Former Bayern Munich star Thomas Helmer once admitted he turned down a switch to Liverpool due to a lack of courage. The centre back was part of Germany's victorious Euro 96 squad. He also played a pivotal role in Bayern's success during the 90s where he won three Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal Cup, and a UEFA Cup. Helmer also experienced the heartbreak of losing the Champions League final to Manchester United in 1999. However the defender has previously lifted the lid on how he had the chance to join Liverpool in 1998 but decided against it, opting to stay with Bayern where he felt more confident about continuing his winning streak. Speaking on Sport 1's "Lieber Fuball" podcast, as Blick reported, Helmer expressed his contentment with staying in Germany. He believed he was prioritising his chances of collecting more trophies over the lure of higher wages abroad.
"I didn't have the courage to go to Liverpool", Helmer said. "At that point, I was a bit cowardly. The prospect of winning a few more titles was more important to me than adventure and money."
Despite his reluctance to move to Anfield, Helmer did eventually make a brief foray into English football with Sunderland in 1999. Although his stint with the Black Cats was short-lived after he featured in just two games before returning to Germany on loan with Hertha Berlin, where he ended his career that same year.
While Helmer declined, his compatriot and Bayern teammate Markus Babbel did make the leap to Liverpool in the summer of 2000, marking the start of a successful stint filled with silverware. He became an integral part of Gerard Houllier's squad that captured the treble in 2001 and helped Liverpool into the Champions League for the first time, reports the Liverpool Echo.
While Liverpool have enjoyed great success in recent years, they've still had to contend with rejection from several sought-after stars. Most recently, Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi eventually chose not to make the Merseyside club his next destination, opting instead to remain loyal to Real Sociedad.
Reflecting on his choice, the Euro 2024 champion said: "It is 'true' that I was a bit uncomfortable with everything, especially because of the noise, and in the end I isolated myself and made the decision that I thought was the right one."
Liverpool also missed out on securing Moises Caicedo, despite tabling a jaw-dropping £111million bid to Brighton for the Ecuadorian midfielder. Ultimately, the player elected to choose Chelsea where he has experienced a mixed start to his career in the capital.
Another famous near miss was Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni. The French international revealed he could have been on his way to Merseyside before the allure of the Spanish titans swayed his decision, as he explained to Le Parisien.
"The first to come forward was Liverpool," he said. "We had discussions. Then Real arrived. And in my head everything was clear. It was Real and not another. It's the biggest club in the world."