Liverpool failed with 'monstrous' bid for Turkey Euro 2024 hero before signing two flops

Turkey defender Merih Demiral has etched his name in the annals of European Championship history by scoring the quickest knockout goal ever.

Demiral put Turkey ahead just 57 seconds into their last-16 match against Austria, slotting home from a corner-kick, with Vincenzo Montella’s team eventually securing a 2-1 victory and a quarter-final showdown with the Netherlands.

Demiral also netted Turkey’s second goal, propelling his country into the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time in 16 years. The 26-year-old currently plays for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, but he had the opportunity to join Liverpool back in 2021.

Liverpool were in need of defensive reinforcements at the time, following a severe ACL injury suffered by Virgil van Dijk after a collision with Jordan Pickford during the Merseyside derby. During the January transfer window, Liverpool considered several defenders, and Italian reports suggested they were interested in Demiral.

He was playing for Juventus at the time, but the Italian heavyweights were not willing to let him go. Sport Mediaset reported that they turned down a ‘monstrous’ bid of £48million for Demiral.

Liverpool eventually signed Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke and Ben Davies from Preston North End.

Neither Kabak nor Davies managed to shine at Anfield, with the former only featuring in nine Premier League games and not doing enough to secure a permanent deal. He eventually moved on loan Norwich and then transferred to Hoffenheim in 2022.

Davies never even had the chance to don the Liverpool jersey in a competitiv4 match, ultimately sealing a permanent switch to Rangers in 2022 after a temporary stint at Sheffield United.

As for Demiral, he spent a season on loan at Atalanta from Juventus before joining them full-time in 2022. He subsequently got snapped up by Al-Ahli the year after.

Now, Demiral’s showing his calibre at Euro 2024 with Turkey, and following a notable win over Austria, Arda Guler lavished praise on the centre-back, saying: Merih Demiral scored two beautiful goals,” Guler said. “He jumped very well for his second one.

“I’m really happy to take corners aiming for his head. I’m very happy to provide my first assist but the most important thing is the team’s victory tonight. I’m very happy to contribute to this victory.”