Who is Liverpool's best player?

Liverpool are loaded. It's gotten to the point where they could have their own little Ballon d'Or competition at Anfield. And it's not as though they built this squad with a bunch of no-names – eight of their players cost £30m or more. But the Reds have excelled together and are now playing at the highest level possible. So who's the jewel in the crown?

We used the Pro version of our site to look at the overall ratings for regulars in Liverpool's squad, and there were plenty of outstanding candidates with lots of minutes under their belts:

Maybe you can knock a few of these players in different areas – why isn't Mohamed Salah's ball retention higher? – and some of them have a special value to the club that's not evident in these numbers, as we wrote about Georginio Wijnaldum earlier. Roberto Firmino, too, plays a somewhat atypical role that probably depresses his attacking output in our metrics. Yet the players highlighted in red are inarguably essential to Liverpool.

To choose between them, we'll have to go deeper. For example, who's more valuable among the fullbacks, Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andrew Robertson? Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Robertson has better ball retention but isn't as aggressive as a defender. Alexander-Arnold is a much better finisher, but Robertson is superior in the air. For a tie-breaker, let's look at the involvement of Liverpool's players in their most successful attacks:

Alexander-Arnold has the edge here, if only slightly. But can he beat out the prolific Sadio Mane as the club's best player? Because, hello, Mane's stats are from a different planet:

In addition to his splendid overall numbers, Mane is an excellent tackler and a very good finisher in open play. His only mediocre rating is for ground duels in possession. And that's where Salah might have an advantage:

Salah is even better at tackling and finishing, plus he's very good on the ball. Does that make up for his lower ball retention? Should we even worry if just one of Liverpool's dangerous wingers likes to take a few extra risks? Maybe we should still give it to Mane for his higher attacking output.

Or maybe we're asking the wrong question. Awards like the Ballon d'Or are supposed to evaluate players across all positions. So let's bring Alisson and Virgil van Dijk into the mix. Alisson's numbers are exceptional, after all:

Not only is he magnificent as an outfield player, his shot-stopping in open play has been remarkable of late. He's vulnerable on headers from dead balls, but there's someone else who tends to make sure those situations don't come up too often. Say hello to our not-so-little friend:

The towering Dutchman hasn't been the most aggressive defender this season, but maybe he doesn't have to be. He's just about the most skillful CB in the world when it comes to duels, outstanding in every category. Sure, it would be great if he could finish his chances from dead balls a bit better. But with these numbers as a defender, who's complaining? Wingers will come and wingers will go, but Van Dijk will be the core of the Liverpool back line – and the entire squad – for years to come. So shall we give this one to the Bruiser of Breda?

Well, last year Van Dijk won the PFA Player of the Year award, but this year the bookies have him trailing Mane and Jordan Henderson. England's midfield rock also has fantastic numbers that almost no one in Europe can match, especially considering his aerial duels in open play and his tackling:

This is no easy choice! We're calling Van Dijk as the winner, but what do you think?

[Photo: Mehdi Bolourian]