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Lyon defender Duje Caleta-Car revealed that he once turned down Liverpool's deadline day offer - despite admitting it was an honour to be wanted by the Premier League giants.

The Merseyside club endured a torrid defensive injury crisis in the 2020/21 season as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip all missed most of the season, leaving Jurgen Klopp a desperate in the January transfer window.

While the Reds ended up signing Preston's Ben Davies and Schalke's Ozan Kabak on loan, the Croatian international - who was playing for Marseille at the time - was a key target to shore up their defensive reinforcements in their chase for Champions League football.

Weeks after the window came to a close, Caleta-Car confirmed that he was subject to an offer from Liverpool but decided to reject it after speaking with the Ligue 1 club.

"Today, there is the Champions League, and I am going to watch the two games, I received an offer from Liverpool," he said at the time.

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Marseille is also a great club and I still have a lot of improving to do here." The centre-back played just six more months in Marseille before he ended up in the Premier League in September 2022 but with Southampton who signed him for £8million.

Caleta-Car played just 19 times for the Saints and was shipped on loan to Lyon after his debut season as he established himself in the heart of defence for the French giants(

Duje Caleta-Car did secure a move to the Premier League after Liverpool's interest but signed for Southampton instead.

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