Liverpool were one of the teams bamboozled by PSG in this season’s Champions League as the French side claimed the trophy for the first time in their history.

In truth, the Reds actually gave them a good game across two legs and were arguably unlucky to go out on penalties in the last-16.

Nevertheless, although Liverpool were perhaps a little harder done by than some have made out, it was clear that there was some real class in the PSG team who visited Anfield in March.

Luis Enrique’s side have grown in stature throughout the campaign, and were just hitting their stride by the time they arrived on Merseyside.

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One player who really stood out amidst it all was midfielder Vitinha, who has shaken off a poor spell at Wolves in 2020/21 to become a key cog for Enrique.

And after seeing Vitinha dominate once again in the Champions League final last week, it is worth remembering that Liverpool once overlooked the Portuguese in order to go after two targets they were not able to sign.



Photo by Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images

Vitinha was bullish ahead of visiting Anfield in March, claiming that PSG were confident of winning despite a 1-0 defeat at home in the first-leg.

Ultimately, the 25-year-old and his teammates backed up that confidence and went through, going on to deservedly win the whole competition.

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While the focus has been on attacking talents like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvarataskhelia, Vitinha’s transformation from Wolves reject to Champions League winner has been remarkable in itself.

Rewind three years to 2022, and with Vitinha on the market and Liverpool looking for a midfielder, the Reds were linked with raiding Porto for the Portugal international.

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Clearly, Liverpool never signed Vitinha, and according to journalist Fabrizio Romano in November 2022, the Reds had actually preferred to go after Jude Bellingham, then of Borussia Dortmund, and Aurelien Tchouameni, who rejected them for Real Madrid.

“From what I’m told, Liverpool were never in talks to sign Vitinha,” Romano told Caught Offside.

“It was always PSG as Luis Campos wanted him as priority target.

“He’s very good player – but Liverpool wanted Tchouameni or Bellingham, no other players.”

Had he arrived at the time, Vitinha would likely have been an underwhelming addition to many Liverpool supporters.

Although he had been doing well at Porto, the midfielder is most remembered in England for his failed spell at Wolves to this day.

The deal was not a big one at around £34m, but had Vitinha entered into an ageing midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara, he may have sunk in the Premier League yet again.

That Liverpool instead signed no one at all was obviously a big mistake and cost them dearly in the subsequent campaign.

Vitinha’s arrival might have helped with that.

Nevertheless, Liverpool righted the wrongs and spent big in 2023 to bring in four new midfielders, three of whom are now among the world’s best.

It would have been nice to add Vitinha to that, but hindsight is always 20/20.


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