Despite a strong forward line that includes Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers wanted more firepower and looked to add reinforcements in the January transfer window.The club signed Konoplyanka three years after Mohamed Salah moved from Basel to Chelsea, ahead of his eventual move to Liverpool.
A fee agreed with Dnipro owner Igor Kolomoisky and individual terms agreed with the winger appear to have completed the deal. But a move to dream club Liverpool fell through on time, leaving Konoplyanka in despair. “I cried,” he admitted in an interview in Veslo, adding: “A serious delegation from Liverpool came to Dnipropetrovsk.” I ate “The deal is done,” they said. They had to pay whatever [owner] Igor Kolomoisky wanted.”He said fellow players Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard were backing him and urged Kolomoisky to complete the $26m (£20m/€23m) move, saying: “Please, please, let me go.” “I will make my dream come true,” he prayed.
Former Liverpool target Yevgeny Konoplyanka’s move to Liverpool collapsed at the last minute and left him in tears. In 2014, the Ukrainian winger played for his youth team “Dnipro” and became one of the most promising young players in Europe. He came to the attention of Liverpool during the successful 2013/14 Premier League season led by the powerful duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
