Liverpool free to sign Julian Brandt, the forward Klopp once chose Salah over

Julian Brandt is available on a free transfer after seven seasons at Borussia Dortmund, reopening a transfer link with Liverpool that first emerged in the summer of 2017 — when Jurgen Klopp reportedly weighed up the German before pivoting to Mohamed Salah.

The story of how Liverpool landed Salah for £36 million from Roma rather than pursuing Brandt from Bayer Leverkusen has become one of the defining sliding-doors moments in the club’s recent history. Klopp was said to be an admirer of the then-21-year-old, who had contributed 12 goals and assists across 40 Leverkusen appearances, but was persuaded to move for Salah instead. The Egyptian went on to score 257 goals, win two Premier League titles and a Champions League, and departed Anfield this summer.

Brandt, now 30, took a different path — staying loyal to Leverkusen for two more seasons before joining Dortmund in 2019. Across 307 appearances for the Black and Yellows, he scored 57 times. His career numbers tell the story of a versatile, creative attacker: 48 goals and 45 assists from the left flank, 19 goals and 14 assists from the right, and 37 goals alongside an impressive 66 assists when deployed as a No. 10.

That positional flexibility is understood to be precisely what new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola is seeking as he looks to reshape the club’s attack. Brandt can operate across the front line, with his primary role as an advanced midfielder complemented by the ability to play on either wing.

His fitness record adds further appeal. Brandt missed just three matches for Dortmund last season and five the campaign before that — a reassuring profile for a club with one of European football’s most congested fixture schedules.

Brandt also brings experience of performing under scrutiny. He made his Leverkusen debut before turning 18 and was immediately linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich — a club he reportedly turned down on two occasions. As a senior Germany international, he has rarely been short of high-profile suitors.

His own words from 2017, when Klopp’s interest first surfaced, hint at the kind of measured decision-making that has characterised his career. “My gut feeling and my head are telling me the time to move has not arrived yet,” he told Kicker at the time. He kept his word, staying at Leverkusen for two more years before eventually moving on.

Whether Liverpool will finally act on an interest that has lingered for nearly a decade remains to be seen, but Brandt’s availability on a free transfer removes the most obvious barrier to a deal.