Brendan Rodgers lifts lid on Liverpool’s attempt to sign Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Liverpool thought Alexis Sanchez was Anfield-bound before the Chilean opted to join Arsenal in 2014.

The Reds had targeted the South American as a like-for-like replacement for Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan forward completed a £75m move to La Liga giants Barcelona.

Sanchez was going to be perfect for us

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers earmarked Sanchez as the ideal replacement for Suarez but the former Udinese man completed a £35m move to Arsenal from Barcelona, much to the disappointment of the Northern Irishman.

The former Liverpool manager, who was sacked by the Reds in October, explained how Sanchez’s failed transfer forced the Merseyside outfit to sign Mario Balotelli from AC Milan.

“The huge blow for us that season was that we thought we were getting Alexis Sanchez,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.

“Luis was going, like for like replacement. He was going to be perfect for us: how he presses the game and how aggressive he is. He was a world-class player and we thought that it would be a smooth transition into the team.

“We didn’t get Alexis, unfortunately. Sanchez doesn’t come in, we think Fabio Borini is going and Daniel Sturridge is injured.”

Sanchez has scored 22 goals in 47 Premier League appearances since his move to the north London club from Barcelona in July 2014.

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Balotelli scored just four times in 26 games for Liverpool last season before he was allowed to return to Milan on a season-long loan in August.