Liverpool agreed to sell me to Man City, but I had no intention of going

Daniel Agger has revealed details about his decision to turn down a move to Manchester City while playing for Liverpool. In a candid interview, Agger shared his thoughts on the situation that unfolded in 2012.

On this day, 19 years ago, Liverpool secured the signing of the highly regarded Danish defender from Brøndby for £5.5m. Agger went on to have an impactful eight-year career at Anfield, playing under various managers, including Rafa Benítez, Roy Hodgson, Sir Kenny Dalglish, and later Brendan Rodgers. Despite battling injury setbacks, Agger made 212 appearances for the Reds and became a fan favorite, particularly remembered for being part of the squad that narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in 2009.

Agger’s career at Liverpool ended in 2014, after a second near-miss in the title race. However, in a surprising revelation, Agger disclosed that in 2012, he rejected a lucrative move to Manchester City, even though Liverpool was open to selling him.

At the time, Agger was at the center of a tug-of-war between Man City and Barcelona, both eager to sign him before his contract expired. Despite Barcelona’s initial offer, it was Manchester City, backed by substantial financial power, that ultimately offered a much higher sum. Yet, Agger remained adamant about his preference to stay at Liverpool or move to Barcelona.

Reflecting on the situation, Agger explained, “It was a strange one… The club asked me what I was going to do, and I said, ‘If you want me here, I will stay’. But I said, ‘If you don’t want me, I think it’s time I go because I want to play football. I prefer to do it here, but if you don’t think I’m good enough, I would like to go because these offers are on the table, and I don’t know if I will have them next year’.”

He went on, “I don’t know the story from their side, but they agreed on a price with Barcelona, and then another offer came in from Manchester City, which was much higher. I said, ‘There’s no chance I’m going to that club.’ So I told them to stop trying.”

During the interview on the ‘Aldo Meets’ Podcast, Liverpool ECHO columnist John Aldridge pressed Agger, asking if the mystery club was indeed Manchester City, to which Agger confirmed: “Yeah.”

By the 2013/14 season, Agger’s role at Liverpool had diminished under Brendan Rodgers, leading to his eventual return to Brøndby in 2014. He retired from football entirely in 2016, at the age of 31, but remains a significant figure in Liverpool’s history.