‘It was all agreed’: £7m player reveals Liverpool almost sold him to Real Madrid
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There have been infamous Liverpool to Real Madrid transfers, but there was one surprising one that never materialised.
Last summer, the Reds rebuilt their squad with some new signings for over £400 million, with some familiar stars leaving the club for different challenges, as Anfield was introduced to some fresh faces.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Madrid was one of the most high-profile moves and caused an angry response from fans, given how the contract situation panned out compared to Mohamed Salah’s and Virgil van Dijk’s.
His transfer to the Spanish giants was not a surprise to supporters but a disappointment given his stature at the club and the fact that he was a boyhood player.
However, he was not the only Scouser to move to the European side, with Steve McManaman one of those who made the move.
The two highest-profile swaps were Michael Owen and Xabi Alonso, who both went on to have successful runs once they left Liverpool.
Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty ImagesJermaine Pennant almost moved to Real Madrid
Surprisingly, there was one other player who was never able to make his move over to Los Blancos, and that was former winger Jermaine Pennant.
A part of Rafa Benitez’s squad, the former Birmingham City player had some good performances in a red shirt but was never able to reach his potential or feature in Benitez’s plans.
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Pennant left the club for Real Zaragoza in 2009, but it was not the first Real he was linked with, as a previous window almost saw him move to the Spanish capital.
READ MORE: Jermaine Pennant says he was genuinely scared of ‘incredible’ player when he was at Liverpool
Speaking on his Wildcard Podcast with Jermaine Jenas, the 42-year-old revealed that he was almost in a Madrid shirt but Juande Ramos stopped his move.
He explained: “Real Madrid.
I was going to Real Madrid, and Juande Ramos, Juande, killed it.
I was at Liverpool my last year… I think it might even have been January time.
“My agent at the time, called me and goes, ‘Right, Liverpool have accepted a bid from Real Madrid.
I start veering off for different adventures.”
The former Madrid manager Ramos was said to be at fault for the decision to pull the transfer, as Pennant explained the deal was all but agreed without the express permission of the Spaniard.
“Yeah, I know.
And I think if I’m in Real Madrid, it will be carnage.
So he killed it.”
Jermaine Pennant never received a dream move
The move would have been a shock to fans, but it was a huge disappointment for Pennant, not only at the time but in hindsight after his career moves.
Following his departure to Zaragoza, the former Red never found his footing in a major top-flight side.
Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Loan spells at Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers were followed by permanent transfers to clubs such as Wigan Athletic.
He was never able to reach the levels he was able to perform at on occasions for the Merseyside club, where he only scored three goals in 55 appearances.