Ghana captain André Ayew has revealed that he came close to joining Liverpool during the 2015 summer transfer window before contractual disagreements brought the proposed move to an end.

The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup winner was preparing to leave French giants Olympique Marseille after establishing himself as one of the club’s key players, with several top European clubs competing for his signature.

Ayew admitted that Liverpool were his preferred destination because of his desire to play in the Premier League, but negotiations failed to produce an agreement.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the 36-year-old disclosed that Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan and AS Roma all expressed interest in signing him before Swansea City secured his signature.

“It was quite close. I wanted to go there, but we couldn’t agree on certain things. Liverpool, Spurs, Roma and Inter were interested, but I wanted to play in the Premier League. Then Swansea came in, and everything fell into place. I was really happy at Swansea. The fans were special, and Huw Jenkins was very fair to me,” Ayew said.

The move to Swansea proved to be a successful one, with the Ghana international making 152 appearances across two spells between 2015 and 2016, and 2018 and 2021. He scored 48 goals and established himself as one of the club’s standout performers.

Ayew remains the second-most capped player in Black Stars history, having made 120 appearances for Ghana. He is currently a free agent after leaving Dutch side NAC Breda.

Over the course of his career, the experienced forward has represented several clubs across Europe, including Marseille, Lorient, Swansea City, West Ham United, Fenerbahçe, Nottingham Forest, Le Havre and NAC Breda, building an impressive résumé at club level.