Liverpool's loss has been Chelsea's gain in the transfer market a number of times over the years. Think Fernando Torres, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
When the Blues have got one over their Premier League rivals in the acquisition of a player, it's not always gone right. For example, Torres never reached the lofty heights of his peak Anfield days after moving to west London.
There's a strong argument that says French striker Loic Remy also goes down as a Chelsea flop after his transfer to Stamford Bridge. Things could've worked out very differently for the forward had he completed a move to Liverpool.
Loic Remy on Collapsed Liverpool Transfer
Loic Remy
Now 39 years old, Remy has lifted the lid on the rollercoaster of emotions he went through before finding out his potential move to Liverpool collapsed in 2014. Speaking to Ladbrokes (with quotes per the Liverpool Echo), the Frenchman recalled:
"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.
"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."
Remy's move had gone as far as the player holding a Liverpool scarf and completing interviews for the Reds. He continued: "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 emerged that the Merseysiders were put off the transfer by a heart defect the striker was diagnosed with in 2010. Despite triggering an £8.5 million clause in his QPR contract, Liverpool pulled the plug on the deal. Remy stated:
"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."
Liverpool Were 'Not Very Honest' in Remy's Failed Transfer
Loic Remy
Liverpool, managed by Brendan Rodgers at the time, were looking to secure a new centre-forward to replace Luis Suarez. After initially eyeing Remy, who had impressed during a loan spell at Newcastle United, the English giants were put off by his condition.
Speaking just months after his collapsed transfer, Remy claimed he still wasn't completely sure why Liverpool opted against the deal. The ex-France international even went as far as saying they weren't 'honest'. He claimed (per Mail Sport):
"I did not understand Liverpool's decision. It was not very honest from their side.
"I was not scared. I know exactly what I have, I met all the specialists in the world. A lot of players share the same situation as mine and Liverpool know it."
As the issue was discovered years before the Reds made their move to sign him, it's easy to see why Remy felt confusion at the situation.
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Remy Made 'Crazy' Move to Chelsea Instead
Loic Remy Chelsea
Remy has admitted the whole ordeal and his eventual transfer to Chelsea that summer was 'crazy'. He said: "Signing for Chelsea was the craziest move of my career, that’s for sure."
Even after Liverpool chose not to sign the Frenchman due to his medical status, that didn't put off their Premier League rivals. Chelsea jumped at the opportunity to bring Remy in from London rivals QPR.
His time at Stamford Bridge didn't exactly set the world alight, as Remy managed just 12 goals in 47 appearances for the west Londoners. Spending a long time as Diego Costa's back-up, he just couldn't force his way into regular game time.
One thing the retired striker will always be able to boast is the Premier League winners' medal he claimed in 2014-15 under Jose Mourinho. Remy had spells with Las Palmas, Getafe and Lille after leaving England in 2017. He finished his career in France with Brest.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 01-02-25.