Former Middlesbrough midfielder Juninho has revealed that Liverpool were among the clubs to make an offer for him during the 2000s.
Like any big club, there are plenty of top players who the Reds have reportedly missed out on down the years, from Michael Laudrup to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Liverpool have been made to look foolish by not choosing to sign individuals who have gone on to become greats of the game, but predicting the future is never easy.
For example, did anyone expect Mohamed Salah to reach the heights he has, having arrived at Anfield from Roma as a ‘Chelsea reject’ back in the summer of 2017?
Now, speaking to a Brazilian podcast, via Sport Witness, Juninho has made a big claim about the Reds’ interest in him towards the end of his stint at Boro in 2004.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 2006: Liverpool's Chief-Executive Rick Parry and Chairman David Moores before the Premiership match against Newcastle United at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“There was interest from Man United, but they didn’t want to pay what Middlesbrough wanted,” Juninho revealed.
“I think it was £12 million (€14m). Ferguson didn’t want to pay. Liverpool and Tottenham made offers.
“If I had the awareness I have today, I wouldn’t have left England. I would have gone to Liverpool or Tottenham.”
Would Juninho have shone at Liverpool?
It’s a shame that Liverpool missed out on Juninho, even if he was in his early 30s by the time their reported interest emerged.
The Brazilian was a hugely popular Premier League player in the 1990s and 2000s, joining a Boro side filled with foreign talent, including Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson.
It was Juninho who still stands out as the best player during that period, wowing with his technical brilliance in a No. 10. role and winning the League Cup in 2004.
The diminutive midfielder registered 52 goal contributions in 150 appearances for Boro – 34 goals and 18 assists – and there was also the small matter of winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil.
In the end, Juninho moved to Celtic in 2004, but he could have lit up Anfield and been involved in Rafa Benitez‘s early years there.