'This is all wrong' - Liverpool cancelled controversial £9m transfer in furious club statement

Liverpool’s plans to sign a new midfielder remain on hold until 2023 following Jurgen Klopp’s recent defence of his current options in the engine room.

Following the signing of Fabio Carvalho, the German has nine senior options available at his disposal. However, that hasn't stopped supporters from urging the Reds to strengthen their hand further.

The fact that Liverpool are prepared to wait until summer has only fuelled speculation regarding their interest in Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, with the England international expected to be allowed to move on at the end of the season. When Klopp was asked about the midfielder earlier this month, he didn’t deny the Reds’ interest despite pointing out why a deal would not be possible this summer.

"He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player,” the German said. “Well, the only problem with that player!”

Recent reports have gone as far as claiming that Liverpool have enquired about Bellingham’s current availability, only to be knocked back by the Bundesliga outfit. But that won’t stop Kopites from dreaming that their club finds a way to land the 19-year-old.

Yet they felt rather differently when Liverpool tried to sign one midfielder 20 years ago. In contrast to Bellingham, the player in question was on the market, having been transfer-listed after rejecting a new contract, while the Reds would have a £9m bid accepted for his services.

But after negotiations dragged on, Liverpool ended up pulling the plug on the transfer in question, for a variety of reasons, on this day in 2002. The player in question was Leeds United star Lee Bowyer.

As Jamie Carragher would later reveal, Reds manager Gerard Houllier was a massive fan of the midfielder.

“Gerard