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Boca Juniors defender Carlos Zambrano revealed on Wednesday that he rejected a move to Merseyside in 2016.
Liverpool were on the lookout for a defender and Jurgen Klopp contacted Zambrano - only for the defender to reject a move as he promised Frankfurt that he would stay.
Liverpool subsequently signed Joel Matip, who has gone on to help the Reds win the Champions League, while he has made eight appearances this season as Klopp’s side have stormed into a 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
"I was a stone's throw away from playing in Liverpool," Zambrano revealed on Instagram, relayed by Libero (via Sport Witness).
"I didn't go, and they signed Joel Matip. I didn't go because I was struggling to get out of the relegation zone with Frankfurt and I gave them my word to stay.
"These are decisions that you make, and then you regret them. My team-mates told me: 'It's Liverpool', but I had to keep my word. Besides, I'm very fond of Frankfurt."
The 30-year-old, who played for Schalke and St. Pauli before joining Frankfurt, went on to turn out for Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kyiv before joining Boca in 2020.
He has 49 caps and four goals at international level for Peru.
- TEAMtalk media
