“Would it be smart to go to Liverpool?” Napoli newboy Jesper Lindstrom reveals Anfield snub
New Napoli signing Jesper Lindstrøm has admitted he turned down a move to Premier League side Liverpool this summer, despite supporting the club.
In the final days of the summer transfer window, Lindstrøm made the move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Napoli after what had become a little bit of a saga. There was no major drama, but Lindstrøm was made to wait for his move as Napoli needed to sell players to make space for the attacking midfielder.
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Initially joining Eintracht from Brondby in 2021, Lindstrøm scored five goals and provided four assists in his debut Bundesliga campaign, scooping the league’s Rookie of the Season award. In winning the award, Lindstrøm beat the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, who had won the monthly award four times, and Omar Marmoush.
Last season, Lindstrøm was directly involved in nine goals once again, this time scorings even with two assists, at an average of 0.48 per 90 minutes. Although there were players with much higher numbers, at 23, Lindstrom is felt to be a player for the long-term.
That’s why Napoli forked out £25m for the Dane as they look to build a team capable of retaining the Serie A title. Lindstrøm made his Napoli debut just before the international break, coming off the bench in their 2-1 defeat to Lazio with 15 minutes left to play. And it would have been a relief for Lindstrøm to finally get on the pitch after the uncertainty of his transfer at times.
“I was of course surprised that it could be done, because they had expressed that it might not be possible now. But I think it’s cool. I have been looking forward to something happening,” he told Danish newspaper Tipsbladet.
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“You are not sure of anything until you sit down with pen and paper in hand. So yes, I sat and thought: am I a Frankfurt player or a Napoli player? If it hadn’t worked out and I was still in Frankfurt, I was perfectly happy with that too, because me and my girlfriend had a good time in Frankfurt.”
But things could have been different. Not just on the wishlist of Napoli, Lindstrøm confirmed he was subject to an offer from Premier League club Liverpool. A fan of the club, Lindstrøm admitted he would be better off watching them on TV and get game time elsewhere than ride the bench.
He added: “There was Liverpool after all, but would I get playing time? Would it be smart to go to Liverpool? I’m a Liverpool fan, it says it everywhere. So it could also be an insanely cool experience.
“But if I’m not playing, I might as well sit and watch them on TV for another club. I’m at an age now where I have to play some football.
“That’s why I think Napoli is a good change. It is a top club in the world and they have expressed that I will play and I will get a lot of chances.”
Liverpool spent their summer trying to rebuild their midfield after a host of departures, and brought in Ryan Gravenberch in the final days of the window to add to Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo.
