Klopp identified the Atlético de Madrid player as a potential signing and was determined to pay the clause.     But something happened in the 2018 Champions League final that changed the plans of the reds.

Atletico Madrid player Thomas Partey said at a press conference, in the run-up to this Wednesday's match against Liverpool, in the last 16 of the Champions League, that for him it is "a dream" to play at Anfield.

" For me and for my colleagues I think we are all prepared. For me it is a dream. I have always seen Liverpool play, and it is a dream to play against them in their stadium and I hope it will stay forever in my career, ”explained Thomas.

Some words that were not thrown at random in the case of the Ghanaian, because he has made it clear on several occasions that he is in love with the Premier League and that he would have loved to be able to play in that championship.

But also because, indeed, he could have been a Liverpool player and Anfield Road was his ‘home’. And it is that the African was one of the signings that Jurgen Klopp, coach of the 'red' box, once asked for.

But that he could not materialise. And that the English team, was determined to pay the termination clause of the Atlético de Madrid player, which was 50 million euros (the same amount as right now).

And if he did not, it was because sporting circumstances and events prevented it.

The German coach saw in the Atlético player someone capable of bearing the weight of the English team that was then under construction.

We have to go back to summer 2018. Liverpool had just reached the final of the Champions League that was played in Kiev.

A defeat that helped  the English team detect serious problems in their squad.

Two monumental blunders in the final of the Champions League buried the options of the English team to take the title.

Loris Karius missed two balls that meant two goals, first a clearance that struck Benzema's foot for 1-0 and then with a shot from Bale's middle distance that the German failed to clear.

That made Liverpool have to find a goalkeeper in the summer to replace the German. And they had to spend not less than 73 million euros to sign Alisson Becker.

In addition, he had signed Keïta from Salzsburg for another 60 million euros. And Shaqiri, from Stoke for 14.7 million euros.

The original idea, was that Liverpool would not sign a goalkeeper, and instead  go for the Atlético de Madrid player, but the enormous outlay in the hiring of the Roma goalkeeper  reduced Liverpool's ability to maneuver in this sense.

Instead of paying the 50 million euros that the Ghanaian cost at the time, he had to go for Fabinho, which although it cost 45, only five less, was a deferred payment.