I rejected Liverpool transfer and could’ve been Virgil van Dijk’s partner – now I’m a free agent
One former Liverpool target turned down the opportunity to join the Anfield revolution just as Virgil van Dijk inspired an uprising
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
14:58, 09 Feb 2026
Mattia De Sciglio has revealed how Liverpool tried to sign him just before Virgil van Dijk arrived at Anfield(Image: VI Images via Getty Images)
Former Liverpool target Mattia De Sciglio has revealed how he turned down the club’s advances in favour of joining Juventus. The Italian spurned the opportunity to be a part of one of the greatest teams in Anfield history and now finds himself as a free agent.
De Sciglio, 33, was impressing for AC Milan when Liverpool came calling in the summer of 2017. Jurgen Klopp was still forming the core of a squad that would go on to achieve greatness, with his defence in particular taking shape during the 2017/18 season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoyed a breakthrough season under the German at right-back, while Andrew Robertson also arrived on the left side of defence. To top things off, Virgil van Dijk arrived in January 2018 as a partner to Joel Matip, who made the move from Schalke 18 months prior.
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Former Italy international De Sciglio was part of the team that made it to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals and converted his penalty in a shootout defeat by Germany. His work out wide piqued the Reds’ interest, though he opted to reunite with his former Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri, at Juve instead.
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“Liverpool also wanted me, but I chose Turin,” he told Calciomercato.com. “Allegri was on the bench and the team was really strong. And finding myself in a dressing room full of champions, after also playing a key role in the European Championship, was a great revenge after the difficult period I had gone through.”
It turned out to be a fruitful decision in its own right. De Sciglio won three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia crowns in Turin before leaving on loan for Lyon in 2020.
He later returned to the club for several years before joining Empoli on loan last season. His contract wasn’t renewed in the summer of 2025, however, and he has been without a club for the last 7 months.
De Sciglio spent last season on loan at Empoli but has been a free agent since his contract at Juventus expired in the summer(Image: MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Things could have turned out a lot differently had he made the move to Merseyside instead. And with Van Dijk tightening things up shortly after Liverpool raised interest in his services, there’s no telling how his trophy cabinet might have looked today.
Liverpool have signed several Italians in recent years, with young centre-back Giovanni Leoni joining in 2025, one year after Federico Chiesa’s arrival. Prior to that, however, Mario Balotelli was the last Italian player to sign for the club in 2014.
Comfortable on either flank, De Sciglio is precisely the kind of versatile talent that’s proving increasingly popular with today’s top managers. And Klopp was no stranger to the practice, often willing to experiment with players in secondary roles.
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Over time, De Sciglio has migrated into more of a central role, as is often seen with full-backs later in their career. He played a good chunk of his single campaign with Empoli in central defence last term and might have found Van Dijk by his side in another life.
In an effort to find a new club, De Sciglio insists he still trains every day in a bid to be ready should an offer come calling. However, it’s highly unlikely Liverpool will be reviving their interest unless an injury crisis suddenly hits.
