Liverpool were ready to spend €34.5m (£30m) on André in 2023. The midfielder had a huge personal offer waiting for him, too. Yet he turned it all down to stay at Fluminense.

Now at Wolverhampton, the Brazilian has looked back on that decision and explained just how close he came to joining Jürgen Klopp’s side.

André was well aware of what Liverpool were offering. He even describes the proposal as impossible to refuse, which makes his decision to stay in Brazil all the more interesting. We covered bits of that story at the time and in the following months.

The reason? He’d already given his word to Fluminense and manager Fernando Diniz. And he wasn’t prepared to walk away from their Copa Libertadores campaign.

Liverpool’s offer caught André by surprise

In an interview covered by Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, André explained how things unfolded that summer.

Liverpool weren’t the first club to show an interest. Other offers had arrived earlier in 2023, prompting him to sit down with Fluminense and discuss his future.

“At the start of 2023, some offers came in, around €15m (£13.1m) or €17m (£14.8m). We decided to renew my contract early that year.”

“I gave my word that if I was going to leave, it would only be at the end of the year, after the Libertadores.”

“We weren’t expecting Liverpool to come in. It was an offer you couldn’t refuse. €34.5m (£30m), and I had the personal offer in my hands. It was life-changing money.”

That last part says plenty. André wasn’t just giving up the chance to play for Klopp. He was also turning down a contract that could have transformed his financial situation overnight.

He discussed the situation with Diniz, making it clear that he would only leave if Fluminense decided they absolutely needed the money.

“I spoke a lot with Diniz and told him: ‘We had an agreement, and I’ll only leave if the club puts its foot down and says it has to sell.'”

The club didn’t. And Liverpool had to look elsewhere. Still, seems he remained in the club’s shortlist.

A Libertadores trophy and a different route to England

Part of André’s gamble worked out. Fluminense went on to win the 2023 Copa Libertadores, beating Boca Juniors in the final at the Maracanã. It was the club’s first title in the competition, and André played his part in making history.

He eventually got his Premier League move anyway, joining Wolves in the summer of 2024.

The transfer cost €25m (£21.8m), with €22m (£19.1m) guaranteed and another €3m (£2.6m) in potential bonuses. But it was considerably less than Liverpool had been willing to pay a year earlier.

By then, Klopp had left Anfield, so the chance to work with the German had disappeared.