Third time lucky: Liverpool finally secured UCL-winning forward four years after initial approach

Liverpool’s January 2001 capture of Jari Litmanen was the culmination of a four-year pursuit that twice eluded the club before the Finnish maestro finally pulled on the famous red shirt. Speaking to The Athletic, Litmanen revealed that Roy Evans first attempted to lure him to Anfield in 1997, meeting the forward at an Amsterdam hotel. Reluctant to force a move after Ajax declared him not for sale, Litmanen stayed in the Netherlands. A second chance arose in 1999 when his Ajax contract wound down, but Barcelona’s Camp Nou, Catalan culture and the presence of Louis van Gaal persuaded him to choose Spain over Merseyside.

After Van Gaal’s departure and Barca’s incoming president installing Rivaldo ahead of him, Litmanen’s path cleared. “My mind was clear – now I am ready for Liverpool,” he recalled, and Gerard Houllier quickly wrapped up the deal that brought the 1995 Champions League winner to Liverpool midway through the treble season. Litmanen’s 19-month stay yielded nine goals in 43 games and a place in Kop folklore, even if injuries and competition with Michael Owen and Emile Heskey limited his starts. Had Evans secured him in 1997, Liverpool might have reached Europe’s top table sooner, but the delayed arrival still gifted Anfield a technically gifted playmaker whose brief tenure remains warmly remembered.