"Phenomenal" Liverpool target Klopp was tipped to sign now playing for top club
Liverpool were advised to sign Fabian Ruiz three-and-a-half years ago - with the Spaniard now playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
Back in March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world, Reds icon Emile Heskey told Jurgen Klopp to revamp his ageing midfield. It was a brave piece of advice at the time, as Liverpool were storming to a first English league title in 30 years.
Yet Heskey knew their midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum wouldn't last for much longer. All three players are now enjoying a payday in Saudi Arabia, with Klopp signing four new midfielders during the previous transfer window.
Ruiz was playing for Napoli in Serie A when Heskey made his suggestion. The Spain international, then aged 23, had already been linked with a move to Merseyside, with Heskey identifying him as "someone who can drive from the midfield".
Heskey, who played for Liverpool between 2000 and 2004, made the transfer suggestion during a chat with GentingBet. "Fabian Ruiz looks like a phenomenal player and Liverpool's midfield is an area that needs strengthening a little bit with it ageing," he said.
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Heskey went on to reveal what Ruiz could offer Liverpool's midfield. He said: "A player like that would be good for Liverpool. Someone who can drive from the midfield, someone who can create stuff - he is a player that I'm sure Liverpool would love to have."
Despite Heskey's suggestion, Klopp signed Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich instead... and who could blame him? The world-class midfielder had just won the Champions League for a second time and was an absolute bargain at just £20million.
But at 29, Thiago didn't bring down the average age of Liverpool's midfield. He's impressed during his time on Merseyside - earning a spot in PFA Team of the Year in 2022 - but has struggled with injuries. He hasn't played since April due to a hip issue.
Liverpool finally moved on the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho during the summer (Getty Images)Do you think Liverpool should've signed Fabian Ruiz? Let us know in the comments below!
Liverpool again decided against swooping for Ruiz during the following two summers, as Klopp insisted his midfield was fine. But he realised Heskey was right after the 2022/23 campaign, as the Reds missed out on Champions League qualification.
As for Ruiz, he stayed in Napoli until August 2022 - when PSG came calling. He's made 52 appearances for the French giants since the transfer - winning the Ligue 1 title last season - and started their 1-1 draw against Newcastle in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Ruiz has also become a regular for Spain, earning 21 senior caps. Six of those have come in 2023, which suggests he will be part of Luis de la Fuente's squad for Euro 2024. He started their Nations League final victory against Croatia in June.
Although Ruiz's career is heading in the right direction, his market valuation has dropped from €48m (£41.6m) in April 2020 to €30m (£26m) today - according to Transfermarkt. Foreseeing that could've been one of the reasons why Liverpool looked elsewhere.
Three of their four midfield signings during the summer - Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai - are all expected to increase in value in the future. Heskey was right about Liverpool's ageing midfield, but perhaps Ruiz wasn't the answer.
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