How Liverpool missed out on £1 million Aaron Ramsey – because of Jay Spearing

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Liverpool reportedly turned down the chance to sign a teenage Aaron Ramsey in 2008 because they had Jay Spearing in their squad.

Aaron Ramsey

The Wales international left Arsenal after 11 years at the Emirates to join Juventus on a free transfer this summer.

However, his career could have gone down a very different path if it wasn’t for the Anfield hierarchy.

According to sports writer Paul Tomkins, the Reds invited a 17-year-old Ramsey to Melwood ahead of a potential deal in 2008, only for then-manager Rafa Benitez to be told that a bargain deal couldn’t go ahead because Spearing was already in his squad.

Tomkins tweeted: “Rafa told me that he had Aaron Ramsey at Melwood a few months before he joined Arsenal, ahead of a move of about £1m. His account was that he was told we had Jay Spearing, so couldn’t complete the move.”

Ramsey went on score 64 goals and win FA Cups with the Gunners, while Spearing failed to break into the Liverpool first team regularly and is currently at Blackpool in League One after spells with Bolton and Blackburn.

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Alasdair Mackenzie

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.