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Wesley Sneijder has opened up about nearly joining Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

For years, Wesley Sneijder was the Premier League's great 'what-if.' The Dutch midfield magician, a legend at Inter Milan and key figure for the Netherlands, was endlessly linked with a move to England throughout his illustrious career.

Both Liverpool and Manchester United came close to signing him, but a move never materialised.

At his peak, Sneijder was a maestro of creativity and precision - with his masterful technique and eye for goal making him one of Europe's most sought-after talents, particularly after orchestrating Inter's historic Treble and playing a central role in the Netherlands' run to the World Cup final in 2010.

While United's interest in him that summer has been well documented, it was Liverpool who came closest to landing the playmaker two years later.

The following season, Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool came heartbreakingly close to Premier League glory - a campaign remembered as much for thrilling football as for Steven Gerrard's infamous slip against Chelsea.

Wesley Sneijder nearly joined Liverpool in 2012(Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, in Turkey, Sneijder was racking up silverware, guiding Galatasaray to two Super Lig triumphs and lifting three Turkish Cups among eight major trophies.

Still, the allure of the Premier League never fully dissipated.

Sneijder also opened up about how close he came to signing for Manchester United in 2010 - a transfer that fell through for reasons he only discovered years later.

"But many years later, like five or six years later, my father was in Manchester with a friend of his, and they walked into a place where Sir Alex Ferguson was.

Sneijder (L) also came close to joining Man United(Image: Getty Images)

"And he spoke to my father and he said he was interested in me, that he wanted to sign me, but that there was a problem with the agent.

A high-profile switch to Real Madrid followed in 2007, and he claimed a La Liga title in his first season.

Sneijder was targeted by English clubs for several years, but a move to the Premier League never materialised

However, when Madrid launched their second Galacticos era - headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso - Sneijder was squeezed out in 2009.

But revenge came swiftly.
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