“I even went to Melwood to meet the coach” - Chelsea legend reveals he came close to joining Liverpool

Chelsea legend Michael Essien recently said that he was close to moving to Liverpool in the early 2000s before eventually joining the Blues in 2005.

Essien joined French side SC Bastia from Ghanaian side Liberty Professionals FC in 2000. He received multiple offers during his time with the French side and one of them was from Liverpool, who were then managed by Gerard Houllier. The former Ghana international also traveled to the club's training ground Melwood to speak to Houllier.

However, Essien decided to stay put at Bastia as he believed it was too early for him to move to the Premier League. He said on an Instagram Live (via Anfield Watch):

“I had a lot of offers. I was close to signing for Liverpool when Gerard Houllier was their coach. I even went to Melwood to meet the coach.

“We had a talk, and I returned to France, but the offers were still coming from PSG, Marseille and a few others. But, I told Bastia I didn’t want to move, and they also didn’t want to sell me at that time because they wanted me to stay for another year, which was fine with me."

He added:

“I thought it was too early to move to England. That was why I joined Lyon and later moved to Chelsea under Mourinho.

"Lyon was my favourite team when I went to France because they were winning everything. I told my agent that if Lyon have come into the picture, I’d like to join them.”

Essien joined Olympique Lyon in 2003 before moving to Chelsea two years later. He made 256 appearances, scoring 25 goals and providing 20 assists, during his over eight years spell at the club. The former midfielder won two Premier Leagues and one UEFA Champions League with the Blues, among other honors, before

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Liverpool-Chelsea one game away from Carabao Cup final meeting

Despite their contrasting seasons in the Premier League, Liverpool and Chelsea have reached this season's Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Reds are second in the league standings, while the Blues are 10th.

Liverpool beat Leicester City 3-1 at home, Bournemouth 2-1 away and West Ham United 5-1 at home in their respective Carabao Cup rounds. They will next face Fulham in a two-legged semi-final, with the first leg at Anfield on January 10. The second leg will be hosted by Craven Cottage on January 24.

Chelsea, meanwhile, started their Carabao Cup campaign this season in the second round due to their non-participation in European competitions. They beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1, Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0, Blackburn Rovers 2-0, and Newcastle United on penalties, all at home.

The Blues will face Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in their semi-final first-leg clash on January 9 and will host Boro for the second leg on January 23.

Liverpool beat the west London side in the EFL Cup final in the 2021-22 season on penalties. Their head-to-head record in the competition stands at four each (counting two-legged encounters as one fixture).