No less than seven players featured in Moscow's Champions League final last week that could have signed with Liverpool, it has been revealed.

The Liverpool Echo says Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was scouted by Gerard Houllier's regime but that initial interest was never followed up.

Michael Essien also caught the Frenchman's eye but without the necessary finances Houllier had to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements.

Rio Ferdinand was coveted before he moved from West Ham to Leeds but the £12.5m asking price was considered too high at a time when Houllier had to bolster several positions in his squad.

Nemanja Vidic was a target of Rafa Benitez having impressed for Serbia against Spain in World Cup qualifying games only for Liverpool to miss out when Man United entered the race for his signature and cranked up the price.

John Terry was briefly made available by a then cash strapped Chelsea in 2003 and Houllier was keen to bring him to Anfield only for a change of ownership at Stamford Bridge to thwart him.

Nicolas Anelka was desperate to become a Liverpool player after a successful loan spell but Houllier ditched his fellow countryman in favour of El Hadji Diouf.

And, most famously of all, Liverpool led the race for Cristiano Ronaldo and could have signed him for just £4m and a four-year contract worth £1m a year only for Houllier and Phil Thompson to decide that those figures were too high for an 18-year-old who was unproven in the Premier League.