“Everyone was encouraging me to join Liverpool, but I decided to go with Chelsea – and I have no regrets.” – This is according to a £70 million long term target of Chelsea and Liverpool as he announces that he is choosing to join Chelsea instead of Liverpool in January.

Liverpool and Chelsea were both pursuing Florent Malouda at one point, with Lyon trying to steer the winger towards Anfield. However, he ultimately chose to join Jose Mourinho in London instead.

Florent Malouda had the opportunity to join Liverpool before eventually choosing Chelsea in 2007. The French winger was highly sought after during his time at Lyon, with several top European clubs monitoring him.

Both Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez made efforts to secure his signature, and Liverpool even reached an agreement with Lyon over a transfer fee.

However, Malouda felt there was too much pressure pushing him towards a move to Anfield, which didn’t sit well with him.

He didn’t proceed with contract discussions with Liverpool and instead opted for Chelsea, where he was familiar with some players and had the chance to work under Mourinho.

Malouda shared with Coin Poker: “It’s true, Liverpool were very keen on signing me, and I nearly joined them.

At the time, Rafa Benitez was the manager, and Gerard Houllier, my coach at Lyon, was pushing for the move because of his past experience managing Liverpool.”

“I never agreed on a contract with Liverpool. While Lyon and Liverpool had settled on a transfer fee, I didn’t reach any contract terms with them. There were too many people trying to influence the deal and push me toward Liverpool, which I didn’t appreciate,” Malouda explained.

“When Chelsea showed interest, it was clear from the start that Mourinho was eager to sign me. It was an exciting opportunity because I was already familiar with the club due to Didier [Drogba], and I knew several players in the squad.”

Although Real Madrid also made an offer, then-Lyon manager Gerard Houllier advised Malouda that playing in the Premier League would be more advantageous. Despite Houllier’s history with Liverpool, Malouda ultimately chose Chelsea.

The Frenchman went on to win multiple titles at Stamford Bridge, with the pinnacle of his career coming in 2013 when Chelsea triumphed in the Champions League final in Munich. Malouda came off the bench as the Blues secured victory in a dramatic penalty shootout.

He played during an era when Chelsea frequently changed managers, and he admits he would have liked more time under Mourinho, who was dismissed just weeks into the season. However, he did have the opportunity to work with some top-class managers.

Malouda said, “If I had to choose the managers I enjoyed playing under at Chelsea, it would be Carlo Ancelotti and Guus Hiddink. They had a similar management style. Our time with Guus was brief, but we won the FA Cup together. It was only half a season, but I really enjoyed it.”