Five players Liverpool tried and failed to sign.
Liverpool fans were demanding the head of managing director Ian Ayre on a platter last night after a deal to bring Ukrainian winger Yevhen Konoplyanka broke down shortly before the 11pm transfer deadline.
It is not the first time that Ayre has failed to delivery in the transfer market and there is growing frustration among the Anfield faithful, with many believing the club should restructure their transfer committee.
We take a look at the Reds’ top five recent failures in the transfer market:
5. Diego Costa
In early August, Liverpool made a £21m bid for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. The Reds were believed to have triggered the Brazilian-born forward’s release-clause and boss Brendan Rodgers was thought to be hopeful of concluding a speedy deal.
But just ten days later, with Liverpool’s interest still strong, Costa agreed a new deal at the Vicente Calderon. Costa has scored 23 goals in 24 appearances for the La Liga club this season, with only Liverpool’s own Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo boasting a better goals-per-minute ratio in Europe’s top five leagues.
4. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
With more goals from midfield a priority, Rodgers made Shakhtar Donetsk’s attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan another transfer target this summer. Fan blogs were rife with photos supposedly showing the Armenian international meeting with Liverpool officials and holding Reds’ scarfs aloft at John Lennon International airport.
But just as it looked certain he would join Liverpool in a £25m deal, Borussia Dortmund came calling and Mkhitaryan signed for the Champions League finalists as a direct replacement for Mario Goetze. The 24-year-old has made a decent start to life in Germany, bagging four goals and five assists from 21 appearances so far this term.
3. Willian
In Liverpool’s defence, Tottenham – usurpers of the Gylfi Sigurdsson and Clint Dempsey deals the summer before – were left far more red faced than the Merseysiders by Willian’s eventual transfer to Chelsea. The Reds appeared to be in pole position to sign the playmaker from Anzhi Mackhachkala, as the Russian outfit conducted a hasty fire-sale this summer.
As Liverpool fans salivated at the prospect of the Brazilian linking up with compatriot Coutinho and Luis Suarez, Spurs swooped and Willian arrived at Hotspur Way for a medical to sign a contract. Cue a phone call from Chelsea…
2. Mohamed Salah
Rumours linking Liverpool with a move for the ‘Egyptian Messi’ have been circulating feverishly since the beginning of last month, with the Reds thought to be in advanced talks with the 21-year-old’s club FC Basel over a £15m deal.
Just as Liverpool appeared close to landing the winger, Chelsea accepted Manchester United’s bid for Juan Mata and entered the running for their Champions League group stage tormentor Salah. The Blues quickly announced that an agreement has been reached with Basel for the transfer of the promising youngster, subject to the formality of personal terms and a medical.
1. Yenven Konoplyanka
After Salah joined Chelsea, Liverpool quickly turned their attentions to the Dnipro left winger. Initially the Reds appeared to be making good progress after beating off competition from Tottenham (“Get your own scouts!”) and an unnamed Bundesliga club.
Ian Ayre flew to Ukraine – and reportedly spent four days there in total – in an attempt to conclude a deal for the 24-year-old but as time ticked away on deadline day, there was no news of an agreement with Dnipro’s billionaire president Ihor Kolomoyskyi. Rodgers admitted in his lunchtime press conference that the deal was ‘complicated’ but with rumours of a medical having taken place, there still seemed hope. Sickeningly for Reds fans, news of the move’s collapse shortly after 11pm began to filter through. In fairness to Ayre, it seems everything was agreed and the player wanted to come but Kolomoyskyi refused to sign the paperwork.