'Liverpool betrayed me then turned down Arsenal's phenomenal transfer bid' - Liverpool.com

Sign up to receive the best LFC opinion direct to your inbox

We have more newsletters

Sign up to receive the best LFC opinion direct to your inbox

We have more newsletters

Pepe Reina expressed his disappointment when Liverpool wouldn't allow him to transfer to Arsenal.

The 42-year-old Spaniard is considered one of Anfield's most iconic goalkeepers, boasting 177 clean sheets in 394 appearances for the Reds from 2005 to 2014.

However, Reina has confessed that he desired a move away from the club during challenging times behind the scenes. In his 2011 autobiography, Reina revealed that he was on the brink of exiting the club three times under the stewardship of American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

This era, one of the most contentious in Liverpool's 132-year history, saw the Reds decline from Champions League contenders to languishing lower down the table due to a strained relationship with then-manager Rafa Benitez. The situation worsened when Hicks and Gillett had a falling out and a mountain of debt pushed the club to the edge of collapse.

Reina was unsettled by these circumstances and sought a move to a more stable club. The goalkeeper was reportedly eager to discuss a potential $26 million move to Arsenal with Arsene Wenger, but alleges that the club prevented him from leaving to avoid sending negative signals to potential buyers.

Reina reflects on the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced at Liverpool, which swung from hope to despondency as the club's situation deteriorated. In his book, Reina detailed the constant flux: "I went from elation one minute to depression the next as the realization dawned that Liverpool were going nowhere fast.

"When I signed my contract in April 2010 I hoped that better times were just around the corner, a feeling that was fuelled by the promises of improvement from people at the club. It didn't take me long to feel that their promises were hollow. I felt betrayed."

The saga deepened when he discovered the true state of affairs at Anfield: "Our owners were at war with each other, the club's debts were spiraling out of control and a change in manager had failed to dispel the feeling that we were on the road to nowhere. Arsenal had made their determination to sign me clear by offering £20m ($26M), a phenomenal amount for a goalkeeper."

Despite all this, Reina recounts how he was tempted to leave but conflicted: "Part of me felt that I was well within my rights to consider my future even if I did so with a heavy heart. When Liverpool received the bid, they rejected it. This was not because I had been told that I was too good a keeper to leave. The reason I was given was quite different - and it left me feeling down."

Despite the challenges, Reina stayed with Liverpool through difficult times before eventually leaving Anfield. Reina transferred to Bayern Munich in 2014, before swiftly moving on to Napoli the following year. He then signed with AC Milan in 2018, and later moved to Lazio in 2020.

Reina had a stint with Villarreal from 2022 to 2024, and is now plying his trade at Como, where he serves as a backup to first-choice keeper Emil Audero.