The former Premier League striker had agreed to join Liverpool and even joined them on a preseason tour - but somehow ended up playing for Chelsea instead
Loic Remy of Chelsea in action during an friendly match between SK Rapid Vienna and Chelsea F.C. at Allianz Stadion on July 16, 2016 in Vienna, Austria.
The French striker went from signing for Liverpool to joining their Premier League rivals (Image: Matej Divizna/Getty Images)
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Loic Remy was poised to put on a Liverpool shirt after impressing for Newcastle - but a failed medical meant he headed south to join Chelsea instead. As transfer deadline day nears, fans will reminisce on days when moves were confirmed, then collapsed, such as Marc Guehi's proposed switch to the Reds, only for him to join Manchester City months later.
Choosing between Premier League sides can be tricky, as Remy found out. The French striker had impressed during a loan at Newcastle from QPR, scoring 14 goals and assisting three times in 27 appearances during the 2013/14 season.
This introduction to the top flight had many clubs sniffing around the forward, including Liverpool, who were managed by Brendan Rodgers at the time. The Reds triggered an £8.5million release clause in Remy's contract with QPR and looked set to bring him to Anfield.
The Frenchman joined up with the Merseyside club on their preseason tour of the United States, with the transfer all but confirmed. However, the deal failed to materialise due to a reported failed medical.
Then-QPR boss Harry Redknapp insisted that it was "not possible" that the "very fit" Remy had dealt with issues during the mandatory health check-up. Interest in the striker didn't fade with this bump in the road, and Chelsea ended up securing his signature, despite a late swoop from Arsenal.
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In an interview with Ladbrokes, Remy admitted he snubbed the north London side for Chelsea because he believed the Blues were more genuine. He said: "Signing for Chelsea was the craziest move of my career, that’s for sure.
"I can remember being on holiday, back in my home country, on a small island, and my agent gave me a call to tell me that Liverpool wanted to sign me. They were training in Boston for pre-season. That was fantastic news for me, so I asked him about the next steps.
"My agent told me what I needed to do and where I needed to go, but at the time, I didn’t have my passport on me, so I couldn’t make it to Boston.
Raheem Sterling of Liverpool drinks during a training session at Princeton University on July 28, 2014 in Princeton, New Jersey.
Liverpool were on their preseason tour of the USA at the time(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"At the time, my agent was the same as Patrice Evra’s – so Patrice’s brother went to Lyon, my hometown, to get my passport, I then travelled all the way to Paris, and met Patrice’s brother there, he gave me the passport and I flew straight to Boston.
"We arrived, me and my agent, and it all felt like a dream – it was happening so quickly. I met all the guys, started doing my interviews, and had a medical, but something was wrong.
"I didn’t know what was wrong, but they said I just needed to wait for a couple of days. At this moment, I was a Liverpool player as far as I was concerned, because I’d done the interviews, and I still have a picture of myself on my phone, holding their scarf!
"It was a very proud moment for me, but two days later I found out that there was a problem with my medical, and the deal was off – they didn’t want to take the risk, and while I was so disappointed, I accepted it and went back to London, ready to start training with QPR again."
Chelsea's new signing Loic Remy holds up his new shirt at the Cobham Training Ground on 31st August 2014 in Cobham, England.
Remy ended up joining Chelsea instead(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Despite scoring just 12 goals in 47 appearances and departing Stamford Bridge just three years after joining, the striker did help Jose Mourinho's side win the Premier League title and League Cup in his debut year.
Recalling his Chelsea switch and Arsenal snub, Remy added: "And then, Chelsea called my agent and said they wanted to sign me. They asked if I was available, which I was, and so we went to Cobham to do my medical.
"It’s funny, because just before we signed, my agent had a call from Arsenal, who were asking whether I’d signed or not. “No, no, he’s on his way to sign now. Tell him not to sign – we want him!
"My agent told me this, and the market was so close to closing, and so he gave me the choice between Chelsea and Arsenal. In the end, I went with Chelsea because I just thought that Arsenal should have manifested themselves long before the end of the transfer window.
"I was already at Cobham, ready to sign with Chelsea, had passed my medical, so I decided I wasn’t going to change my mind. A mistake, or not? I don’t think it was; at the end of the day, I won titles with Chelsea, but yes, it was a very complicated move behind the scenes!"