I rejected Liverpool after they tried to sign me on transfer deadline day

Duje Caleta-Car (L) received an offer to join Liverpool in 2021 but rejected their advances

Dude Caleta-Car is one of the rare players who can claim to have rejected an offer from Liverpool in recent years.

It's safe to assume few would pass up the chance to join the current squad, but Caleta-Car did just that and chose loyalty to his club over a potential step up.

With the January transfer window now closed, Liverpool are left to consider their options for the rest of the season.

Arne Slot's team had a quieter winter window compared to the influx of new talent in the summer, although they did secure a £60million deal to bring Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet to Anfield at the end of this season.

Back in January 2021, Liverpool were also on the hunt for defensive reinforcements. Jurgen Klopp was still at the helm, dealing with a spate of injuries to key defenders including Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.

This led to Liverpool expressing interest in Caleta-Car, who was then a regular for Marseille.

However, the 2018 World Cup runner-up chose to stay in the south of France, turning down the opportunity to join the reigning Premier League champions.

Duje Caleta-Car

"I received an offer from Liverpool,"

"It was an honour for me to know that such a club wanted me.

"We decided with the club that I was going to stay. Marseille is also a great club, and I still have a lot of improving to do here."

Liverpool subsequently shifted their focus and secured deadline day acquisitions of Ben Davies from Preston and Ozan Kabak from Schalke (on loan).

Youth products Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams were also promoted to take on more prominent first-team responsibilities that campaign.

Ironically, Caleta-Car remained in France for approximately another 18 months before eventually making the switch to England.

He signed a four-year deal with Southampton in 2022 but featured in only 19 matches for the Saints as they suffered relegation in his debut season at St. Mary's.

Following the Saints' 20th-place finish in his sole campaign there, he headed back to France on loan to Lyon. He subsequently made that transfer permanent in 2024 and is now plying his trade in Spain, having left Lyon for another temporary stint, this time with Real Sociedad.

It's impossible to predict how Caleta-Car's career trajectory might have differed had he accepted Liverpool's approach five years ago.

The club has since secured two League Cups, an FA Cup and a Premier League title in Slot's first season following their unsuccessful pursuit of the Croatia defender.

Fast forward to today, and Liverpool face a comparable situation as they hunt for defensive reinforcements.

The Reds haven't managed a clean sheet in their past four domestic fixtures, with Manchester United the only other outfit among the Premier League's top seven who have shipped more goals this campaign.

There's been considerable discussion surrounding Van Dijk's dips in form since penning a fresh two-year contract last summer, while Ibrahima Konate appears set to depart when his deal runs out in June.

Young prospect Giovanni Leoni had scarcely featured before a serious knee injury that could rule him out for the remainder of the season, while Gomez has again spent spells on the treatment table this term.

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