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Steven Gerrard has admitted a move to Chelsea tempted him. The Liverpool legend was open to joining the Blues in 2005 but the Mersyside club rejected all advancements, and the Englishman stayed at Anfield.
Chelsea tabled a reported £20 million bid for Steven Gerrard early in the Roman Abramovich era in 2004 but couldn't get the deal done. They returned for him in July 2005 with a more significant bid, and the offer even tempted the Liverpool legend.
Steven Gerrard has now opened up about the failed move and admitted that he 'flirted' with the idea of a move to Stamford Bridge.
He claims that there was some hint from then Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez that he wanted to get the deal done to reinvest in the squad.
Talking to Gary Neville on Sky Sports Soccer Box last year, he said:
"I regret the little bit of flirting back then and how that all blew up. The fact is I didn't know whether I was coming or going with Rafa at the time. Rafa was having conversations with me like 'I know your agent is talking to Real Madrid and Chelsea'. I got a paranoid feeling at the time that Rafa would have taken money to try and build Liverpool on. Chelsea bid £37.5million. At the time, massive amounts of dough but what would you get for that now?"
What tempted Liverpool's Steven Gerrard to join Chelsea?
Steven Gerrard was very close to joining Chelsea in 2005, but he signed a new 4-year deal with Liverpool instead. He went on to play for them for nearly another decade before moving to LA Galaxy and hanging up his boots in 2016.
Opening up to Gary Neville about the possible move to Chelsea, Gerrard admitted it was the desire to play under Jose Mourinho that was luring him.
He said:
"Mourinho was a massive part of that. A lack of maturity on my part allowed me to think about it and flirt with that idea a bit. But now I have no regrets at all because Liverpool are the club I love - and that's the way it should be."
Steven Gerrard is now on a stunning run as a manager with Rangers and is unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership this season.
