Liverpool have won the Premier League with authority recovering from a season where they missed the trophy by a narrow margin. This has undoubtedly instigated many players, who had formerly been linked with the side and could not make it due to some reason or the other, to go down memory lane.
In this regard, Sport now states that Donis Avdijaj has revealed that turning down Liverpool has been the biggest regret of his life. In an interview he has mentioned “My biggest mistake, which I bitterly regret, was turning down another mega offer from Liverpool before I signed the long contract with Schalke, which was a matter close to my heart. I also had one from Real Madrid.”
Who is Donis Avdijaj?
The German-born player started his career at smaller outfits before moving to Schalke in 2011 and joined the youth ranks. With time he graduated into the reserves team and eventually made his way into the senior squad in 2014. In his four years stint with the Bundesliga side, he has been loaned out several times and featured in only nine league matches for the team. In 2018 the midfielder made a permanent move to Willem II. After spending a season with the Dutch side, he joined Trabzonspor on a year-long contract.
Failing to impress for the Super Lig side, his contract was terminated by mutual consent after only a few months. In January 2020 the former Schalke man had been roped in by Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian, for whom he is still plying his trade. On the international front, he has represented Germany at various youth levels, but opted to make his international debut for Kosovo in 2017 and has six appearances under his belt.
What would have he brought to Anfield?
The 23-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder, but throughout his career, he has been deployed at different positions by his sides. This season he has been mainly placed as a right-sided midfielder for his sides and scored a few goals for the various clubs he has played for. Avdijaj’s dribbling skill is a strong asset, and so is his finishing ability. More often than not, he has shown the tendency to run down the channels and cut inside before taking a shot at the goal. However, the Hearts man’s aerial ability needs to improve if he is to make a name for himself at the topmost level. His disciplinary record is also questionable, which poses a threat for his sides at times.
What would have been his role at Liverpool?
The Merseyside club right now have one of the strongest teams in the world, and it is safe to assume that a player like Donis Avdijaj would not have made it to the first-team squad. The fact that he has not been able to stay at any club for a prolonged period means his skill set is limited and Liverpool would have been the last place for him to try and make a name for himself.
Had the Reds signed him at that point of time in a big-money move, he would have been loaned out to a smaller club, before finally shipping him away for good. Looking at his career trajectory and his lack of development, we can say with certainty that Liverpool have dodged a bullet.
