European icon opens up on regret over Liverpool talks; he’d get his vengeance in Anfield victory
A renowned striker who became a legendary figure in Serie A has revealed that Liverpool once contacted him about a possible move to Anfield, although nothing came of those transfer talks.
In the summer of 2008, the Reds added Robbie Keane to their forward line and secured the signature of Andrea Dossena from Udinese, although there was another player from the Friuliani who’d also been on their radar.
Di Natale reveals Liverpool talks
Antonio Di Natale gave an interview to Italian magazine Sportweek in which he opened up about LFC’s interest in him 16 years ago, adding that the Merseysiders were the one club he’d have liked to represent other than Udinese, where he played for more than a decade.
The former Italy striker said (via Daily Star): “When Andrea Dossena signed in 2008, Liverpool spoke with me, but it all came to nothing. Udinese taught me work ethic and respect. The only other team I would have loved to play for, for the atmosphere and the stadium, is Liverpool.”
Di Natale came back to bite Liverpool in 2012
Di Natale went on to become an icon of Serie A, scoring 227 goals in 445 appearances for Udinese. One of those came in a starring display for the Friuliani when they beat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield in the 2012/13 Europa League.
In contrast to the Italian’s longevity in Udine, Keane lasted just half a year with the Reds before making a swift return to Tottenham, while Dossena had two seasons on Merseyside.
The now 47-year-old was famously the third-highest scorer in Europe’s five biggest domestic leagues between August 2009 and May 2011, with his tally of 67 in all competitions surpassed only by the superstar duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (The Wall Street Journal).
Although Liverpool haven’t had particularly great luck when it comes to Italian players, Di Natale’s phenomenal scoring stats in his prime suggest that he’d still have thrived at Anfield in the latter part of Rafael Benitez’s reign.
However, a certain Fernando Torres ensured that we’d have no need for regrets during that 2008/09 season, when the Spaniard fired the Reds to within a whisker of a first Premier League title.
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