Former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko has revealed he rejected an offer from Barcelona in the summer of 2007 to continue his career at Anfield. The Mali international, who played for the Reds from 2005 to 2008, said he was happy at Liverpool and did not want to leave.
Decision to Stay
Sissoko, now 41, explained his decision to FourFourTwo: "I rejected Barcelona’s offer. I received their proposal and we were in advanced talks, but I was happy at Liverpool. I didn’t want to go anywhere and decided to stay."
He described the FA Cup final against West Ham as his best game for the club, saying: "We came from 2-0 down to win and lift the cup."
Playing with Legends
Sissoko was part of a midfield that included Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Javier Mascherano. He praised Gerrard's leadership, saying: "He was the type of leader who would die for his club and for his city."
He added: "I was young and they taught me a lot. They were two masters. Just watching Gerrard in training was a big lesson for me."
Benitez Comparison
Sissoko reunited with Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, having played under him at Valencia. Benitez compared him to Patrick Vieira, but Sissoko said: "I didn’t want to be Vieira. I wanted to be Sissoko."
He left Liverpool for Juventus in 2008, then joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2011. He later played in Spain, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Hong Kong before retiring in 2019 after a short stint with Sochaux.
