Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Liverpool attempted to sign Jadon Sancho.
Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund in summer 2017 for an initial £8 million fee and has become a leading figure in their current charge to the Bundesliga title.
The teenager graduated through the ranks at Manchester City before making the move to Klopp’s former club, where he has also gained international recognition.
But the Liverpool manager admitted that his plans to sign Sancho, 18, were rendered obsolete by their current rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s side.
He said: “With the English players, it is a smart idea because we would never have a chance to get Sancho.
“We are not blind – we saw him, we liked him and then we think ‘can we get him?’ No. Because English clubs don’t sell them to other English clubs.
“I don’t know exactly what the reason is for that but they don’t do it. Now they can go to Germany, which is a wonderful league.”