SC Braga president António Salvador has revealed that David Carmo was one step away from joining Liverpool in the January transfer window.
Carmo was heavily linked with a move to Anfield throughout January, with the Reds at that point desperate to add a defender after losing both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to long-term injuries.
The situation was worsened later in the month by the loss of Joel Matip, which left Jürgen Klopp with just one recognised centre back and in dire straits.
That led to a late scramble in the window that saw Ozan Kabak arrive on loan from Schalke and Ben Davies from Championship side Preston North End.
Before their arrivals on deadline day, there was a huge list of players linked with the move to Liverpool, including Carmo, who has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City.
Obviously, that never happened, but reports after January indicated it was extremely close, something Salvador has now confirmed.
“We have kept it as long as possible, but every year we have to sell,” he told MARCA.
“In January, for example, David Carmo had a foot and a half at Liverpool, but we ended up retaining him.
“He is a player who, despite being injured at the moment, continues to have several suitors, even in Spain…
“To have a balanced budget, we have to receive between 12.5 and 15 million a year in transfers.
“This is an established point if we are to continue at the same level that we have been at for the last decade. This year we will have to do more to resist the damage caused by the pandemic.”
