Moses Simon was a target for Liverpool in 2018, but the Nigeria winger's move to the Premier League never materialized, and he has admitted he regrets how he handled the situation
19:26, 10 Jul 2026Updated 19:36, 10 Jul 2026
Moses Simon
Liverpool was linked with Moses Simon in the past(Image: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)
Nigeria and Paris FC winger Moses Simon has confessed that he regrets his behavior at KAA Gent while attempting to engineer a transfer to Liverpool in 2018.
The 30-year-old, who netted three goals for Ligue 1 newcomers Paris FC last season, has disclosed that his career trajectory could have been vastly different had he sealed his dream switch to the Premier League almost a decade ago. While Simon has carved out a successful career across Belgium, Spain, and France, the winger's ambitions of playing in England never came to fruition despite attention from numerous clubs across the country.
The Nigerian international, in conversation with Urban Dwell Sport, revealed that multiple clubs, including Liverpool, Tottenham, Brighton, Fulham, and Hull City, all expressed interest in acquiring his services during his spell in Belgium. Simon represented Gent from 2015 to 2018, and confirmed that Liverpool came nearest to securing his signature during this period, although the transfer ultimately collapsed.
Indeed, the Super Eagles star was firmly on Liverpool's radar in advance of the 2018/19 season, with Jürgen Klopp's outfit reportedly submitting a £10 million ($13.4M) bid for Simon's services. The Reds' interest was subsequently withdrawn, however, and Xherdan Shaqiri instead completed the switch to Anfield.
Simon acknowledged that the collapse of the Liverpool transfer had a significant impact on him psychologically, resulting in him losing motivation at Gent. "The second year [at Gent], I was supposed to go to Liverpool," Simon said.
Moses Simon of Nigeria during the International Friendly match between Portugal and Nigeria at Estadio Dr Magalhaes Pessoa on June 10, 2026
Simon opened up on his failed Liverpool switch(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
"It didn't work. In my head, I was like: 'Is it the agent or the club? I don't want to play.' So I was putting it in my head: 'Whether I play or I don't, I don't care.'"
The 30-year-old went on to disclose that he believed deliberately hampering his own performances would pressure Gent into offloading him, reports the Liverpool Echo. "I [thought] if I don't play, the club will find a way to quickly sell me," Simon admitted. "The club bought me for €1million (£852,000), but after one year, they wanted €25 million (£21.3 million)."
With the benefit of hindsight, Simon has since acknowledged his regret over his conduct during that period and has urged up-and-coming footballers to avoid repeating his errors. He added, "If I was an experienced player, I would push for everything because the more you play, the more market value you have.
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"So every young player out there, whether there's a rumour or no rumour, just give everything. A transfer can come, and you go.
"If it doesn't come, continue because your club is paying you. This is the contract you signed."
Despite being denied his dream transfer to Anfield, Simon has carved out an impressive career, collecting numerous honors throughout. The player has represented Nigeria 98 times and stands on the brink of becoming only the fifth player in the country's history to reach 100 caps.