'I rejected Liverpool transfer and felt 'cowardly' after my teammate made Anfield move'

Ex-Bayern Munich stalwart Thomas Helmer attributing his decision to a lack of bravery.

Part of Germany's Euro 96 winning team and a key player in Bayern's 90s dominance, with three Bundesliga crowns to his name alongside DFB-Pokal and UEFA Cup glories, Helmer experienced both triumph and despair, notably the dramatic Champions League defeat to in '99.

Despite the setback, Helmer later disclosed that he had the option to join in '98. However, he chose the comfort of familiar climes over the risks of foreign fields.

On Sport 1's "Lieber Fuball" podcast, cited by Blick, Helmer shared he valued title aspirations over an adventurous spirit and financial gain.

"I didn't have the courage to go to Liverpool", confessed Helmer. "At that point, I was a bit cowardly. The prospect of winning a few more titles was more important to me than adventure and money."

His tenure in English football may have been brief with his stint at Sunderland in 1999, only appearing twice before being loaned back to Hertha Berlin the club where he eventually hung up his boots.

While Stefan Helmer turned down Liverpool, his Bayern Munich teammate Markus Babbel couldn't resist the Reds' charm and moved to Anfield in 2000. His arrival marked a spell of triumphs under Gerard Houllier, culminating in the treble win of 2001, as per reports by the Liverpool Echo.

Though Liverpool's glory days seem ever-present, the club hasn't been immune to notable transfer refusals. Martin Zubimendi is the latest star to say no, choosing allegiance to Real Sociedad over a potential future at Liverpool.

Explaining his decision, Euro 2024's victor remarked: "It is 'true' that I was a bit uncomfortable with everything, especially because of the noise, and in the end I isolated myself and made the decision that I thought was the right one."

The Reds transfer ambitions took another hit when Moises Caicedo preferred a move to Chelsea despite a staggering £111million Liverpool bid floated to Brighton for the Ecuadorian's services.

Not to forget another transfer story that tantalised fans was that of Real Madrid ace Aurelien Tchouameni, who admitted to Le Parisien he was close to signing for Liverpool before Real Madrid caught his eye.

He said: "The first to come forward was Liverpool. We had discussions. Then Real arrived. And in my head everything was clear. It was Real and not another. It's the biggest club in the world."