Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has admitted that missing out on a move to Liverpool remains one of the biggest regrets of his career.
The Paris FC attacker, speaking in an interview with Urban Dwell Sport, opened up on the transfer saga that shaped a difficult stretch of his time in Belgium with Gent.
Simon named Liverpool as the club that came nearest to signing him during a period of heavy transfer speculation between 2016 and 2018. He said Liverpool wanted to sign him, I think Hull City, Fulham, Brighton, Tottenham, and Lyon also, before adding that not everything reported in the newspapers at the time was accurate.
According to the winger, the pursuit of a big move affected his form on the pitch during that spell at Gent. He explained that the first year ended without a transfer materialising, and that a move to Liverpool was expected to happen the following year before it too fell through, a setback that left him struggling with motivation at his Belgian club.
Simon also reflected more broadly on how players should handle transfer uncertainty, stressing that a move can either come or not, and that a professional’s obligation remains to the club paying his wages under the contract he signed.
Despite the frustration of missing out on the Premier League, Simon went on to build a decorated career across Belgium and France. He later moved to Levante in Spain before spells with Nantes in Ligue 1, and is currently on the back of his first season with Ligue 1 side Paris FC following his exit from Nantes.
At international level, the 30-year-old has become one of the most consistent figures in the Super Eagles setup, amassing 98 caps for Nigeria. With two appearances needed to reach the century mark, Simon is on course to join Alex Iwobi, Joseph Yobo, Ahmed Musa and Vincent Enyeama among Nigeria’s centurions.
Simon’s comments offer a rare, candid look into how transfer speculation can affect a player’s career trajectory away from the pitch. While the Liverpool move never happened, his longevity in the game and continued involvement with the Super Eagles suggest the setback did not define his career, even if the thought of what could have been at Anfield still lingers for the winger as he closes in on his 100th cap for Nigeria.
Looking back, the Paris FC winger believes he handled the situation poorly and has urged young footballers not to allow transfer rumours to affect their performances.
From 2016 to 2018, I dropped in form because I wanted to make a transfer,” Simon said.
“Liverpool wanted to sign me, I think Hull City, Fulham, Brighton, Tottenham, and Lyon also. We played against them in the Europa League in 2017.
“But, you know, when you read all this in the newspapers, some are true while some are rumours.”
“So the first year, I didn’t make it. I didn’t get a transfer. The second year, I was supposed to go to Liverpool. It didn’t work.
“In my head, I was like, ‘Is it the agent or the club? I don’t want to play.’
“So I was putting it in my head: ‘Whether I play or I don’t play, I don’t care.”
“I think if I don’t play, the club will find a way quickly to sell me.
“The club bought me for €1 million, but after one year, they wanted €25 million
If I was an experienced player, I would push for everything because the more you play, the more market value you have.
“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,” the 98-cap Super Eagles winger concluded
Although he missed out on a move to Liverpool, Moses Simon has carved out an impressive career, winning several trophies and establishing himself as one of Nigeria’s most-capped players.
Now just two appearances away from reaching the 100-cap milestone, the former Levante winger is on course to join an elite group of Super Eagles centurions alongside Alex Iwobi, Joseph Yobo, Ahmed Musa, and Vincent Enyeama.
