Get the latest Welsh Rugby news analysis and interviews
we have newsletters
Get the latest research and interviews from Welsh Rugby
We have more newsletters
As the January transfer window opens, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over some of Liverpool’s biggest names. Despite Arne Slot’s Reds comfortably leading both the Premier League and Champions League, and still in the FA Cup following a resounding 4-0 victory against Accrington Stanley, speculation is rife.
Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold could leave Anfield as their contracts expire at the end of the season. With contract renewal negotiations likely stalled, football giants such as Real Madrid are in a position to intervene.
The question on each and every football fan’s brain is whether to stay or go. There is no doubt that both left an indelible mark not only on Merseyside but the entire football world, but the grass is not greener on the other side.
Over the years, many of the Kop’s beloved heroes have sought new challenges, searching for European glory or lucrative victories. However, for many, things went as planned.
It has been seven years since Barcelona shelled out a whopping £142 million for the Brazilian magician, hoping he would be one of their greats. Unfortunately, his move to Spain did not produce the expected effects for either party.
During his remarkable five-year tenure at Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho scored some unforgettable goals, adding a very fine one against Southampton, THIS free kick against Arsenal and a memorable goal against Manchester United in the 2016 Europa League. Barcelona’s attention as they searched for a replacement for Neymar after his move to Paris Saint-Germain and the outgoing legend, Andreas Iniesta.
However, Coutinho’s Catalan dream collapsed when it became clear that he would not be able to renew his shoes. With his taste in the game too close to that of Lionel Messi, the Brazilian midfielder struggled on the pitch alongside Barcelona’s talisman and failed to find his place.
Following Antoine Griezmann’s transfer to Barcelona in 2019, Coutinho’s role diminished further, setting the stage for his loan to Bayern Munich. After returning to the Premier League for a brief period with Aston Villa in 2022, which was another loan but this time made permanent, he then moved to Qatar’s Al-Duhail, and most recently to Vasco da Gama in Brazil.
Reflecting on his departure from Liverpool, Coutinho shared his emotions with Sport, saying: “No, at no point [does he regret it]. Things didn’t turn out as I imagined, as others expected, as I expected. As I’m the first one who doesn’t have it easy on the pitch, I tell myself that I have to give more on the pitch.
“I tried everything, I was very professional and I don’t regret anything. I dreamed of playing for Barça and I went there, I enjoyed it, I was able to meet many more people, win titles and that’s how it will be in the history of my life.
The German midfielder is an interesting prospect at Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool after the former boss joined the club in 2015. Can had signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer but left Anfield with a sluggish move in 2018.
After Liverpool’s final defeat in the Champions League to Real Madrid, Can left, having been involved in contract negotiations that ultimately failed due to his preference for a release clause, which Liverpool manager Michael Edwards did not accept.
This resolution led him to the Italian Juventus, a resolution that did not go as planned. Can has struggled to cement his position and was notably absent from the Turin Champions League squad in his second season.
He only lasted 18 months, and then Can returned to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in January 2020. Since then, his career has seen a resurgence, he has only captained the team, but his performances have also earned him a call-up to the National Team. German for Euro 2024.
Steven Gerrard is Liverpool’s greatest captain, but some see Jordan Henderson very close. Since joining Liverpool in 2011, Henderson has led the Reds to win the FA Cup, a Premier League title, the Champions League and two League Cups.
While many assumed he would end his playing career on Merseyside, in 2023 he surprisingly moved to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. Former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp says that Henderson was tempted by the ‘lucrative’ offer to leave because “he wanted to feel wanted and valued.”
Henderson’s game time was dwindling and he sought more regular football action.
During a press conference, Klopp reflected on this: “Hendo told the truth. That’s how things are. We had conversations, I told him I wanted him to stay, but we talked about not playing regularly. “
“I can’t tell a player that he can play 50 games because I don’t know. In our relationship, I think it’s vital that we talk about ‘what if’. Hendo, I love it, but it wasn’t great when they did it. ” “I’m not playing, [James] Milner and Lucas [Leiva] were the same, so we are communicating about it now. “
Henderson lasted six months before leaving the Middle East for Ajax in the Netherlands, where he remains to this day.
The former Newcastle United and Manchester United striker was a fan favorite during his time at Liverpool from 1996 to 2004. During that time, he scored 158 goals in 297 appearances, winning the FA Cup in 2000-01, the League twice, as well as a UEFA Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and an FA Charity Shield, adding the Ballon d’Or, the last English player to achieve it.
However, in 2004, Owen made an ambitious move to Real Madrid for £8 million. His time at the Santiago Bernabéu was short-lived, just one season, in which he scored 16 goals in forty-five games.
In a verbal exchange with FourFourTwo, the former England foreigner revealed: “The last thing I thought was that I was going to leave Liverpool. In the end I agreed. But you know when you point something out and you think there’s no turning back? ?I cried, my My eyes widened as I walked to the airport thinking, “What am I leaving behind?”
He added: “I just had this overriding feeling towards it. I thought ‘if I do go, then I’ve already played for Liverpool for a long time and, hopefully, I could always come back’. I had to go and sample it – the Galacticos, that white kit, where everyone prances about like an angel, that amazing stadium, a different culture.”
Despite hoping for a return to Anfield, things did not pan out as expected. Newcastle United swooped in for Owen with an £18m offer that Madrid simply couldn’t turn down.
The striker netted 30 goals in 70 games at St James’ Park before a shocking relegation to the Championship saw him become a free agent. He then made a contentious switch to Manchester United where he clinched one Premier League title during his three-year stint.
After a brief spell at Stoke City, he hung up his boots. He is often seen live on television as a pundit during football games.