Liverpool have been no strangers to cashing in on players for big money as they have sold several first-team stars for significant fees over the years.
The likes of Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho were sold at the perfect time for big fees after being squad options for the Reds, rather than important players.
However, the Premier League giants have also sold key operators in the past, including Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, who joined Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively, after lighting up the pitch at Anfield with their attacking quality.
The most money Liverpool have ever received for one player in their history, though, was when they sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018.
In fact, it was a British transfer record at the time of the deal, and was cited as one of the most expensive deals in football history, which speaks to how gigantic the move was.
However, if you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, Liverpool's sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea seven years earlier was, relatively, worth more to the club.
How much Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho for
The BBC reported that Barcelona paid an initial fee of £105m to sign the Brazil international, with 'realistic' add-ons that could take it up to a staggering £142m.
It was significantly more than the £75m deal that the Spanish giants had agreed with Liverpool to sign Uruguay international Suarez back in the summer of 2014.
The Reds played a masterclass with Coutinho as they signed him from Italian side Inter for a fee of £8.5m in January 2013 and went on to make a huge profit on him five years later.
During his time at Anfield, the Brazilian magician showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premier League.
Coutinho racked up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for the club in all competitions, which included 41 goals and 37 assists in 152 top-flight outings.
He hit the ground running with three goals and seven assists in 13 Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2012/13 campaign, and never looked back.
2012/13
13
3
7
2013/14
33
5
7
2014/15
35
5
5
2015/16
26
8
5
2016/17
31
13
7
2017/18
14
7
6
As you can see in the table above, Coutinho consistently offered quality at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position, particularly towards the end of his career at Anfield.
A return of 20 goals and 13 assists in his last 45 appearances across the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Premier League campaigns combined works out as as direct goal contribution every 1.36 games on average.
His phenomenal form across those seasons convinced Barcelona to splash out a mega fee to secure his services ahead of the second half of the 2017/18 term, and that remains the most expensive deal in Liverpool history.
However, Torres' move to Chelsea in January 2011 would be worth even more than Coutinho's huge transfer to the Camp Nou in the present day.
How much Chelsea's deal for Fernando Torres would be worth in 2024
Per Totally Money, the Blues splashed out a huge fee of £52.6m to sign the Spain international from Liverpool ahead of the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.
If you adjust for inflation in football transfer fees over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that deal would be worth a mind-boggling £144.9m in the current day – £2.9m more than the total package Barcelona agreed for Coutinho.
Torres, who was signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, enjoyed a terrific time at Anfield as he showcased his goalscoring prowess in the Premier League over several years.
His first season in England was a roaring success. The Spanish marksman plundered a staggering 33 goals and five assists in 46 appearances, which included 24 goals in 33 Premier League games.
Torres ended his career on Merseyside with a return of 81 goals and 20 assists in 142 outings in all competitions, which is a return of one direct goal contribution every 1.41 clashes on average.
He was a terrific striker for the club and earned Liverpool a huge payday when Chelsea swooped in for a fee that would be worth £144.9m – and more than Coutinho's record sale – in the current day, which shows that they struck gold with that deal.
The 6 foot 1 number nine's form at Stamford Bridge after moving on from Anfield suggests that the Reds also hit the jackpot with the timing of the sale.
Fernando Torres' struggles at Chelsea
The World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain failed to translate his goalscoring exploits for Liverpool over to his time with the Blues.
Torres endured a rough start to life in London with a return of one goal and two assists in 18 appearances across the Premier League and the Champions League during the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.
2010/11
14
1
2
2011/12
32
6
7
2012/13
36
8
9
2013/14
28
5
5
As you can see in the table above, the Spanish forward never hit double figures for goals or assist in a single league season for Chelsea in four attempts, including three full campaigns.
His 24-goal Premier League season in his first year with Liverpool was nothing but a distant memory, as the big-money flop struggled in front of goal throughout his time with the Blues.
Torres ended his career at Stamford Bridge with a return of 45 goals and 35 assists in 172 appearances in all competitions, which is one goal or assist every 2.15 games on average.
These statistics show that the former Reds star, who did win the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, flopped in London as his form dipped after Liverpool raked in a staggering fee for his services.
Overall, the Merseyside-based outfit struck gold by selling Torres when they did, due to the gigantic amount of money they received and the striker's declining form after the move.