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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

Rafa Benitez missed out on two Liverpool deals - including title winner at Man City

Rafa Benitez has revealed he wanted to sign Juanfran and Stefan Jovetic as Liverpool manager - but the board vetoed the transfers.

Benitez was in charge of the Reds between 2004 and 2010. He won four trophies during his time at Anfield - including the Champions League in 2005 - and signed the likes of Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia, Peter Crouch, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt.

Yet Benitez failed to bring Juanfran and Jovetic to Merseyside. The Spaniard wanted to sign Juanfran when Michael Owen moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2004, while future Manchester City striker Jovetic was on his transfer shortlist five years later.

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