Unless you are either Peruvian or a Montpellier fan, we can forgive you for not knowing who Jean Deza is.
The right-winger, currently playing for Alianza Lima in his home country, spent three years at the French club before moving to Levski Sofia in Bulgaria on free transfer.
During his time with Montpellier, he made 24 appearances and was sent out on two loans with USM Porres and Alianza Lima, but also caught the attention of Liverpool, who tried to sign him.
That is, at least, what his former teammate Johnnier Montaño claims, revealing the Anfield side were keen on Deza after the friendlies Peru played against England and Switzerland ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
In an interview with Movistar Deportes, relayed by El Comercio, he said ‘an offer arrived from a big English club, but the president [of Montpellier] didn’t want to sell him’.
That big club was apparently Liverpool, and Montaño said he learned of this information via his brother, Víctor Hugo Montaño, who also played for the Ligue 1 side at the time.
He added: “[Liverpool] called every day and the guy said ‘no, he still has a lot to give in this team and then I will sell him’.”
The club’s president at the time was Louis Nicollin, known to be rather difficult to negotiate with especially if he believed in the player, so that stance makes a lot of sense.
Either way, Deza never made it to Anfield, instead returning to Peru in 2017, where he has since played for Rosario, Sport Huancayo, Club UTC and now Alianza Lima.
