Figo admits Liverpool talks with Benitez in near-miss transfer story

Liverpool have had plenty of famous “what if?” transfer tales over the years, and Luis Figo has now confirmed his own near-miss with us during Rafa Benitez’s early spell at Anfield.

The 53-year-old Portuguese winger, speaking in a teaser clip for the newest episode of The Obi One Podcast hosted by John Obi Mikel and posted on X, made it clear there were discussions even if a deal never moved beyond that stage.

Figo said: “At that time I was talking with Benitez, he was in Liverpool. But, well in the end, nothing happened, that’s it.”

It is a simple line, but it lands because it matches what many of us remember about that summer, when Benitez was reshaping the squad after Istanbul and Liverpool were scanning the market for experience in wide areas.

Figo Liverpool transfer talks add fresh detail to the Benitez summer

Back in July 2005, the noise around Figo felt plausible because he was 32, he had one year left at Real Madrid, and his profile was still enormous even if he was no longer at his absolute peak.

From our point of view, what stands out is that Figo’s version places Benitez directly in the conversation, which helps frame it as more than just agent chatter.

That matters because Liverpool’s eventual solution in that “experienced winger” bracket was Bolo Zenden, rather than the bigger headline name.

It also fits with how Benitez operated, because Liverpool were building a squad with reliable professionals, tactical flexibility, and enough character to handle the pressure that comes with competing on several fronts.

For context, here is a snapshot of the business we actually completed in summer 2005 (via LFC History), which shows where the priorities ended up.

If we look at it through that lens, the Figo story reads less like fantasy and more like a door that was briefly open before Liverpool moved on to other options.

What Figo’s numbers show, and why Liverpool still wonder “what if?”

Even without the Liverpool move happening, Figo’s career output underlines the calibre of player we were linked with.

According to Transfermarkt’s career totals, Figo finished with 771 games, 130 goals, 229 assists and 61,115 minutes, which is the sort of production that is usually reserved for genuine era-defining attackers.

Figo’s 2005/06 season at Inter Milan also shows the stage he was at when Liverpool were circling, because the Portuguese winger still contributed heavily.

The wider Liverpool connection is also interesting because Figo has previously spoken warmly about Steven Gerrard, and the idea of those two sharing a pitch remains one of those sliding-doors thoughts that never really leaves.

Figo once put it like this when discussing the Liverpool captain: “It’s a pity because everyone wants to play with the best players and Gerrard has shown in his career that he was one of the best football players in his position.”

And while Liverpool supporters will always remember Benitez for what he delivered with us, it is also notable that the Spaniard is back in management now, with Panathinaikos.

From our perspective, the conclusion is straightforward.

Luis Figo has confirmed Liverpool talks did happen, and while the move never progressed, it is another reminder of how close we came to a transfer that would have sounded surreal if it had gone through.

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