Man United flop Antony has made headlines by revealing he was “very close” to joining Liverpool in 2022 – and he makes our XI of players we’re glad we didn’t sign!
Liverpool supporters have been treated to some special signings in recent years.
But while the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have become modern legends, there have been some bullets dodged along the way too.
Here’s our XI of players who Liverpool tried to sign but, after moving elsewhere, fans were left thankful they never arrived at Anfield.
And yes, £86 million Antony makes the cut.
Goalkeeper – Jack Butland
There was a time when Jack Butland was seen as England’s future long-term No. 1.
That saw him linked with a move to Liverpool for several years, including back in 2017.
The Reds didn’t sign him, instead snapping up Alisson the following summer, with the Brazilian becoming one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.
As for Butland, he’s now 31 and at Rangers, having not reached his potential.
Right-back – Lucas Neill
We’re having to go back some time to get a right back for this XI and some of you may not even remember Lucas Neill.
During Rafa Benitez’s reign, the Australian was seen as a strong option to bring in at right-back but he never felt like a Liverpool-level player.
In fact, Neill was only really known to Reds supporters because he broke Jamie Carragher’s leg while playing for Blackburn in 2003.
Instead of Liverpool, he moved to West Ham in 2007 before playing for the likes of Everton, Galatasaray and Sydney FC.
Centre-back – Phil Jones
It’s sad what happened with Phil Jones’ career, with injuries ultimately destroying it.
The centre-back has now hung up his boots, despite only recently turning 33, and he was a big target for Liverpool in 2011 prior to him picking Man United instead.
At the time, it felt like a blow, with Jones seen as a future leader for England, but he found himself consistently unavailable for more than a decade.
Granted, he still made 229 appearances for United, but that came over 12 years at Old Trafford, averaging just 19 appearances a season.
Centre-back – Ashley Williams
Comparing Van Dijk and Ashley Williams is like comparing two people playing different sports!
However, there was a time when the Welshman was considered an option for Liverpool, with Brendan Rodgers wanting to reunite with his former Swansea player in 2013.
Williams remained with the Swans until 2016, though, eventually moving to Everton instead, where he rarely convinced.
Bullet dodged.
Left-back – Ben Chilwell
Before Liverpool signed Andy Robertson for just £8 million from Hull in 2017, Ben Chilwell was the top target at left-back.
The Reds couldn’t strike a deal for the Englishman, however, and he ended up moving to Chelsea from Leicester in 2020.
While Robertson has been one of Europe’s premier left-backs in the past seven or eight years, Chilwell hasn’t matched his early-career hype.
The 28-year-old’s time as Chelsea has fizzled out, with Enzo Maresca clearly not rating him, leading to just 32 minutes this season before he joined Crystal Palace on loan.
Put simply, the number of injuries Chilwell has picked up means Liverpool signing him would have been an error.
Centre midfield – Romeo Lavia
It may seem crazy now, but not everyone was content after Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai arrived at Liverpool in 2023.
Bids for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia sparked excitement, prior to them both joining Chelsea, with the Reds instead bringing in Wataru Endo.
In hindsight, not signing Lavia was definitely a blessing in disguise for Liverpool, with the Belgian making only 13 appearances for the Blues so far due to long-term injuries.
Centre-midfield – Mason Mount
Also in the summer of 2023, Mason Mount emerged as a target that many got behind.
There was a battle for the England international’s signature but he ended up at United with a deal – a £60 million transfer fee for Chelsea and wages of £250,000 a week – considered too costly for Liverpool.
Mount’s time at Old Trafford has been a disaster, however, scoring and assisting just once apiece in 32 matches, not helped by constant injuries.
Liverpool signed Szoboszlai instead, thankfully!
No. 10 – Thomas Lemar
Thomas Lemar was a key player with Monaco when they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2017, in a team also featuring Fabinho and Kylian Mbappe.
Liverpool were eager to land a deal, with bids of £55.5 million and £64.8 million rejected, but he went to Atletico Madrid in 2018.
While the Frenchman has done adequately in his seven years in Spain, he has never lived up to his Monaco hype.
Right wing – Antony
Pound for pound, Antony has to be one of the worst signings in the history of the Premier League.
At United, the £86 million Brazilian was renowned for a complete lack of end product – five assists in 96 appearances! – and he has been shipped off on loan to Real Betis.
As it turns out, Antony has recently admitted that he was “very close” to joining Liverpool before his switch to United as talks stalled over a new contract for Mohamed Salah.
When it comes to bullets dodged for the Reds, this is right up there.
Left wing – Nicolas Pepe
In terms of the poorest value-for-money Premier League signings, Nicolas Pepe can give Antony a run for his money.
Arsenal paid £72 million for the Ivorian in 2019, but in the same summer, Liverpool were reportedly pushing to sign him.
Pepe ended up being an extremely poor man’s Salah for the Gunners, cutting inside from the right and producing so little end product, and he left to join Trabzonspor in 2023.
Nine assists in 80 Premier League games does not repay that massive fee!
Striker – Timo Werner
The Bundesliga ‘experts’ among us seemed adamant that Timo Werner would be perfect for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
But over time, it has become apparent that the German is a limited footballer with a questionable attitude, with Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou criticising him this season.
Werner flattered to deceive at Chelsea, and now on loan at Spurs after a return to RB Leipzig, he has failed to score in 18 Premier League matches.
He may have done well in the Bundesliga, but he has failed in England. Liverpool signed Diogo Jota instead.
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