Liverpool were very close to signing Carlos Zambrano back in 2015, according to the player himself.
The Peruvian is now at Boca Juniors, but when Liverpool were interested in him, he was highly rated in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt.
Zambrano claims he stayed with Frankfurt to help them fight relegation, though, which seems a little odd to us considering he was happy to join Russian outfit Rubin Kazan in 2016 – when Joel Matip signed for Liverpool.
“I was a stone’s throw away from playing in Liverpool,” Zambrano revealed on Instagram, relayed by Libero.
“I didn’t go, and they signed Joel Matip. I didn’t go because I was struggling to get out of the relegation zone with Frankfurt and I gave them my word to stay.
“These are decisions that you make, and then you regret them. My team-mates told me: ‘It’s Liverpool’, but I had to keep my word. Besides, I’m very fond of Frankfurt.”
Since leaving Russia, Zambrano has played in Greece, Ukraine and Argentina – as well as winning 50 caps for his country – so although he’s enjoyed a decent career – it’s not like we missed out on a world-beater.
Matip on the other hand won a Champions League last season and although he isn’t a first-choice option right now due to the emergence of Joe Gomez alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool might be in the market for another central defender when the window eventually reopens, but only if Dejan Lovren moves to pastures new. The Croat is a high-level fourth choice option, but he might feel he deserves more regular first-team football, which might enable us to bring in a youngster.