'I didn't hesitate' - Four players who said no to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

'I didn't hesitate' - Four players who said no to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

Liverpool have been a great force in European football over the last 10 years, but that hasn't stopped some top players from rejecting a move to Anfield

Aurelien Tchouameni was once a key transfer target for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool (Image: Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images )

It’s not often that Liverpool are rejected by their transfer targets, especially considering they’ve secured some of the world’s top talent in recent years, including Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool's success over the past decade was largely driven by Jurgen Klopp’s arrival in 2015. His presence in the dugout played a crucial role in attracting big-name signings during his tenure.

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While the Reds have always been one of the most prestigious and iconic clubs in world football, it was Klopp’s ability to bring success back to Anfield that made players jump at the opportunity to wear the famous red shirt. That said, even Klopp wasn’t entirely immune to rejection by some of his and the club's top transfer targets.

Though some rejections ultimately worked out for the best, others certainly fall into the category of ‘the one that got away.’

Aurelien Tchouameni

One of the standout names Liverpool missed out on during Klopp's time at the club was France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Reds had previously signed Fabinho from Monaco in the summer of 2018 and that deal turned out to be a resounding success, so it was no surprise to see Liverpool back in the mix for the Ligue 1 side's next big thing a few years later in 2022.

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It was widely reported at the time that Klopp went to great lengths to convince Tchouameni to continue his promising career at Liverpool. Some reports even suggested the manager personally travelled to France in hope of getting a deal over the line, while he also had phone calls with the player.

However, as the 2022 summer transfer window drew nearer, it became clear Liverpool's hopes of landing their primary midfield target were slim. Real Madrid had entered the race, and from that point onwards, it was mission impossible.

Tchouameni opted to move to the Bernabeu in a decision he since explained he 'didn't hesitate' to make. During his unveiling as a Real Madrid player three years ago, he said: "As soon as Real Madrid arrived on the scene, I did not hesitate. I want to leave a mark on football and the best club for this is Real Madrid. It's the best decision for me.

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"In the Champions League final there were already negotiations between me and Real Madrid and it is true that when I watched the games against PSG and Man City, I wrote to my agent and told him: do everything possible to take me there, please."

Moises Caicedo

Liverpool resolved their midfield woes 12 months later with the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. While Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch signed in the latter stages of the transfer window, that summer could have looked completely different had they signed a different target.

Chelsea had been in negotiations with Moises Caicedo and Brighton for a number of months, but appeared reluctant to meet the Seagull's hefty demands for the midfielder. Sensing an opportunity, Liverpool swooped and launched a £111m bid for Caicedo which was subsequently accepted by Brighton.

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While a deal should have been straightforward from that point onwards, Liverpool ultimately could not agree personal terms with the player due to his desire to join Chelsea. The London club had little choice but to better Liverpool's bid, but they eventually landed their man as a deal over the line.

Speaking after completing his move, Caicedo admitted it wasn't an easy choice to reject Liverpool given the size of the club, but he felt he owed it to Chelsea to pick them due to their long-standing interest and lengthy pursuit. "It was a difficult decision because you know Liverpool is a big team," he told TNT Sports last year.

"But Chelsea were with me for a couple months and I felt like I couldn’t miss this move. They were with me in tough times, it was a difficult decision, but 100% the right one."

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Julian Brandt

Earlier in Klopp’s tenure, Liverpool were heavily linked with German star Julian Brandt. He was a player the manager had tried to sign previously during his time at Dortmund, but ultimately failed to secure.

The mutual decision not to bring Brandt to Liverpool in 2017 was slightly more complex. It came just a year before the 2018 World Cup, and the club's recruitment team were also keeping a close eye on Roma’s Mohamed Salah, who they strongly believed would be a better fit for the team, a view they had to convince Klopp to adopt.

“My gut feeling and my head are telling me the time to move has not arrived yet,” Brandt explained to Kicker in 2017 after rejecting a move. “I have to straighten things out in Leverkusen.

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“Of course there are players who say a year without European football before the World Cup is good reason to move. But if you move to a bigger club a year before the World Cup, you risk taking time at first to settle which possibly means playing fewer games.”

After completing a move to Dortmund a few years later in 2019, Brandt discussed his decision not to join Liverpool once again, but this time hinted at some potential regret. “I had that chance to take that next step to join Liverpool, but the time wasn’t right for me,” Brandt told the Athletic in 2023.

“I was aware that they were also looking at Mo Salah at the time. It’s a shame because I would have loved to play for Kloppo.”

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Romeo Lavia

In the same summer Liverpool failed in their pursuit to sign Caicedo from Brighton, Southampton's Romeo Lavia was also among the midfield targets. The Reds had numerous bids rejected by the Saints as they failed to meet their valuation, but after missing out on Caicedo, the Reds improved their offer.

However, this time, they no longer had a free run at the Belgium international and Chelsea were in the conversation for his signature. Some reports indicated Liverpool had finally agreed a fee with Southampton, but Lavia ultimately followed in Caicedo's footsteps and rejected the Reds in favour of a move to Stamford Bridge.

“You’ve never had my version," he explained to The Athletic at the start of this season, 12 months on from his high-profile transfer saga. "It’s all about what you read in the media.

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"I had to read a couple as well and sometimes you knew more than me, apparently! Listen, when I heard about Chelsea and it was from a long time ago before everything started, it was a no-brainer.

"Some stuff I was reading, I’m not going to say it was fake, but my decision was Chelsea. The interest from Liverpool was there but, in my head, I wanted to play for Chelsea.”

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