'It was my biggest regret not joining Liverpool – the manager went back on his word'

'It was my biggest regret not joining Liverpool – the manager went back on his word'The former striker claimed he was set to stay at Liverpool permanently but his then-manager shot down the dealCommentsSportAbbie Meehan Senior Sports Writer08:00, 14 Apr 2026View 4 ImagesNicolas Anelka wanted to sign for Liverpool permanently(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)Nicolas Anelka claimed his biggest regret was never signing for Liverpool permanently. The French international believes that then-manager Gerard Houllier's decision to offer a lower salary stopped his move to Anfield.‌Anelka joined the Reds on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, who will travel to Anfield tonight with a Champions League semi-final spot on the line. While the former striker played for both teams, it is clear to see that he holds a soft spot for his time spent on Merseyside.‌Ex-Liverpool manager Houllier signed Anelka on loan in 2001 and helped the team achieve what was, at the time, their highest Premier League finish of second. However, while many fans clamoured for the Frenchman to stay, he joined Manchester City instead.‌Houllier opted to sign El Hadji Diouf that summer and spoke out about not securing a deal for Anelka the following September. He said: "I don't want to expose the reasons why I didn't want to sign him, but I think he knows why and it has nothing to do with football."FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Virgil van Dijk backs Liverpool fans' ticket price protests in strong message to ownersREAD MORE: Mohamed Salah issues new emotional statement as Liverpool exit moves closerThese comments led to speculation that Anelka didn't want to sign for Liverpool on a permanent basis in the first place. However, the now-47-year-old vehemently denied these claims and stood firm that he was desperate to become a Red.‌Speaking on his Netflix documentary, Misunderstood, Anelka said: "Liverpo...