Liverpool’s fallout from their first back-to-back defeat under Arne Slot continues as former transfer target Julian Draxler reflects on forgoing a move to Anfield almost 10 years ago.
Today’s Main LFC Headline
There was a time when Liverpool were looking to sign Julian Draxler from Wolfsburg, with Jurgen Klopp eager to bolster his forward line in 2016.
He was to demand a sizeable fee and was being chased by Arsenal and PSG at the time, with the latter ultimately securing his signature for £35.58 million.
Draxler was one of the most sought-after German players and now 32, he spoke of how he still wonders from time to time about forgoing the opportunity to work with Klopp at Anfield.
“I’ve also wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t gone from Wolfsburg to Paris, but to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool,” he told SportBild when asked if he would make a different decision if he could go back in time.
“I had that opportunity, too. Nevertheless, I’m happy. I’m at peace with my decisions.”
It did not work out too badly for either Draxler or Liverpool, with both going on to lift several pieces of silverware – the same cannot be said of every player who rejected the Reds in recent years.
Today’s Liverpool FC News
• Ibrahima konate isn’t exactly proving he deserves a bumper new contract, but Liverpool have been described as “confident” in tying him down after tabling a new offer
• Jamie Carragher presented a case that is hard to disagree with as he called on Slot to take Liverpool “back to what they were” with his lineup – time to get back to basics
• Alisson will have missed 56 games for Liverpool due to injury, a worrisome number that could grow if there is bad news on his latest issue – at least his successor is available!
• If you were wondering how long the ball was actually in play vs. Galatasaray, we can tell you it was just 50.5% – the rest was spent by the referee falling for all of their antics
• Joe Gomez has a ‘strong chance’ of joining AC Milan in the January window uniformed Italian outlet Transfer market claims – how do we break it to them that it’s not happening, even if Guehi or someone else arrives…
• Liverpool stayed in Istanbul overnight and did their first recovery session before flying back to Merseyside on Wednesday afternoon – they have another away trip on Saturday
More from This Is Anfield
Liverpool’s performances continue to leave a lot to be desired and does that mean changes should beckon at Chelsea? Sam Millne and Co. make a strong case for one change at the back:
“I know Joe is easily injured and we can’t expect him to start playing full 90s, but it’s got to be better than this from Ibou. It’s time for Arne to make that decision like he did for Salah last night.
“If you’re not performing at the highest standard then you have to be dropped. Our squad is strong enough to deal with it. It’s just a shame Leoni picked up a season-ending injury because I think he’d have been given an opportunity by now to replace Ibou in big games.”
Elsewhere in the football world today
• Newcastle‘s Tino Livramento has avoided an ACL injury but is facing six to eight weeks out after injuring his knee ligaments against Arsenal (Sky Sports)
• Man United are considering exposing themselves to further woe by exploring the possibility of a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia – will Ruben Amorim even be there by then? (The Athletic)
• Another night of Champions League action awaits and the pick of the matches is definitely Barcelona vs. PSG (8pm UK), though big names are missing due to injury
Liverpool FC: On this day
It was on this day in 2008 that Robbie Keane finally scored his first Liverpool goal, 11 appearances into his Reds career.
When the goal did arrive, it came in a 3-1 Champions League home win over PSV, a game that saw Steven Gerrard score a magnificent 100th goal for the club as he struck a free-kick from 25 yards in front of the Kop.
Keane’s £19 million move in the summer of 2008 was met with excitement as he was one of the league’s best strikers at the time.
However, he couldn’t carry his form from Tottenham to Anfield and would last just six months on Merseyside, scoring seven goals in 28 appearances before returning to Spurs for £7m less than Liverpool had paid for him.
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Author: Joanna Durkan
Published on: 2025-10-01 16:12:00
Source: www.thisisanfield.com
