Brandt's Liverpool Snub to Everton Link: The Sliding Doors Moment That Shaped Anfield's Dynasty

Picture this: it's the summer of 2017, and Jürgen Klopp is plotting Liverpool's next big move. The German gaffer, fresh off Dortmund days, has his heart set on Julian Brandt, the silky Bayer Leverkusen playmaker who'd just notched a tidy 12 goal contributions in 40 games. Salah? Not the first name on the wishlist.

Klopp knew Brandt inside out from Bundesliga battles. The kid was class – creative, vision in spades. But Liverpool's suits had other ideas. They'd clocked Mohamed Salah tearing it up at Roma with 31 goal contributions, and despite his Chelsea flop, they twisted Klopp's arm. Thank the football gods they did.

Salah's Rocket Ride: From Doubt to Dynasty

Fast forward, and Salah lands on Merseyside with a point to prove. Debut day? Goal and assist. By season's end? A bonkers 44 goals in his first Reds shirt. The Egyptian King didn't just repay the faith – he multiplied it by a thousand.

Over the years, he's bagged over 250 goals for Liverpool, bossing two Premier League titles, that glorious Champions League triumph, and half a dozen more pots. Without him, no Klopp era magic. No Istanbul redux in Madrid. Just imagine the counterfactual: Brandt in red, Salah elsewhere. Liverpool fans shudder at the thought.

Meanwhile, Brandt stuck around Leverkusen before hopping to Borussia Dortmund in 2019. Solid career – 300 appearances, 56 goals, a couple of cups. But no league silverware, no European glory. Comparing CVs to Salah is like pitting a Fiat against a Ferrari, mind. Unfair, but it highlights the butterfly effect of one transfer call.

Ten Years On: Blue Side of Merseyside Calling?

Here's the twist that'd make Hollywood jealous. Brandt, now 29 and a free agent come summer, is on the move from Dortmund. Their chief Lars Ricken confirmed the split: no contract extension after seven yellow-shirt years. "Talks happened, and we all agreed it's time," he said.

Links are flying thick and fast across Europe, but spare a thought for the Toffees. Everton have been sniffing around the German No. 10. Picture it: the man Klopp once craved, rocking up on Merseyside – but in blue, not red. Nine years late to the party, swapping Anfield dreams for Goodison grit.

For Sean Dyche's side, it'd be a coup. Brandt's creativity could unlock their attack, especially with Premier League ambitions bubbling. Free transfer? Bargain if he hits the ground running. Liverpool supporters might chuckle – or cry – at the irony. From Jürgen's wishlist to the rivals' radar. Football, eh? What a daft, beautiful game.

As reported by SI Soccer, this saga's got legs. Will Brandt finally taste the Prem? And on which side of Stanley Park? Pull up a pew; the rumour mill's just warming up. For now, raise a glass to that 2017 pivot – it turned Liverpool into monsters.

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