15 players who rejected moves to Liverpool ft. Ronaldo, Kroos & Vidic | OneFootball

One of the most exciting transfer sagas of all time played out last week, with Liverpool and Chelsea fighting it out over the signing of Moises Caicedo.

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Liverpool had a British-record £111 million bid accepted by Brighton for the player, but the Ecuadorian told The Reds he didn't want to join, and instead signed for Chelsea for £115 million.

The same day Caicedo's move was announced by Chelsea, it was reported by The Athletic that Romeo Lavia of Southampton, who Liverpool were poised to make a move for, had also rejected Jurgen Klopp for The Blues.

Despite the embarrassment, Liverpool fans must be feeling right now, it's worth remembering that Lavia and Caicedo are by no means the only players to have turned down the club, so join GIVEMESPORT as we look back on 15 other players who, for various reasons, said no to moving to Liverpool.

15 Gylfi Sigurdsson

The Icelandic midfielder, renowned for his set-piece deliveries and composure, was nearly signed by Liverpool in 2012.

However, playing for Swansea at the time, Gylfi opted to join Tottenham instead, as he was more impressed by the London club's ambitious project under Andre Villas-Boas.

Rumours hinted at Sigurdsson’s desire for consistent game time and an attractive financial package also contributing to his decision to snub The Reds in favour of Spurs

Gylfi did end up playing in Liverpool though, joining The Reds' arch-rivals Everton in 2017.

14 Dennis Bergkamp

The thought of Dutch magician donning the Liverpool shirt is quite something...

Bergkamp, famed for his elegant style and unmatched technical prowess, saw his future in North London.

Arsenal's allure, spearheaded by compatriot manager Bruce Rioch's vision, played a monumental role in his decision to join the club over Liverpool, who were also interested in securing his services.

The move was ultimately justified as he went on to become an incredibly important part of Arsenal's history, winning several league titles with The Gunners.

13 Gareth Barry

With Xabi Alonso's future uncertain in 2008, Liverpool eyed Barry as the ideal replacement.

Barry, a symbol of consistency, was in his prime and he seemed like a natural fit in Liverpool's midfield under Rafa Benitez.

Alonso stayed at Liverpool for another year, and Barry did the same with Aston Villa, but things changed the following summer.

Real Madrid signed Alonso, so it seemed like Barry would naturally move to Anfield, but he instead opted to join Manchester City, who presented him with a project that he just couldn't say no to.

12 Ousmane Dembele

The same summer Jurgen Klopp signed Mohamed Salah, who has gone on to become a Liverpool legend, the club also tried to secure the services of Ousmane Dembele.

With an exit from Dortmund seemingly likely, Liverpool held talks with Dembele's representations, but it became very clear that the Frenchman wanted to move to Barcelona, following in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi.

11 Christian Pulisic

Prior to his move to Chelsea in January 2019, Pulisic was a target for most top clubs in Europe, with Jurgen Klopp keen on bringing the American to Anfield.

In search of a more creative midfielder, Klopp viewed Pulisic as a key target, and held talks with Dortmund over a potential move, as well as the American's representatives.

However, Chelsea were also keen on bringing Pulisic to the Premier League, and with the promise of a key role in their rebuild, the new-AC Milan star opted to move to London over Liverpool.

10 Xhedran Shaqiri

Shaqiri ended up winning the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool after joining in 2018, but the Merseyside outfit actually tried to sign the Swiss international years before he joined the club.

In 2015, whilst at Bayern Munich, Liverpool held talks with the German club over the signing of Shaqiri, but he instead opted to join Inter Milan, who promised him a more regular role in the side.

After just one season in Italy, Shaqiri joined Stoke City, playing at the club for three years before moving to Anfield, where he enjoyed much success.

9 Michael Laudrup

Fans might know that, per AllFootball, Laudrup had actually agreed to sign for Liverpool in 1983, but the move fell through when The Reds asked the Danish international to add an extra year to his previously-agreed-upon three-year contract.

Laudrup decided to abandon his deal with the English club, instead joining Juventus from Brondby the same summer.

One of the best attacking midfielders in the world on his day, there's no denying that Liverpool fans would have loved to have seen Laudrup lining up for them.

8 Henrikh Mkhitaryan

During his time at Shaktar, where he was viewed as one of the most exciting talents in the world, Liverpool tried to bring Mkhitaryan to Anfield, but a move never materialised.

The transfer seemed close in 2013, but Borussia Dortmund, with the promise of Champions League football, convinced the Armenian to join them instead.

Years later, Mkhitaryan would find himself in the Premier League, playing at both Manchester United and then Arsenal.

7 Alexis Sanchez

Another former Arsenal man who was close to joining Liverpool was Alexis Sanchez, who The Reds targetted as their Luis Suarez replacement in 2014.

A move to Anfield seemed logical, with Suarez moving the other way to Barcelona, but the allure of London and Wenger's vision at Arsenal meant that he chose to turn down a move to Liverpool.

6 Nemanja Vidic

The Serbian wall became a Manchester United legend, and multi-time Premier League winning captain, but could have done it with Liverpool.

The Reds saw him as the rock for their defense, and made a move to sign him in 2006, but United, with Sir Alex Ferguson's persuasive prowess, stole the deal and tempted Vidic to join them instead.

5 Dele Alli

Rising from the MK Dons ranks, Alli’s potential was undeniable, and he became one of the most highly-sought after midfielders in the world.

Liverpool's interest was genuine, and Alli is even rumoured to have travelled up to Merseyside for talks.

However, Tottenham's guarantee of Premier League action under the tutelage of Pochettino sealed the deal, and he joined the London outfit instead.

4 David Silva

The Spanish magician, before etching a legendary chapter at Manchester City, where he won multiple Premier Leagues, was nearly a Liverpool player.

Silva, who played for Valencia at the time, was captivated by City's ambitious blueprint and the promise of creating history, which he indeed did, and turned down a move to Anfield in 2010.

The rest, as they say, is history.

3 Diego Costa

The combative Diego Costa seemed tailor-made for the Premier League, and Liverpool was keen on bringing the top class striker to the club in 2014, seeing him as another potential replacement for Luis Suarez.

However, Jose Mourinho was able to convince Costa that a move to Chelsea would be better for him, and the Spainard ended up following that advice and moving to London instead of Liverpool.

Mourinho's advice paid off too, with Costa winning the Premier League with Chelsea in both 2015 and 2017, while Liverpool ended up having Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert leading their line instead.

2 Toni Kroos

Liverpool drooled at the prospect of the German metronome dictating play at Anfield, and it almost happened.

Playing for Bayern Munich at the time, Kross was of interested to Liverpool, and the club even asked Steven Gerrard to speak with the midfielder, hoping that that'd convince him to join the club.

However, interest from Real Madrid was far more appealing to the German who opted for Spain over England, going on to become one of the best midfielders in the club's history.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo

The man who broke Liverpool hearts whilst playing for both Manchester United and Real Madrid, fans might not realise that Ronaldo was close to actually signing for The Reds whilst at Sporting Lisbon.

Ronaldo, just a teenager, was nearly Liverpool-bound. But Sir Alex, with his unparalleled vision, saw Ronaldo's potential and Old Trafford's legacy did the rest.