Liverpool FC: 5 shock transfers that Rafa Benitez narrowly missed out on

Rafael Benitez is a Liverpool legend, having had a successful spell in charge of the Merseyside club. The Spaniard's first season at Anfield saw the Reds win the Champions League in Istanbul, after producing one of the greatest footballing comebacks in history against AC Milan.

However, there is a feeling that Benitez could have won more with Liverpool during his five-year tenure. The Reds were consistently in the top four but were unable to make that final leap to win the Premier League. The trophy that still eludes them to this day.

The 59-year-old's reign at Anfield was not 100% smooth, mainly due to his distressing relationship with the club's owners, Tom Hicks, and George Gillett. The financial restraints at the club prevented Benitez from signing some of the top talents in Europe.

Rafa did get quite a few transfers wrong, but a couple of these deals could have helped Liverpool push towards the Premier League and hold the Spaniard in even higher regard in Anfield history. Here are five big transfers that Rafa Benitez missed out on as the manager of Liverpool FC:

#5 Gareth Barry

In the summer of 2008, Liverpool were really close to signing Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, with the wheels also moving for a possible exit for Xabi Alonso. It nearly happened, but Barry stayed put at Villa Park and the Spaniard remained a part of Rafa Benitez's side for another year. However, the relationship between player and manager had broken down due to Benitez seemingly forcing the midfielder out in pursuit of Barry.

Barry was a target the following year as well, with him being the prime target to replace Alonso, who had left Liverpool for Real Madrid. He was really close once again, but the former Villa man ended up signing for Manchester City. This came following talks with both Benitez and City manager, Mark Hughes. Liverpool would end up replacing Alonso with Alberto Aquilani in an ill-fated move.

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#4 Dani Alves

The Reds chose Crouch and Pennant over him.

During Rafa Benitez's tenure at Anfield, one of the larger issues were the full-backs. By 2008, Liverpool looked incredibly strong and had a world-class team. However, the problems kept on growing. Alvaro Arbeloa became a first-team regular and was decent, albeit one of the weaker links in the side. It could have looked different for Rafa's Reds had they taken a serious look at Dani Alves back in 2006.

The Brazilian right-back had an agreement to sign from Sevilla and the deal was all but confirmed, but Liverpool apparently pulled the plug on the £9 million move. They would instead go for Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant, a move that would be considered a mistake in hindsight. Alves would have been a much better fit for the Reds, with his move to Barcelona coinciding with the peak of Liverpool's powers under Rafa.

#3 David Silva

Liverpool had a strong Spanish core in 2009.

Under Rafa Benitez, Liverpool had a massive Spanish core. With the likes of Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia signing pretty much immediately, Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres soon joined the Anfield club and formed a formidable foundation which would yearn consistent returns in the Premier League and the Champions League for years. However, another big Spaniard was linked with an Anfield switch in 2009.

David Silva was identified as a target for Liverpool, but the deal would collapse due to Valencia's reported £20 million asking price, as they looked to cash in on some of their stars at high prices. Benitez was left unhappy with the situation and was forced to look elsewhere for summer signings. The dire situation with the club's owners did not help matters at all, with other positions requiring strengthening at the time for the Reds.

#2 Sergio Aguero

David Silva was not the only current Manchester City star who was on Liverpool's radar. Sergio Aguero was being monitored by the Reds. The summer of 2006 almost saw him become a Red. The then-Independiente wonderkid was a hot commodity and looked for a move to Europe, particularly the Premier League. He even spoke about how he was a Liverpool fan. "I watched the Champions League final and celebrated every goal as if it was for Independiente.", Aguero said.

He would have ended up at Anfield, possibly forging a pretty strong career there had it not been for the ridiculously high fee. However, the Argentine moved to Atletico Madrid for £17 million. The Reds were not able nor were they willing to shell out that kind of money for a teenager. Since then, Aguero has developed into one of the game's greatest strikers and is currently Man City's all-time leading goalscorer.

#1 Luis Figo

He could have helped the Reds kick on further.

Possibly the biggest star that Liverpool missed out on under Rafa Benitez was Luis Figo. In the summer of 2005, the Portuguese attacker was approaching the final years of his illustrious career and looked for a move away from Real Madrid, after five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu. Liverpool, having won the Champions League that year, put themselves in the race for Figo. However, he would end up signing for Inter Milan despite some interest from the Reds.

He joined the Italian giants, citing the following reasons: “I had a great offer from Liverpool and they were really interested in me. But as soon as I arrived in Milan, my mind was made up. They treated me like a friend and I felt at home from the start. I now want to win everything at Inter.''. Who knows how Liverpool would have done in the aftermath of Istanbul with the rich experience of Figo in their squad?

Perhaps, this move could have helped bridge the gap between Liverpool and the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United much quicker. The Reds were unlucky not to win more trophies under Benitez, and now even more so, when you consider the number of players that nearly joined Anfield under the Spaniard.