Moses Simon has opened up about his Moses Simon Liverpool Transfer Regret, saying he let a failed move to Liverpool affect his thinking during his time at KAA Gent.
The Nigeria and Paris FC winger said he was supposed to join Liverpool in 2018, but the transfer did not happen. Simon said that after the deal fell through, he began questioning what had gone wrong and even reached the point where he did not want to play.
“The second year [at Gent], I was supposed to go to Liverpool,” Simon said. “It didn’t work. In my head, I was like: ‘Is it the agent or the club? I don't want to play.’”
He added that the failed move changed his attitude because he believed staying on the pitch might only delay an exit. “So I was putting it in my head: ‘Whether I play or I don't, I don't care,’” Simon said. “I [thought] if I don't play, the club will find a way to quickly sell me.”
Why the Liverpool move mattered
Simon began playing for Gent in 2015 and stayed until 2018. During that period, Liverpool were one of several clubs interested in him while he was in Belgium. Reports also said Liverpool tabled a £10m offer for him in the 2018/19 campaign.
Simon said Gent had signed him for €1million (£852,000), but later wanted €25million (£21.3million). That jump in valuation helps explain why the move became complicated, even if the winger felt the chance to play for Liverpool had been there.
“The club bought me for €1million (£852,000), but after one year, they wanted €25million (£21.3million),” Simon said.
He also pointed to the lesson he would pass on to younger players. “If I was an experienced player, I would push for everything because the more you play, the more market value you have,” Simon said. “So every young player out there, whether there’s a rumour or no rumour, just give everything. A transfer can come, and you go. If it doesn’t come, continue because your club is paying you. This is the contract you signed.”
What comes next
Simon’s comments are a reminder that transfer disappointments can carry over into a player’s performances and mindset. In his case, the failed Liverpool move came at a key point in his Gent spell, but he has since moved on and continued his career in Belgium, Spain and France.
Last campaign, Simon scored three times for Ligue 1 newcomers Paris FC. He is now reflecting on an earlier chapter that could have taken him to Anfield, but instead became a lesson about professionalism and keeping his focus when a transfer does not happen.
