Serbia international Sasa Zdjelar admits he dreamed of following in Steven Gerrard’s footsteps at Premier League giants Liverpool, speaking to Sport24 after completing a move from Partizan Belgrade to CSKA Moscow.
At the age of 27, the Anfield ship may have already sailed as far as Zdjelar is concerned. But never say never.
Few would have imagined that Liverpool would come calling for Arthur Melo after two difficult years at Juventus. Who expected to see Ben Davies, Steven Caulker or even Kostas Tsimikas on the red half of Merseyside either?
Solid recruitment may be the bedrock upon which’s Liverpool recent success has been built. But even they are not averse to completing the sort of signing that makes you wonder if someone has slipped something unexpected into your morning Weetabix.
Never say never indeed.
Will Sasa Zdjelar ever see his Liverpool ‘dream’ come true?
“In my childhood, of course, these superstars were my idols; Ronaldo, Ronaldinho,” explains Zdjelar. “But I wanted to be like exactly those whom you named (Steven Gerrard and Daniele de Rossi).
“Players who aspired to spend their whole lives in one club. Therefore, I never dreamed of playing at Barcelona. I wanted to play at Roma or Liverpool. Teams that give unique emotions, even if they don’t become champions.”
A disciplined defensive midfielder, Zdjelar’s industry and energy certainly could have come in handy during Liverpool’s worst start to a Premier League season in the Klopp era. Particularly with James Milner and Jordan Henderson starting to look their age.
In fact, plans are already being drawn up for a big-money midfield signing in the summer of 2023. Jude Bellingham is the name on everybody’s lips. But do not discount the likes of Matheus Nunes or Enzo Fernandez.
“He makes what others complicate look simple,” former Benfica and Brazil ace Valdo said amid reports suggesting that Liverpool are planning to sign Fernandez next year having missed out on the £18 million Argentinian this summer.
“In this crazy market, whoever moves the fastest comes out ahead. It’s like the wild west. When Liverpool opened their eyes (to Fernandez), it was already too late.
“(I hope that) Enzo can stay for a long time. But, in this crazy market, anything can happen.”
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