Luis Figo says Liverpool were 'messing with him' and that's why he snubbed transfer

Luis Figo was on the brink of joining Liverpool in 2005 after they won the Champions League - but the Real Madrid legend ended up at Inter Milan due to the Reds' indecisiveness

Justin Lawrence

13:08, 18 Oct 2022

Figo was on the verge of joining Liverpool from Real Madrid in 2005

Liverpool's indecisiveness cost them the opportunity to sign Real Madrid legend Luis Figo in 2005, the retired attacker has revealed.

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The Reds were riding high off the back of winning the Champions League with a memorable win over AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005. And their epic victory had made Anfield an attractive destination for a slew of stars, including Figo.

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Figo committed a cardinal sin when he joined Real Madrid from their fierce rivals Barcelona in 2000. And the winger went onto play 245 games for Los Blancos, scoring 57 goals and providing 92 assists across all competitions.

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But the Portuguese ace began to explore his options at the end of the 2004-2005 season, and the Reds were on the list of the teams he was in discussions with. However, he claims the Kop giants had him on a string whilst they signed other players, such as Daniel Agger, Peter Crouch, and Pepe Reina - which resulted in Figo's subsequent move to Inter Milan.

It was claimed Figo had agreed a £50,000-a-week deal with the Reds. Plus the Anfield outfit had hashed out a £2million deal for his services with Real.

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But the Real legend claims Liverpool were messing him about

And although he would've liked to of played for Rafa Benitez's side, a switch to Inter turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the 2000 Ballon d'Or winner. Figo explained to The Guardian: "I would have liked to go. We talked a lot.

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“One week they say, ‘No, wait, we can’t do it just now’ and then they sign a player. Then, ‘wait a few more days, we need to sort this first’, and they sign another.

Then Reds boss Rafa Benitez brought in a cascade of stars whilst in talks with Figo

And the Reds' indecisiveness prompted Figo to join Inter Milan instead

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“I think: ‘Bloody hell, are you messing with me, or what?’. Inter appear, I go to Milan, meet [the club president Massimo] Moratti and take the decision.

"I loved Inter, it was exactly what I needed." Figo went onto play 140 games for Inter, scoring 28 assists and providing 28 assists before hanging up his boots in 2009, after the Serie A side won the Scudetto.

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