Diogo Jota's mourning slowed Liverpool despite a XXL transfer window

On July 3, 2025, Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain while he was traveling to Liverpool. Andy Robertson said that this tragedy “plumbed” the 2024‑2025 campaign, which ended with a fifth‑place finish in the English league table despite an XXL transfer window.

The Diogo Jota tragedy

Jota, the Portuguese defender, lost his life together with his brother in this sudden and tragic accident. His death came as the Reds were emerging from an almost perfect season, crowned with a 20th Premier League title.

“It’s hard to describe and talk about it because what we went through is awful. When we talk about the new signings, they arrived at a club with a broken heart,” Andy Robertson said in an episode of The Overlap. He added that the signed players “came like ghosts,” unable to find their footing.

An XXL transfer window that wasn’t enough

During the summer transfer window, Liverpool spent no less than £445 million (€520 million) and won its 20th Premier League title, but did not surpass fifth place the following season. The massive spending did not make up for the void left by Jota’s death.

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The three biggest purchases were Alexander Isak for €150 million, Florian Wirtz for €125 million and Hugo Ekitike for €95 million. Isak missed several months due to a broken leg, while Wirtz had to wait four months before unlocking his meter.

Andy Robertson, who joined Liverpool in 2017, moved to Tottenham this summer. He said: “Football mattered little to us. We had just lost one of our best friends in the dressing room. Without that extra soul, we can no longer give our best.”

French international Ibrahima Konaté also spoke about the impact of the mourning, stating: “It was something that devastated me, I had no desire for anything at that moment.” He shared these words on France Inter shortly before the 2026 World Cup, reminding that Jota’s loss affected the whole team.