Liverpool had planned to sign Atletico de Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey in the summer of 2018 before altering their transfer plans.
A report in El Mundo Deportivo outlines how the Reds attempted to land the Ghanaian international before significant outlays on other transfer targets meant they could no longer afford him.
It was the summer after Liverpool lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid in which goalkeeper Loris Karius made high-profile errors, leading to their priorities in the transfer market shifting.
A grand sum of €73m was spent on goalkeeper Alisson Becker from Roma, while €45m brought Fabinho from Monaco alongside a pre-agreed €68m to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig.
Further signings following – including Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke for €14.7m – but the transfer budget did not stretch to the versatile Party.
The Atleti midfielder said in a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the game at Anfield that it was his ‘dream’ to play in the stadium, and the latest report suggests he wants to one day play in England.
