Former Reds Boss Reveals Batistuta Was Interested in Liverpool Switch

Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans has revealed the club made tentative efforts to sign Serie A great Gabriel Batistuta and former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham.

Evans, who served as manager at Anfield from 1994 to 1998, had hoped to pair Argentina's all-time leading goal scorer with the club's own prolific talisman in Robbie Fowler while both men were at the height of their formidable powers.

Batistuta would go on to play for both Roma and Inter Milan, but it was during his nine year spell with Fiorentina where he produced his most electrifying performances that saw the Reds try to snare a deal for the striker when his future at the Viola became uncertain.

"There were talks of him moving from Italy to somewhere else," Evans told Liverpool's official website.

"We had some interest; there were some conversations between Liverpool and his club. He was interested, but unfortunately it just didn't happen.

"It was one of those things where you make an enquiry and it just didn't go any further than that. I'm sure he would have been a great acquisition for us if we had got him."

In addition to interest in Batistuta, who struck more than 200 goals in Serie A before enjoying a swansong spell with Qatari outfit Al-Arabi SC, Liverpool also looked into the possibility of signing Sheringham from Tottenham Hotspur, before United signed the former England international.

Sheringham would go on to achieve great success at Old Trafford, winning the Treble in just his second season with the club, but things could have been very different had Liverpool not been put off by the striker's age.

"Teddy was very interested in coming; he was 29 or 30 at the time. But the club had a policy of not buying older players," Evans added.

"As it happened, he went to Manchester United and played for six or seven years there with great success.

"Sometimes you miss out on things. I think he would have brought some good experience to a lot of young lads. We had some experience with John Barnes and Ian Rush, but Teddy Sheringham would have been another experienced player for us. "