Liverpool fans have often found themselves frustrated during recent transfer windows, and with the new Premier League season about to kick off, they are still the only club in the English top-flight without a new signing.
It’s not for lack of effort, though. On Monday, Martin Zubimendi turned down a move to Anfield, and back in June, Newcastle United backed out of a swap deal for Anthony Gordon.
Over the past two years, Liverpool’s attempts to sign players like Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia have also ended in disappointment. The Reds have faced challenges in recent transfer windows.
In the cases of Tchouameni and Bellingham, Liverpool had to watch as both players made big-money moves to Real Madrid.
The club has reluctantly become accustomed to struggling when competing with La Liga giants for top signings.
However, it wasn’t always this way. When Liverpool signed Markus Babbel on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in 2000, he turned down an offer from Real Madrid, who were the reigning European champions, to join Anfield.
Babbel confirmed this in an exclusive interview with the *ECHO*, saying, “Yes, Real Madrid wanted me. It was a funny story because an agent told me, ‘I’ll bring you $1 million if you sign for Real Madrid tomorrow.’
But I told him, ‘Thank you, but Real Madrid isn’t my club.’ If I were to go to Spain, I would only sign for Barcelona because I’m a huge Barcelona fan. Real Madrid was never my team.”
Interestingly, while on his way to sign his contract with Liverpool, the news broke that Babbel was supposedly signing for Real Madrid.
Babbel ended up having an outstanding first season at Liverpool, playing a crucial role in helping the team win the treble and qualify for the Champions League in 2000/01.
He was a key player, scoring six goals and providing five assists, with notable moments including scoring in a 3-2 Merseyside derby win over Everton and contributing in both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup finals.
However, after starting the following season with victories in the Charity Shield and European Super Cup, Babbel’s career took a tragic turn.
He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a debilitating condition that left him in a wheelchair.
Although he made a remarkable return to playing in 2002, he struggled to regain his previous form and eventually fell out with manager Gerard Houllier.
His last appearance for Liverpool came in December 2002, after which he was sent off twice while playing for the reserves and ultimately confirmed by Houllier as having no future at the club due to his attitude.
