesday, he opened his professional account, scoring twice in the 3-0 FA Cup win over Southampton at Anfield.
“He only recently joined us in first-team training,” Klopp told reporters. “But I loved him from the first second; really special.”
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20Bobby Clark (7/10) ⬆️
The £1.5 million ($1.9m) signing from Newcastle certainly had to bide his time after his arrival in August 2021, but the opportunities he was promised started to arrive this season, with the England U19 international having made 12 appearances in all competitions to date, during which he chipped in with a goal and two assists.
Clark, the son of former Premier League footballer Lee, is fully aware of how difficult it will be to break into the Liverpool midfield, but he was excellent after coming on against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final and it’s easy to understand why Klopp likes a technically proficient player who is renowned for his intelligent and intense pressing.
19Ryan Gravenberch (7/10) ↔️
The Dutchman was taken out of the Carabao Cup final by Moises Caicedo, who somehow managed to escape without even a booking for a terrible tackle that left Gravenberch with ankle ligament damage. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the midfielder, who was starting his third game in a row and finally starting to play with a bit of consistency.
Still, all things considered, it’s not been the worst debut season for Gravenberch, who arrived low on confidence after a disastrous season at Bayern Munich. Despite his frustrating tendency to drift out of games, his potential has always been obvious. He’s a good dribbler, he creates chances, he reads the game well and there’s every chance that he’ll become a key player under compatriot Slot.
18Alisson Becker (7/10) ⬇️
A real mixed bag for the Brazilian. As he so often does, Alisson came to the Reds’ rescue on several occasions this season, most notably in the dramatic 2-1 win at Newcastle that featured one of the saves of the season. However, he also dropped a couple of clangers, in the 1-1 draw at Manchester City in November, and the disappointing 3-1 loss at Arsenal in March, before suffering an injury that ruled him out of a key part of the campaign.
Truth be told, he wasn’t really missed because of Caomhin Kelleher’s heroics, and his return has failed to restore any order to a defence that has only kept one clean sheet since his comeback.
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17Caoimhin Kelleher (7.5/10) ⬇️
The Irishman has seen far more Premier League game time than he could have expected this season because of Alisson’s niggling injury issues – and also cemented his status as a Carabao Cup legend with yet another heroic display in a final against Chelsea.
After converting the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shootout win over the Blues in 2022, Kelleher made one sensational stop after another as Liverpool once again overcame the same opposition at Wembley in February.
He did allow a weak effort from Gianluca Scamacca to beat him in the dreadful Europa League loss to Atalanta at Anfield, but even on that occasion, Kelleher made several fine saves. In short, it’s easy to understand why Klopp considers Kelleher “the best No.2 goalkeeper in the world”. It would be a massive surprise if the 25-year-old is still at Anfield next season; he would be a starter at most Premier League clubs.
16Cody Gakpo (7.5/10) ⬇️
The Netherlands international has had some tough times this season. There was the untimely injury suffered at Spurs in September, and the lean spell that followed his return to action, which allowed Darwin Nunez to establish himself as Liverpool’s first-choice No.9.
However, Gakpo’s goals propelled the Reds to Wembley, while he also finished the season with a flourish. Indeed, his recent outings suggested that the Dutchman could have a big role to play in the new era under Slot, and most likely on the left wing.
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15Curtis Jones (7.5/10) ⬇️
A horribly stop-start campaign for the Liverpudlian. Jones only has himself to blame for missing three games through suspension for his harsh but undeniably avoidable straight red card at Spurs in September, but he’s been once again terribly unfortunate with injuries, one of which saw him miss the Carabao Cup final.
When fully fit, he was excellent, with Klopp admitting that the homegrown hero “sets the level” when it comes to Liverpool’s counter-pressing, while at the same time praising him for a massive improvement in his dribbling. However, he never quite got back to his best after returning to action towards the business end of the season.
14Andy Robertson (7.5/10) ⬆️
Such a shame that the Scot suffered a serious shoulder during a Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain in the October international break, as Robertson had looked back to his brilliant best during the early part of the season, as underlined by his crucial goal in the 3-1 win at Wolves the month before.
Joe Gomez did a decent job filling at left-back, but Robertson showed exactly what Liverpool had been missing from an offensive perspective when he finally got back on the field, even scoring in consecutive Premier League games for the first time in his career during a strong finish to the season.
13Joe Gomez (7.5/10) ↔️
Gomez may not make many headlines – or ever score a goal – but his versatility has proven invaluable to Liverpool this season. The Englishman has spent time at left-back, right-back, defensive midfield and even his preferred position of centre-back. On nearly every occasion, he’s acquitted himself well.
“He is a life-saver, to be honest,” Klopp admitted after the Carabao Cup draw at Fulham in January. “Without Joey, nothing would have happened in the 13 or 14 weeks Robbo (Robertson) was out… He is a top-class player.”
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12Jarell Quansah (7.5/10) ↔️
The biggest beneficiary of Liverpool’s lack of strength-in-depth in the centre of defence, the 21-year-old – who had never played a minute of senior football before the start of the season – has featured in a whopping 31 games – 25 of which he’s started.
He’s probably still having nightmares about his misplaced pass at Old Trafford in April, but Quansah should be immensely proud of his overall contribution. He’s chipped in with a goal and three assists, but what’s really stood about Quansah is his composure. The England U21 international obviously still has things to work on, but he looks like he belongs at Anfield.
11Dominik Szoboszlai (7.5/10) ⬇️
Rarely has a player ever settled so quickly into a Klopp team, with the classy, all-action midfielder immediately endearing himself to Liverpool fans with a string of barnstorming displays at the start of the season. Given the incredibly energy he expended, it was perhaps inevitable that Szoboszlai would begin to tire a tad over the congested Christmas period and eventually break down at the tail end of January.
Unfortunately, Szoboszlai never really recovered the rhythm he lost during his lay-off, but he has still racked up seven goals and four assists, and has impressed with his long-range passing and ability to win the ball back.
10Wataru Endo (7.5/10) ⬇️
Klopp knew the fans were underwhelmed by the arrival of Endo from Stuttgart after the failed pursuit of Moises Caicedo, but he promised them that the Japan international would prove a shrewd signing. The manager knew what he was talking about, because missing out on Caicedo proved a blessing in disguise, with Endo outperforming Chelsea’s £115m ($145m) man in the Carabao Cup final.
Unfortunately, the defensive midfielder ended up being “over-worked”, as Klopp put it, and ran out of steam in the final few months of the season, but Klopp believes Endo will remain at Anfield for longer than anyone initially anticipated.
“I’m pretty sure in three [or] four years Wataru will sign another long-term contract at Liverpool. Just because he might be 31 on his passport – but he’s not,” the manager enthused. “He’s a machine! He is footballing-wise exceptional and his defensive brain is outstanding.”
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9Diogo Jota (7.5/10) ⬇️
One cannot help but wonder where Liverpool would have ended up had Jota stayed fit for the whole season. Having already missed a significant chunk of the campaign with a muscular problem, the Portuguese caught fire around the turn of the year, before suffering a knee injury that robbed Klopp of his best finisher.
Jota scored in his second outing after returning to action – to take his tally for the 2023-24 campaign to 15 goals from just 19 starts – but then suffered yet another setback. One can only hope that Jota puts his incessant injury issues behind him next season, but it feels unlikely.
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8Darwin Nunez (8/10) ⬇️
Nunez has undoubtedly made progress this season, but the unpredictable Uruguayan remains an enigma, a riddle that Klopp has never quite worked out. The striker started the season on the bench. but his game-changing double in the win at Newcastle kick-started his campaign, and he eventually became Liverpool’s first-choice No.9 – thanks in no small part to him figuring out what Klopp wanted from him from a defensive perspective.
At the end of the day, only Salah (38) has been involved in more goals than Nunez (31), who has netted 18 times in all competitions, but doubts persist over his long-term future at Anfield because his finishing let him down time and time again during the most important part of the season.
Consequently, while this was, overall, a positive campaign for Nunez, it’s finishing on a negative note.
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7Conor Bradley (8/10) ⬆️
Just pips Quansah for the right to be regarded as the revelation of Liverpool’s season. After a very productive and successful loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, the Northern Ireland international did an incredible job filling in for Alexander-Arnold.
“A wonderful kid, a really hard worker, and a good footballer,” Klopp enthused after the win at Bournemouth. “He is a defender but he can attack as well.” No arguments there: Bradley has created six goals, and scored one himself.
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6Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10) ⬇️
Liverpool’s local hero has his critics in England; he probably always will. But he’s once again proven himself an exceptional talent this season, drawing comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne from the likes of Gary Neville because of what he can do with the ball.
It’s, thus, easy to understand why Klopp has afforded Alexander-Arnold such freedom – or even just put him in midfield – when you see him picking up points for his team with sensational strikes, as he did at Manchester City and then again at home to Fulham.
It was so frustrating, then, to see him suffer a knee injury at Burnley on February 10 that kept him out for two months. In spite of his absence, Alexander-Arnold still ranks second at Liverpool for chances created (78) and successful crosses (59), and fourth for possession won (209) – which just tells you how important he is to his hometown club.
5Luis Diaz (8/10) ⬆️
Quite how Diaz managed to take to the field – and score a precious late leveller at Luton – while his father was still being held captive in his native Colombia is anyone’s guess. The 27-year-old deserves all the credit in the world for the way in which he dealt with the shocking kidnapping ordeal.
Of course, everything else obviously pales by comparison in such horrific circumstances, but it’s been lovely to see Diaz back doing what he does best: driving defenders demented with his quick feet.
He continues to frustrate with his final ball – five assists and just seven successful crosses is a desperately poor return for a winger of such talent – but he’s completed nearly 40 more dribbles than any other player at the club, and scored 13 goals in all competitions. Indeed, during the difficult finish to the season, Diaz was often Liverpool’s most dangerous player.
6Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10) ⬇️
Liverpool’s local hero has his critics in England; he probably always will. But he’s once again proven himself an exceptional talent this season, drawing comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne from the likes of Gary Neville because of what he can do with the ball.
It’s, thus, easy to understand why Klopp has afforded Alexander-Arnold such freedom – or even just put him in midfield – when you see him picking up points for his team with sensational strikes, as he did at Manchester City and then again at home to Fulham.
It was so frustrating, then, to see him suffer a knee injury at Burnley on February 10 that kept him out for two months. In spite of his absence, Alexander-Arnold still ranks second at Liverpool for chances created (78) and successful crosses (59), and fourth for possession won (209) – which just tells you how important he is to his hometown club.
5Luis Diaz (8/10) ⬆️
Quite how Diaz managed to take to the field – and score a precious late leveller at Luton – while his father was still being held captive in his native Colombia is anyone’s guess. The 27-year-old deserves all the credit in the world for the way in which he dealt with the shocking kidnapping ordeal.
Of course, everything else obviously pales by comparison in such horrific circumstances, but it’s been lovely to see Diaz back doing what he does best: driving defenders demented with his quick feet.
He continues to frustrate with his final ball – five assists and just seven successful crosses is a desperately poor return for a winger of such talent – but he’s completed nearly 40 more dribbles than any other player at the club, and scored 13 goals in all competitions. Indeed, during the difficult finish to the season, Diaz was often Liverpool’s most dangerous player.
2Virgil van Dijk (9/10) ↔️
After an undeniably poor start to the Dutchman’s reign as club captain, with Van Dijk getting himself sent off for the clumsiest of challenges against Newcastle before then talking himself into further trouble, there was chattr that the 32-year-old defender was in decline. As he said himself, “They thought I was finished.” Turns out he wasn’t – not by a long shot, with Van Dijk capping a remarkable revival by heading home the winner in the Carabao Cup final after yet another dominant display at the back.
Obviously, as skipper, he must take his share of the blame for the defensive deficiencies that derailed the season but, truth be told, Liverpool would have been lost without Van Dijk, who more aerial duels (172), and made more interceptions (46) and blocks than any of his team-mates (39).
It was only right that he was shortlisted for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award.
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1Alexis Mac Allister (9/10) ⬆️
Mac Allister always looked like a bargain buy, but his move from Brighton to Liverpool has gone even better than most people predicted. For starters, nobody expected him to spend such a significant chunk of the season playing in a deeper role – the Argentine included – and yet he proved himself one of the best No.6s in the Premier League.
Then, when he was moved further forward thanks to the emergence of Endo as a fine alternative in front of the back four, Mac Allister flourished, producing a series of decisive displays that kept a lagging Liverpool in the title race until the end of April.
Mac Allister ended up being involved in 13 goals in total, but it was his defensive contribution that really stood out. Nobody at Liverpool won possession on more occasions (251), nor more tackles (67) or duels (253), while only Van Dijk made more than his 44 interceptions.
The signing of the Premier League season? Perhaps. Liverpool’s player of the season? Definitely.
