Liverpool has a history of landing players they probably shouldn’t have — Mohamed Salah for £34 million, Virgil van Dijk for £75 million, that whole Champions League title thing. But for every signing that worked out, there’s a story about the one that got away. Sometimes because of money. Sometimes because of bad timing. Sometimes because Alex Ferguson made a phone call.
With young midfielder Yan Diomande reportedly picking Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool this week, it’s worth remembering this isn’t new. The Reds have been rejected by some of the biggest names in modern soccer. Here are 10 of them.
Cristiano Ronaldo
This one is almost comical in hindsight. In 2003, Gerard Houllier spotted an 18-year-old Ronaldo at the Toulon Under-21 tournament and wanted him at Anfield. But Liverpool’s strict wage structure meant the club balked at his salary demands — reportedly around $5,000 a week more than they were willing to pay. While they were still debating, Manchester United played a friendly against Sporting Lisbon. Ronaldo torched United’s defenders so badly that the players told Ferguson to sign him immediately. The rest is five Ballon d’Ors and a legacy that haunts every club that passed.
Moises Caicedo
The summer of 2023 was a mess. Liverpool thought they had Caicedo locked up with a bid over £100 million. Jurgen Klopp even talked about him in an interview like he was already a Red. Then Chelsea swooped in. Caicedo later told The Athletic that Chelsea had stayed with him during tough moments when Brighton wouldn’t let him go. He said he knew 100 percent he wanted Chelsea. Liverpool had to pivot and ended up with Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch instead. Not a terrible consolation prize, but not the same thing.
Romeo Lavia
Liverpool made three bids for Lavia in 2023 before Southampton finally accepted £60 million. But by then, Chelsea had already stolen Caicedo and decided they wanted Lavia too. The Belgian midfielder reportedly felt Liverpool treated him as a second choice and had played games with him. He picked Chelsea, then spent most of his first season injured while Liverpool finished third in Klopp’s final year.
Martin Zubimendi
This one is weird because he actually said yes. In the summer of 2024, Zubimendi agreed to join Liverpool from Real Sociedad. Then he changed his mind. He said it wasn’t the right time to leave and that he still had things to learn in Spain. A year later, he joined Arsenal instead and won the Premier League. Liverpool fans probably still have feelings about this.
Nemanja Vidic
Rafa Benitez tried to sign Vidic in the winter of 2005-06. The Serbian defender was interested but worried about moving to England. That hesitation gave Ferguson an opening. United’s manager contacted Vidic during his talks with Liverpool and convinced him the Premier League was the place for him — but only in a red shirt. Just not that red shirt. Vidic joined United for £7 million and became one of the best defenders the league has seen, even if Fernando Torres gave him nightmares.
Diego Costa
Liverpool needed a striker in 2014 to replace Luis Suarez. Costa was the target. But Jose Mourinho did his whole charm offensive and convinced Costa that Chelsea was the better move. Costa won two Premier League titles in London while Liverpool ended up with Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert leading the line. Though in the long run, Costa left Chelsea under a cloud in 2018 just as Liverpool’s front three of Salah, Mane, and Firmino were peaking. So maybe the Reds won that war after all.
Gareth Barry
The Xabi Alonso-Gareth Barry saga still makes Liverpool fans cringe. Rafa Benitez was willing to sell Alonso in 2008 to fund a move for Barry. Alonso was understandably annoyed, stayed one more year, then left for Real Madrid. Liverpool expected to finally get Barry, but he chose Manchester City instead. The Reds spent £17 million on Alberto Aquilani, who was injured most of the time. It took Klopp years to fix that midfield mess.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Sigurdsson was nearly a Liverpool player in 2012. He chose Tottenham instead, reportedly impressed by their project under Andre Villas-Boas and a better financial package. He eventually made it to Merseyside — but with Everton in 2017. By then, Liverpool’s standards under Klopp were well above his level.
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic turned down Liverpool for Borussia Dortmund in 2016, saying Dortmund had given him everything and he loved the club. Three years later, Klopp tried again. Pulisic chose Chelsea instead, lured by promises of a key role in their rebuild. It never quite worked out at Stamford Bridge, but he’s now thriving at AC Milan. Liverpool managed fine with Salah and Mane on the wings.
Michael Laudrup
This one is from the way back machine. Laudrup actually agreed to sign for Liverpool in 1983. But the club asked him to add an extra year to his three-year contract. He said no thanks and went to Juventus instead. One of the greatest playmakers of his generation never played in England. Liverpool’s loss.
Some of these rejections worked out fine for the Reds. Others still sting. But that’s the business. You miss 100 percent of the players you don’t sign, and sometimes you miss the ones you almost did too.
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