Graeme Souness believes that Timo Werner would have joined Liverpool had Jurgen Klopp and the Reds followed up their interest in the German striker.
Werner had been on Liverpool's radar as early as 2017. Coming off a prolific 2019/20 season for RB Leipzig in which only Robert Lewandowski scored more, Werner moving to Anfield as a versatile player to rotate in with the front three seemed possible due to a £54million release clause in his contract.
The clause, however, had a June 15 deadline. Liverpool were hesitant to exercise it, and after missing out on a move to Bayern Munich the previous summer, Werner chose to sign with Chelsea after they accepted the clause.
At the time, fans were frustrated with Liverpool's unwillingness to complete the deal, with Klopp seemingly cooling on the prospect of bringing Werner into the squad.
And Souness believes that Werner, who has struggled for goals at Chelsea this season, would not be in London had Liverpool not withdrawn from the chase.
"I think if Liverpool wanted him, then he’d be at Liverpool," he said on Sky Sports.
"The German connection, they were the European champions at the time, I think that could have happened. I think Jurgen went cold on him - he never fancied him."
Werner's struggles at Chelsea have been well documented, and Souness has questions over whether he can adapt to English football.
"He’s scored two goals in the last 22 games, one of them against Morecambe. He’s 100% correct, if he’d have scored a fraction of the gilt-edge chances he had, then Frank is still in the job and that’s the price of management at Chelsea," Souness added.
"So far, in terms of players coming to this country, the demands are different. But nothing in him, in his time in England, suggests he’s clinical in his finishing.
"He’s getting in the positions and then fluffing shots, he just needs to get a good connection and stick it away properly.
"I know he got his goals, twice he got 20 goals at Leipzig, so he is a scorer, but I have big question marks about German football, I really do.
"When the best team in Germany can go and headhunt the second team, like they have done for years with Dortmund, Leipzig this time around, I have question marks about German football, full stop."
Liverpool signed Diogo Jota later in the summer transfer window from Wolves.
The Portuguese winger impressed earlier in the season before suffering a knee injury, but returned to full training in Kirkby this week.
