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Liverpool rejected the opportunity to sign two-time Champions League winner Rodrygo from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Reds were linked with the Brazilian winger throughout the window, but it never really felt as though a move was likely to happen, particularly considering the priorities the Reds had in other areas of the field. Rodrygo would almost certainly have commanded a nine-figure fee, and for a player who plays in the same position as Liverpool great Mohamed Salah, that was just never going to happen.
The Daily Mail's Liverpool reporter, Lewis Steele, recently said this about the Rodrygo to Liverpool speculation: “Rodrygo’s camp were definitely trying to get him to Liverpool, but Liverpool were having one of it."
The chance to sign Rodrygo must have been tempting, given it sounds as though Liverpool would essentially had a free run at him, but the Reds held their nerve and made the right signings in the right areas.
It's easy to imagine another club — one like the Ed Woodward-era Manchester United, perhaps — signing Rodrygo purely because of his status in the game, rather than because the squad was in need of a player like him.
Had Liverpool caved and signed Rodrygo, the funds probably wouldn't have been there to get a deal for Alexander Isak over the line on deadline day.
As it is, the Reds are preparing to potentially hand Isak a long-awaited debut against Burnley this weekend, while Rodrygo will be in the Basque country, facing Real Sociedad with Madrid.
Isak is currently on international duty with Sweden, and could play some part against Kosovo on Monday after being an unused substitute against Slovenia last Friday.
Ahead of linking up with his international teammates, Isak gave an interview to Liverpool's media team, explaining how it felt to finally get his move over the line after a summer of waiting.
"I feel amazing," Isak said. "It’s been a long journey to get here.
"But I’m super-happy to be a part of this team, this club, and everything it stands for. It’s something I’m proud of and I’m really looking forward to it."
Explaining why Liverpool was the club that Isak wanted to join, he said: "I think it’s a mixture of what the club is building, but what they’re building on top of what the club already is. The history of the club.
"Me getting the chance to be a part of this, I want to create history. I want to win trophies.
"That’s ultimately the biggest motivation for me and I feel like this is the perfect place for me to grow even further and to take my game to the next level and help the team as well."
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