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Florent Malouda (second from left) has spoken about choosing to join Chelsea over Liverpool(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Florent Malouda has admitted how close he came to joining Liverpool before his big-money move to Chelsea.

The France international spent six years at Stamford Bridge, but has recalled how close Liverpool came to beating Chelsea and Real Madrid in the race for his signature.

“I mean it was just a matter of timing because the deal was pretty close because it was actually Gerard Houllier who made the deal,” Malouda told Racing Tipster.



Real Madrid as well at the time made an offer.

Article continues belowMalouda attracted interest from several clubs during his time at Lyon(Image: PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP via Getty Images)

“So it was more about timing and my connections with the players in the dressing room, because obviously I knew Didier Drogba,” Malouda continued.

So I had more connections with the players on the Chelsea side and I had more connections with Liverpool on the management side.

Benitez didn’t hold back his thoughts on him choosing to join Jose Mourinho’s expensively-assembled squad.

Malouda celebrated defeating Liverpool in the 2012 FA Cup final(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

"Some players prefer more money and it's something you cannot control," Benitez said in August 2007.

Those players are not here but I'm really pleased with my squad.”

Benitez and Malouda would later cross paths in the Spanish coach’s spell as Chelsea interim boss during the 2012/13 season, but the forward did not feature under him.
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