Liverpool made a move to sign Chelsea loanee Denis Zakaria… but were pipped to the post on Deadline Day.
When Jurgen Klopp made a late-window U-turn and decided that he did indeed need a new midfielder in the squad, there were not many options left on the transfer market.
Ultimately, the Reds acquired Arthur Melo on a season-long loan from Juventus, with the midfielder having struggled to impress both at Barcelona and Juventus.
The deal reeked of panic, and it was indeed a panic buy, with Chelsea having beaten Liverpool to the panic-signing they were initially looking to complete on the final day of the window.
According to German outlet Blick (via Goal), Denis Zakaria himself has now confirmed that his agent was contacted by Liverpool on Deadine Day, but ultimately it was Chelsea who got a deal done.
In truth, neither Zakaria nor Melo would’ve been game-changing signings for the Reds, who really ought to have addressed their midfield frailties much earlier in the transfer window.
If Zakaria does go on to be a success at Stamford Bridge this campaign, however, it’s hard to imagine that Klopp would be particularly pleased, having missed out to the Blues.
