A flirtation with Real Madrid prevented Guilherme Siqueira from accepting a 'concrete offer' from Liverpool during his playing days, even though he never ended up representing the Spanish giants.
The retired left-back was plying his trade for La Liga side Granada in 2013 when then Reds manager, Brendan Rodgers, attempted to bring him to Anfield. But Siqueira, now 35, tried to hold out for a move to the Bernabeu after hearing of apparent interest from the Spanish capital.
In an interview with AS newspaper, he said: " August 31, 2013. That day. When I finished the season with Granada, I was talking to some clubs, Madrid among them. They told us that if a good offer came for (Fábio) Coentrao… I rejected a concrete one from Liverpool to wait for Madrid, which might not happen. Time passed, I was in preseason with Granada and things did not progress. It was calm.
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“If it wasn’t Madrid, it would be another club. Liverpool, other teams also from the Premier League had shown interest. And when I least expected it, the last day of the market. I woke up on August 31 and had nothing. At eleven in the morning, I received a call from my representative telling me about Benfica. I had teammates who had played there and had told me very good things about the club and I told him: ‘Let’s go’.
“And when we were getting on the plane, an offer came from Manchester United for Coentrao and Madrid called us: they want me to show up in Madrid to be able to sign, and I was on the plane to leave for Lisbon! So, I said to my representative: ‘But what do I do now?’ . For me it was a prize to go to Madrid. When I got to Lisbon, I turned on my mobile and I had calls from the president of Granada, from my representatives and, of course, from the people of Portugal.”
As circumstances would develop, United were unable to complete a deal for Coentrao and he would stay at a Madrid. With the Liverpool deal dead in the water, Siqueira joined Benfica on loan for the season, making 18 appearances and helping the Eagles to win the Portuguese Primeira Liga title. He also playing the UEFA Europa League final against Sevilla, which the Spanish side eventually won on penalties.
Siqueira would go on to join Atletico Madrid, the following season for 10m Euros but the mooted transfers to Real or Liverpool never materialised.
