Rejecting Reds was ‘very difficult: Player claims he wouldn’t have been ‘100% comfortable’ joining Liverpool
Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia chose Chelsea over Liverpool during the last transfer window, while André from Fluminense also turned down an opportunity to join Liverpool at the same time.
Although Liverpool expressed a strong interest in the Brazilian player André, his club was not willing to let him leave until the end of the year to prioritize their pursuit of winning the Copa Libertadores.
Fluminense’s decision to reject Liverpool’s offer for the 22-year-old has proven beneficial, as they have reached the Copa Libertadores final against Boca Juniors.
In an interview with Globo Esporte ahead of the crucial match, André mentioned that he was surprised by an offer from Jürgen Klopp’s team during the summer.
At the beginning of the year, André honored his commitment to Fluminense manager Fernando Diniz by agreeing to stay at the club until the year’s end, showcasing his loyalty and explaining why he didn’t make the move to Liverpool.
“I’ve never talked about it, the first time I’ll talk about will be now. It really was an irrefutable proposal for the club that it was, for the big league. I think every player one day dreams of playing for a big club in Europe, in a big league,” he said.
“But I decided to keep my word because, when the January window closed, Diniz arrived and told me that he wanted me here until the end of the year. We didn’t know that a proposal of this value would arrive.
“I told him that, regardless of what happened, I would be there until the end of the year. It ended up passing and, reaching the middle of the year, we were still in the round of 16 of the Libertadores. It was a very difficult decision to make.”
According to Globo, the Premier League side offered €30 million to Fluminense, and the South American player has disclosed that he did not actively pursue a move to Liverpool.
“I think if I had accepted this proposal, I don’t know if I would feel 100% comfortable, because I had already agreed with Diniz,” André explained.
“He really values words, honesty, and always tells me that when we do the right things, good things always happen. In January, he told me that without a doubt if he stayed, I would play, my value would increase. Our team could be eliminated in the round of 16. I think you have to make the decision.
“Coming to the final, everyone will say now that I made the right decision. I think it was a very faithful gesture on my part to stay, try to get this title and try to help as much as possible. So today, regardless of whether our team made it to the quarterfinals, semis and finals or not, I was sure I made the right choice.”
It appears that Liverpool’s interest in the Brazilian player continues, as Gazeta Esportiva reported earlier this month that the club is gearing up to enter negotiations with Fluminense for André in January.
Rejecting Reds was ‘very difficult: Player claims he wouldn’t have been ‘100% comfortable’ joining Liverpool
