Former Liverpool target David Carmo is set to join Nottingham Forest (Image: Getty)
Liverpool FC might have dodged a bullet when their proposed deal for defender David Carmo fell through, as he prepares to join a Premier League rival more than three years later.
Reports suggest Nottingham Forest are poised to complete the signing of Carmo from FC Porto in a deal that could rise to £12.7million. The 25-year-old will not be playing for the Premier League side this season, however.
According to Fabrizio Romano, he is expected to join Greek giants Olympiacos on a season-long loan once his five-year contract is signed and sealed.
It wasn't long ago that the Spanish centre-back was on the verge of signing for Liverpool in a lucrative transfer in January 2021, after he had made a major impression during his stint in Portugal with Braga.
A deal had been struck between the two clubs for Carmo to join the Merseyside outfit for a £16.9million (€20m) fee, a relatively modest fee considering the money they spent on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
But the transfer was called off at the 11th hour as the Portuguese club couldn't find a replacement in time. It was the last thing Liverpool needed in the midst of a defensive crisis, with Nathaniel Phillips and Fabinho deployed in place of injured pair Van Dijk and Joel Matip.
Jurgen Klopp signed Ibrahima Konate instead from RB Leipzig (Image: Getty)
Jurgen Klopp eventually settled on a loan deal for Ozan Kabak from Schalke to provide cover for their ailing defence, while Carmo stayed at Braga.
He then suffered a horrific broken leg shortly after the move collapsed, but eventually recovered and rediscovered his form, earning a move to Porto in the summer of 2022 for a similar fee to what Liverpool reportedly agreed to pay.
But his big-money move did not go to plan, with Carmo dropping down to Porto's B team under coach Sergio Conceicao and criticising his lack of effort to try and turn around his below-par displays.
“It’s a fact that in disciplinary terms, the player has behaved improperly. As for his sports performance, he is currently behind players in his position in emotional and technical-tactical aspects, and he may also be behind the players in the B-team," Conceicao said at the time.
David Carmo was demoted to Porto's B team by Sergio Conceicao (Image: Getty)
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“He will have more chances to play in the B-team, depending on his application, determination and the decisions made by the coach Antonio Folha. At the moment, he’s a player who is below what we want and he has to show us that he deserves a place in the team."
Later that summer, Liverpool spent £35m to sign Konate from RB Leipzig and the French defender is now regarded as an important member of the squad.
Now Carmo is set for a fresh start with Forest and Olympiacos, although the defender might be wondering what could've been if his move to Liverpool hadn't been blocked.
But judging by the stunted career path he has taken since the deal fell apart, recruitment chiefs at Anfield will be counting themselves fortunate he didn't end up on Merseyside.
