Many deals have fallen apart at the last second for Liverpool over the years, such as Nabil Fekir and Loic Remy, but one star has now spoken out about his devastation at missing out on playing for the Premier League club.
In January 2014, the Reds attempted to sign Yevhen Konoplyanka, but some last-minute complications meant the deal never came to fruition.
The Ukrainian was playing for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in his home country at the time and had a buyout clause in his £16m contract and Liverpool were prepared to match it, claims the Liverpool Echo.
The winger had already been crowned Ukrainian Football of the Year three times when Liverpool called him up, but Dnipro chairman Ihor Kolomoyskyi simply refused to sign the deal because he did not want to lose his star player.
Speaking with Weszlo, Konoplyanka said of the failed move: “I was crying. A delegation of serious people from Liverpool arrived in Dnipropetrovsk. We ate dinner. They were (willing) to pay as much as (Dnipro owner) Ihor Kolomoyskyi wanted.
“Martin Skrtel wrote me a message: ‘We are waiting for you.’ Steven Gerrard also gave me his blessing. I used to go to Kolomoyskyi: ‘Please, please, please, let me go. It will make my dream come true.’ I begged. Liverpool offered €25 million (£18 million). But I was not disappointed to go to Sevilla (in his place)”.
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Konoplyanka eventually joined Spanish side Sevilla the following summer and was part of their team that beat Liverpool in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League final.
The Ukrainian never reached his full potential in the sport and at 33 now plays for MKS Krakow in Poland.
It’s unknown how his career would have developed if he moved to Liverpool, but it’s a moment Konoplyanka was desperate for in 2014.
