Nowadays Liverpool more often than not get it spot on in the transfer market. Michael Edwards hasn’t put a foot wrong in a while with his shrewd maneuvers. The Reds haven’t always been so astute with their business, a decade or so ago we were making some questionable buys. What about the transfers that didn’t happen? Daniele Paponi has revealed he turned down Liverpool as a teenager.
Daniele Paponi has claimed he could have joined Liverpool. (Photo by Mario Carlini/Iguana Press/Getty Images)
Who on earth is Daniele Paponi?
Paponi is a 31-year-old striker playing for Italian side Piacenza in Serie C.
The forward’s career started with Parma, playing in Serie B.
In 2010 he was part of one of those strange co-ownership-part-exchange deals that Italians were so fond of, the deal saw him join Bologna.
Things didn’t work out at Bologna and after a series of loan spells, including a period at MLS side Montreal Impact, he was sold to Latina.
Daniele Paponi nearly joined Liverpool?
The lower league striker has some story to tell by the looks of things.
Speaking to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the forward revealed:
“A regret? At 18 I could have gone to Liverpool, but I decided to stay in Parma.”
What RTK has to say
I wouldn’t say we are cut up about missing out on the great Daniele Paponi.
It appears as though the Reds got away with one in this instance.
We signed quite a few young strikers around this time with none ever fulfilling their promise. Who can ever forget the disappointment of Samed Yesil not becoming the next Gerd Muller?