According to reports from Italy, one current Liverpool player had apparently come so close to leaving Anfield this summer that he’d selected his shirt number at the club he was on the brink of joining.Three months ago, Alisson Becker had been strongly linked with a move to Juventus and was understood to have been ‘very tempted’ by the prospect of signing for the Bianconeri.Thankfully nothing came of that firm interest from the Turin outfit, although they’re reportedly plotting to revisit a potential move for the goalkeeper in 2027, when his contract at Anfield is due to expire and he’d be available on a free transfer.Luciano Spalletti’s side duly diverted their attention to Emiliano Martinez, but that pursuit ultimately broke down, with Juve instead having an offer accepted by Tottenham Hotspur for Guglielmo Vicario (The Athletic).Alisson was on the cusp of joining Juventus this summerSpeaking on the Caffè Di Marzio podcast (via DAVEOCKOP), Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio outlined just how close Alisson had come to leaving Liverpool before FSG intervened to block the transfer.He explained: “Juventus’ first target was Alisson, who had already reached an agreement with the player. The Brazilian had already chosen his shirt number, but Liverpool decided to keep him. The Bianconeri insisted, but over time their attention shifted to Dibu Martinez.”Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustLiverpool can still count on Alisson, but for how much longer?At one point early in the summer, it felt as though the Reds’ number 1 could’ve been following Mo Salah and Andy Robertson out the door at Anfield, which would’ve been utterly revolting for Kopites to take.Mercifully Liverpool ensured that the 33-year-old wouldn’t be moving to Turin just yet, but the same crossroads will be reached in a few months’ time as his contract will expire next June as it stands.Alisson is one of the few stalwarts of the peak of the Jurgen Klopp era who remains in L4, and he continues to be every bit as crucial now as he had been at the turn of the decade.With no disrespect intended to any of the other goalkeepers in Andoni Iraola’s squad, none of them can match the Brazilian’s command of his penalty area and the defence in front of him, with that assurance spreading to the outfield players.The moment for replacing him is no longer a distant speck in the future – it could well be at the end of this season – but for now we can breathe an enormous sigh of relief that his proposed move to Juventus didn’t go through earlier this summer.The post Liverpool player had ‘already chosen his shirt number’ at new club before FSG pulled the plug appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.