If you are trying to pinpoint the most important aspect of Liverpool's meteoric rise to become European champions, then it is difficult to look beyond their successes in the transfer market.
Very few signings under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards have failed to pan out, and the vast majority of players who have arrived at Anfield during this period have improved vastly. The likes of Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane came in as relatively unheralded transfers, but both are now regarded as amongst the best in the world in their position.
Considering all of this, it is unsurprising that Liverpool now have some of the most valuable players in the world on their books. At least that is according to Swiss organisation CIES Football Observatory, an independent body who monitor the transfer value of footballers.
They base their valuations on a number of different aspects, including age, contract status, stats and club success.
They believe that Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most valuable defender in world football, with a suggested value of €130million. At 20-years old, and with the season he has just produced, that is certainly not an unrealistic number.
Virgil van Dijk comes in second place with a value of €112million, while Andy Robertson ranks in fourth with a price of €88million. Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte is the only player to break the Liverpool dominance at the top of the list, coming in third place with a value of €105million.
Alisson Becker is ranked as the world's most expensive goalkeeper as well, with an expected price tag of €107million.
These figures may be lofty, but they are not unfounded considering the meanness of the Liverpool defence this season. They conceded less goals than any other side in Europe's top five leagues, and looked generally assured all campaign.
Of course, those figures are also inflated due to Liverpool being a Premier League side. CIE account for the league the player plies their trade in when accounting for their value, meaning the high fees forked out by Premier League clubs would have had an impact here.
