The Frenchman was set to join Liverpool from QPR in 2014 after impressing on loan at Newcastle, but a failed medical scuppered the move
Loic Remy of Chelsea celebrates as he scores their second goal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge on January 4, 2015 in London, England.
Loic Remy joined the Blues over Arsenal(Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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Loic Remy was on the verge of pulling on a Liverpool shirt after his stellar performances for Newcastle - but a medical setback saw him head to Chelsea instead. As the transfer window deadline approaches, supporters will look back on occasions when deals appeared done before falling through.
One recent example is Marc Guehi's anticipated move to the Reds, only for him to sign for Manchester City several months later. Deciding between Premier League clubs can prove complicated, as Remy discovered.
The French forward had shone during his loan spell at Newcastle from QPR, finding the net 14 times and providing three assists across 27 outings in the 2013/14 campaign. His impressive introduction to England's top flight attracted attention from numerous clubs, including Liverpool, who were then under Brendan Rodgers' management.
The Anfield outfit activated an £8.5million release clause in Remy's QPR contract and appeared certain to bring him to Merseyside. The Frenchman linked up with the club during their pre-season tour across the United States, with the transfer seemingly wrapped up.
Yet the move ultimately fell apart following reports of a failed medical. QPR manager Harry Redknapp at the time maintained it was "not possible" that the "very fit" Remy had encountered problems during the final hurdle.
Despite this setback, clubs remained keen on the striker, with Chelsea eventually winning the race for his signature, fending off a late challenge from Arsenal. In an interview with Ladbrokes, Remy confessed he turned down the north London club for Chelsea because he felt the Blues were more sincere.
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.
"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.
Chelsea's new signing Loic Remy at the Cobham Training Ground on 31st August 2014 in Cobham, England.
Remy opted for Stamford Bridge over the Emirates Stadium(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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"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."
Though he managed just 12 goals in 47 outings and left Stamford Bridge three years after arriving, Remy did assist Jose Mourinho's team in securing the Premier League crown and League Cup during his inaugural campaign.
Reflecting on his Chelsea move and Arsenal rejection, 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.
(L-R) Chelsea's Diego Costsa, Didier Drogba, Namanja Matic, Loic Remy and Kurt Zouma celebrate with the trophy during a Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on 24th May 2015 in London, England.
He was successful with the Blues(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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"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!"
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