Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt has claimed he was never close to joining Liverpool, despite rumours.
The Times reported that back in 2017, Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign the German instead of Mohamed Salah – who, at the time, was at AS Roma.
He only opted for the Egyptian on the advice of the Reds’s recruitment team and Michael Edwards. From the start, the former Bayer Leverkusen star was Klopp’s number one target.
However, speaking in an interview recently (as relayed by journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter), Brandt has confirmed he was never close to signing for the Merseyside outfit.
Having joined Dortmund in 2019 in a deal worth £22m, the player has now decided to renew his contract at Signal Iduna Park until June 2026.
“That was clarified for me relatively quickly. At no time was I in any talks or listening to any offers,” said Brandt.
“It was clear relatively quickly that when I go into talks with Dortmund, the goal is to extend here”.
Liverpool once wanted Brandt
Despite his huge promise as a youngster, Brandt has only really started to hit high levels over the past year.
In the Bundesliga this season, the Germany international has played 25 games, during which he has bagged eight goals and four assists.
Despite standout performances from teammate Jude Bellingham, the 26-year-old won the Bundesliga Player of the Month award in both January and February – illustrating just how impressive he’s really been.
Liverpool won’t be too upset they didn’t sign Brandt, as they ultimately decided to go with Salah instead – and we all know how that panned out.
But Dortmund now have a very good player on their hands; one Reds fans were sure they would see unveiled at Anfield.
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