Liverpool have splashed out on a forward line that is now the envy of Europe to give Arne Slot the weapons to win the club's seventh Champions League crown.
Despite cruising to the Premier League title last season, the Reds invested nearly £450 million ($614 million) in transforming their squad during the summer transfer window.
Liverpool twice smashed their own transfer record to land Swedish striker Alexander Isak for £125 million and German forward Florian Wirtz for an initial £100 million that could rise to £116 million.
Those deals made Hugo Ekitike's £69 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt look modest, while nearly £100 million more went on a pair of attack-minded full-backs in Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Yet the best business conducted by the Premier League champions arguably came even before the window opened when they persuaded veteran stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to sign new deals.
Liverpool go into their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday buoyed by four wins out of four in the Premier League.
Atletico, by contrast, picked up their first victory of the season against Villarreal on Saturday, after collecting just two points from three winnable games.
Slot said Tuesday that Liverpool had performed "far above" his expectations during the summer, alluding to the trauma following the death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain.
"For us to be on 12 points now is so much more than I expected, especially after we've had so many changes in our squad," the Dutchman said.
"I think we can do better, but we're not every time going to face Newcastle away and Arsenal at home."
- Salah struggles -
Despite their 100 percent record, Liverpool's results have so far papered over some cracks, with the team still adjusting to their rebuild.
Each victory has come with goals scored in the 83rd minute or later, including two stoppage-time winners.
Salah slotted home a 95th-minute penalty against newly promoted Burnley on Sunday but has so far looked a shadow of the player who dazzled last season.
Slot has warned fans to be patient with former Newcastle forward Isak, who is short of fitness after missing most of pre-season and is yet to make his debut.
The Liverpool boss confirmed the Sweden international would be in the squad on Wednesday, though he said he was "100 percent sure" he would not play the full game.
Wirtz has played virtually every minute and is yet to score or even provide an assist as the German struggles to adapt to the physical rigours of the Premier League.
Kerkez, substituted at Burnley before half-time, has been underwhelming while Frimpong has had injury problems.
Overall, it has not been the brightest of starts for Liverpool's new galaxy of stars but, as Slot is keen to stress, Liverpool have invested for the future.
"I think it's only a compliment that people tell everyone that we've spent so much, because that tells you that the players we've brought in are seen as very good players," he said.
After winning the Premier League, conquering Europe is now top of Liverpool's agenda.
Last year they topped the league phase but were knocked out in the last 16 by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Under former manager Jurgen Klopp, the Reds reached three Champions League finals in five seasons.
But they won only one, beating Tottenham in 2019, and have tasted Champions League glory just once in the past 20 seasons.
Over the past two decades Liverpool fans have bemoaned their lack of financial muscle compared with Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as state-backed PSG and Manchester City.
That excuse no longer stands and Liverpool will hope their huge investment pays dividends with a another European crown in Budapest in May.
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