New signing Jesper Lindstrom explains why he decided to turn down Liverpool in order to join Napoli and admits he cannot walk in the city without being ‘attacked’ by fans.
The 23-year-old Denmark international spoke to Tipsbladet after his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, which was worth €30m plus €5m in various add-ons.
It happened very late in the summer transfer session and Lindstrom had other offers on the table, including an approach from Premier League giants Liverpool.
The switch to Anfield would’ve been a childhood dream come true for the Dane, but he had to look beyond his heart to what was best for his career.
“It was Liverpool and I am a Liverpool supporter, so it would’ve been a madly fascinating experience, but would it have been an intelligent move?” Lindstrom told the Danish paper.
“If I don’t play, then I may as well sit in front of the TV and watch them play there while I am at a different club. I am at an age now where I have to play football.
“This is why I think Napoli represent a good change. It is one of the best clubs in the world and they said I will have many opportunities to play.”
Lindstrom only arrived on August 29, but he is already experiencing the extraordinary passion of the Napoli supporters, which has been known to limit the freedom of some well-loved players.
“It is not possible to walk the streets of the city and this is also why many of the players live on the outskirts. You can’t go for a walk, you have to cover yourself up, because otherwise they attack you for selfies.
“I knew it would be like this, as there is only one club in Naples, everyone here grew up supporting Napoli and it is all extreme. I can’t just go out for coffee. It’s different, but an amusing experience.”
Lindstrom made his debut at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the final 15 minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Lazio.
Big regret coming!
It’s always raining and miserable in Liverpool.
Add to that the food in Napoli is the best in the world. The lifestyle, culture, the scenery. It’s a no-brainer.