Liverpool wanted £33m midfielder in 2022 and now he’s better than Mohamed Salah

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Mohamed Salah was forced to settle for fourth place in the Ballon d’Or rankings despite a superb season, with PSG forward Ousmane Dembele taking home the trophy.

It was a harsh result for the Liverpool superstar, having fired his side to the Premier League title and produced 57 goal contributions in 52 games across all competitions.

He did not attend the ceremony as Ousmane Dembele was crowned the best player in world football, while Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal came second at the age of just 18.

But Mohamed Salah also lost out to another big name, and in a twist of irony, Liverpool were keen to sign him.

Liverpool wanted to sign Vitinha in 2022

According to Portuguese outlet Record, the Reds were interested in midfielder Vitinha, then plying his trade at Porto, back in 2022.

He is said to have been open to moving to the Premier League, and at a bargain price of just €40million (£33m), he would have been a real snip.

The focus at PSG is rightly on attacking talents Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Vitinha has flown right under the radar in a remarkable turnaround from his days as a Wolves reject.

Fabrizio Romano claimed that Liverpool had actually preferred to go after Jude Bellingham, then of Borussia Dortmund, and Aurelien Tchouameni, who turned them down for Real Madrid.

There is no guessing how Vitinha would have fared at Anfield, especially at the heart of an ageing midfield, but after his impressive performances for PSG, he may well be the one that got away.

Last season, the 25-year-old played 59 games, scoring eight goals and registering five assists, shining as the midfield metronome that keeps Luis Enrique’s side ticking along.

Vitinha’s remarkable rise from Wolves nightmare

It’s hard to believe Vitinha is the same player who barely got a look-in at Wolves. He spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Molineux but made just five starts.

At the end of the season, Wolves were given the option to sign him permanently for £17m, but were happy to let him go.

After leaving, Vitinha told Rio Ferdinand that big clubs would soon come calling, and he was quickly proven correct. His price tag has likely increased fivefold since.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for him in Paris, however. Reports emerged of rumoured fall-outs with Lionel Messi and Neymar, but Enrique backed him over the club’s unsuccessful ‘Galactico’ policy.

Vitinha repaid his manager’s faith, earning himself a spot in the Ligue 1 and Champions League team of the season and winning no less than 10 trophies in just three years.

Speaking in February, Enrique lauded the midfielder’s ability, describing him as a “real pleasure”. Those words now don’t even begin to do justice to what he’s delivering on the pitch.