Alisson considered staying at Roma ahead of emotional move to Liverpool

Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker throws the ball during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in London, on September 15, 2018.
ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP / Getty

Deciding whether to leave Roma for Liverpool was an emotional process for Alisson, who revealed that he "cried a lot" before moving to England.

Alisson said that he grew attached to the Italian capital after spending two seasons with Roma, who he helped to two top-five finishes during his brief spell in Serie A.

He considered turning down Liverpool's offer despite Roma accepting the Premier League side's £65-million offer in July.

"Leaving Rome was difficult," Alisson said in an interview with Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by ESPN FC. "I cried a lot, together with my wife. It's only right that I'm honest about it: I made a professional decision; a step forward in my career and for Roma, who earned a huge sum.

"I decided with my head to move to Liverpool, but my heart was full of tears. I spent two special years in Rome. My daughter was born there and I have a lot of friends there outside of football.

"Many times I'd spend the night walking the city streets: the Trevi fountain, in the dark, is so beautiful it moves you, but the Colosseum is my favourite place -- you can breathe history there.

"(Staying in Rome) went through my mind a lot because I was so happy in Rome, but when a player decides where to play, it's a much bigger discussion.

"I've got big ambitions and so do Liverpool, and now I'm playing in the biggest league in the world. (Serie A is) not far behind, it's just different and less intense."

In the end, the 26-year-old said that a call from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp convinced him to make the switch.

Alisson has made a seamless transition to the Premier League after keeping four clean sheets during his first seven matches.

XRedditFacebookWhatsAppEmailSMS