Turning down Liverpool is not an easy choice for any footballer, and for Jesper Lindstrom, it’s yet to prove to be one that’s worked out for him.
Corriere dello Sport cover the player today and earlier comments from him admitting that Liverpool wanted him.
Lindstrom joined Napoli in a €30m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer after several years of impressing for the German side in the Bundesliga and Europe.
He’s yet to get going, though, managing just three appearances in Serie A so far and featuring in just 22% of the available minutes.
It’s hardly a dream start for the player, with Corriere stating that ‘the coup has no place’ in the team under Rudi Garcia.
His inclusion in the squad has been a ‘partial’ one so far, something he wasn’t anticipating when he joined the Serie A champions in the summer.
That move was one he insisted had been done for ‘strategic reasons’, with him insisting that he turned down Liverpool for the playing time and development in Italy.
“The Reds wanted me, yes, but how long would I have played?” he said earlier this year when asked about the interest from Anfield.
“Would it have been smart to go there? I’m a fan of theirs, but if I’m not playing then I might as well sit and watch them on TV. I’m 23, an age where I have to play a bit: that’s why I think Napoli is a good change.
“It’s one of the best clubs in the world and they said I will play. That I will have many chances.”
That’s yet to happen for him, though, and rather than kicking on and further establishing himself, he appears to be out of the picture and slightly wasting away.
Given it’s early days there’s plenty of time to turn things around, of course, but at this moment in time maybe he is regretting that decision to turn down Liverpool.
