Feyenoord star Quilindschy Hartman has confirmed Chelsea wanted him at one point, but now he is firmly focused on Liverpool.
Voetbal Primeur cover comments from the defender today made in an interview with Voetbal International, in which he admits his eyes are firmly on the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to England for some time, with Chelsea known to be admirers of him.
They were close to getting a deal done for him at one point, but a serious knee injury suffered in March 2024 put an end to that, seeing him spend 307 days on the treatment table and miss 39 games for Feyenoord.
Some would consider that unlucky, but Hartman does not, despite admitting that the injury robbed him of his move to Chelsea.
“Are you unlucky when you have become champion with Feyenoord, played in the Champions League, the quarterfinals of the Europa League and made it to the Dutch national team?” he said.
“It’s true that Chelsea wanted me, but of course that didn’t happen because of my knee. Too bad, emotionally it would have been a club for me, but it’s not like I’m still losing sleep over it. Things go as they go and playing for Feyenoord is never a punishment.”
The question is if he ends up in the Premier League in future, but if he does, it appears Hartman would now prefer Liverpool.
He has close connections at Anfield after working under manager Arne Slot at Feyenoord as well as playing under his assistant Sipke Hulshof for the Dutch side’s U-21 squad.
The Reds are likely to be on the hunt for a new left-back in the summer with persistent doubts over Andy Robertson and Hartman admits he’s watching closely.
“I mainly follow the Premier League now because of Liverpool, because Arne and Sipke work there,” he added.
“I played under Sipke with Feyenoord Under-21 at all kinds of amateur clubs in front of a handful of spectators and then I see him now walk to the fourth man in a top match. That makes me laugh.
“I know what Sipke is like, not impressed. He treats everyone the same, whether you’re Virgil van Dijk or a youth player at Feyenoord. That’s why I like Sipke so much.”
