Liverpool are said to have expressed an interest in the 19-year-old in early 2015.
A report in the New York Times explains how a plan to woo the North Korean striker Han Kwang-song backfired for Liverpool’s scouts.
During his pitch to Han, Liverpool’s chief scout Barry Hunter is said to have “casually name-dropped” Steven Gerrard, in an apparent attempt to impress the then 16-year-old. But Han’s response was not what Hunter expected.
“Who is Gerrard?” the Cagliari player is said to have asked, as the Liverpool emissaries turned to the World Wide Web for further assistance.
Han’s big break arrived with the Sardinian side last season, and he marked his second Serie A appearance with a goal against Joe Hart’s Torino.
Since loaned to Perugia in the league below, the 19-year-old has further enhanced reputation with six goals and an assist in 13 league and cup outings this season, prompting Juventus, Arsenal and Everton to conduct their own investigation the S*n reported in September.
Whether Liverpool’s interest remains is unclear, but they may need to employ different approach next time around.
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