Liverpool Transfer News: Reds Snubbed By Toby Alderweireld?

Team Talk. The 23-year-old former Ajax defender was linked with a move to the Reds but instead completed a switch to Spain on transfer deadline day, after being lured away from the Amsterdam club. Liverpool were in the running to sign the young Belgian international, but appear to have had their efforts to sign the player rebuffed. Brendan Rodgers's side instead ended up securing deals for Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori from Paris St Germain and Sporting Lisbon, respectively, while Alderweireld claims he was their first choice. He told the Spanish press following his arrival at Atletico:

"The club have been following me now for two or three weeks, and you could see they really wanted me. "That is why I turned down approaches from other teams. Liverpool, for example, appeared in the last few days, but I had already taken my decision. "The truth is that Atletico made a huge effort to convince me."

Alderweireld signed for Madrid for £6,160,000 (‚7 million) on a four year contract. He had previously won three successive Eredivisie titles in Holland in a nine year spell at the Amsterdam Arena, after graduating from the club's youth academy in 2008. As well as Liverpool, Alderweireld was also linked with Tottenham, Everton and Norwich, the latter of whom had agreed a fee with Ajax only for the player to reject the move. The Reds still enjoyed a fruitful transfer window, however, and signed eight new players including Simon Mignolet, Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto.