Leon Goretzka has confirmed that he received an offer from Liverpool two years ago, but says he was "100 per cent sure" that Bayern Munich were the right club for him.
Goretzka began his professional career at Bochum in 2012, where he spent one year in the senior team before being snapped up by Schalke.
The Royal Blues were able to bring in the midfielder for just €3 million, which ultimately proved to be a bargain price for a player who quickly became a fixture in their starting XI.
The Germany international spent five seasons with Schalke, scoring 19 goals in 147 appearances, but was ultimately unable to help the club pick up any major silverware.
Goretzka announced his decision to leave Veltins-Arena in January 2018, and he joined Bayern on a free transfer six months later.
The 25-year-old has since reached new heights at Allianz Arena, helping the German champions win eight trophies in total, including two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League.
The former Schalke star played a vital role in Bayern's run to the treble last term, and he is now revered as one of the best box-to-box players in European football.
Goretzka could have opted for a different path when leaving Gelsenkirchen, though, as he has now revealed that Jurgen Klopp attempted to lure him to Anfield before he moved to Bavaria.
Quizzed on Liverpool's interest in him, the Bayern star told The Athletic : "They were a consideration, of course.
“They’re a great club, and their development since Klopp came has been amazing. We’re all a little proud of him winning the title.
"But I took a long time making my decision, and I was 100 per cent sure that Bayern was the right move for me.”
Goretzka surprised many when he returned from lockdown in May with a few extra kilos of muscle on his frame, which he put to good use as Bayern went on to win an eighth successive Bundesliga crown, a sixth European Cup and a 20th DFB Pokal.
The playmaker says an enforced period of self-isolation gave him the chance to work on himself both physically and mentally, as he added: “Nobody knew what was happening and we had a lot of time to think.
"I asked myself: what can I do to develop further as a human being?
"It was an opportunity to take stock, listen to the voice inside of you and redefine your goals.
“The extra muscle is only the most visible part of that.
"Not playing gave me a chance to do work on the body in a way you can’t do under normal circumstances, as you’d need two or three days to recover.”