Florent Malouda was a star for Lyon before moving to the Premier League, but he has recalled how close he came to joining Liverpool before eventually signing for Chelsea
Florent Malouda has revealed how he almost signed for Liverpool before his high-profile transfer to Chelsea. The winger had thrived at Lyon, and manager Gerard Houllier was eager to bring Malouda to his former club.
In the summer of 2007, Liverpool were riding high from their second Champions League final in three years, having clinched three trophies under Rafa Benitez’s leadership. Much of the Reds’ transfer budget was focused on the signing of Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid, with Lucas Leiva, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel also joining for substantial fees.
However, Malouda turned out to be a missed opportunity for Benitez. The French international spent six successful years at Stamford Bridge and has now shared how his pre-existing ties to the Chelsea squad saw the club beat Liverpool and Real Madrid to his signature.
“I mean it was just a matter of timing because the deal was pretty close because it was actually Gerard Houllier who made the deal,” Malouda told Racing Tipster. “Houllier was a mentor to me. I always went to him for advice, he was always praising the Premier League.
“I remember we were on the training ground, I think he called Rick Parry and confirmed there was an interest. He was pushing for me to go there.
“But in terms of timing it was more like I was expecting an offer from Chelsea just to have options. Real Madrid as well at the time made an offer.”
Malouda opened up about his decision to join Chelsea over Liverpool, highlighting his importance in already knowing several of his new team-mates. “So it was more about timing and my connections with the players in the dressing room, because obviously I knew Didier Drogba (from Guingamp),” Malouda said. “I was playing in the national team with Claude Makelele, with William Gallas. I played with Michael Essien.
“Before joining, I came a few times in London to support Drogba. So I had more connections with the players on the Chelsea side and I had more connections with Liverpool on the management side. But I mean history proved that it was not a bad choice to join Chelsea!”.
Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas set a June 30 deadline for Malouda to make a move, during which time the winger was vocal about Liverpool and Chelsea’s interest. Malouda eventually completed a £13million transfer to Chelsea, where he clinched the Premier League title, three FA Cups, and the Champions League.
It was a relatively low-cost transfer window for Chelsea, who snapped up Tal Ben Haim, Steve Sidwell, and Claudio Pizarro as free agents. However, Benitez didn’t hold back when asked about Malouda’s choice to join Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
“Some players prefer more money and it’s something you cannot control,” Benitez stated in August 2007. “Malouda was one of our names but decided to go to Chelsea.
“He knows why. I don’t think it was because of the London lifestyle. The money? I don’t want to say anything, but I know the answer. Those players are not here but I’m really pleased with my squad.”
Benitez and Malouda’s paths crossed again during the Spanish coach’s stint as Chelsea’s interim boss in the 2012/13 season. However, Malouda didn’t play under him as he was no longer part of the first team after failing to secure a summer transfer away from the west London club.
After his release from Chelsea at the end of the season, Malouda signed for Turkish outfit Trabzonspor. He later returned to France with Metz, moved to Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos, and had a loan spell at Egyptian club Wadi Degla as he neared the end of his career. Now aged 44, he’s been retired for seven years following a brief stint with FC Differdange 03 in Luxembourg.
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