"Nothing worse than Liverpool decision" - Arnaut Danjuma

Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma has opened up on getting injured against Liverpool amid links with a move to the club

Ibrahima Konate tackles Arnaut Danjuma in Champions League semi finals

The Reds have been tentatively linked with the former Bournemouth winger ever since last summer. Danjuma moved to Villarreal last year for £21m, and has since been linked with a return to the Premier League with Liverpool and Manchester United credited with an interest.

Liverpool faced Villarreal in the semi-final of the Champions League last season. Danjuma played the majority of the first leg at Anfield, which the Reds won 2-0, but has admitted that he was suffering with an injury during the game.

Danjuma was forced to sit out the second leg in Spain, where Liverpool won 3-2 to reach the final in Paris. The forward has opened up on the “tough decision” he had to make ruling himself out of the match against Liverpool.

"The semi-final against Liverpool for me to not play that game there’s nothing worse for me," said Danjuma, speaking on the Freshly Grounded podcast.

"There’s nothing worse for me so I couldn’t play that game (second leg), I was playing with a tiny calf strain after the game against Bayern Munich.

"You do everything you can to recover from it, keep training, massages, everything you can day in, day out, especially with the Champions League and how big it is for the team, your teammates, manager, for me myself, friends and family so an injury never comes at the right time.

"Specifically speaking this time of the Champions League, played against Liverpool away at Anfield, I tried to get through the game, play through the calf strain and it affected my ankle in a bad way.

"From then on, got a bit worse, we prepared for the next game (against Liverpool) did everything I can, then I think it was one training before the game everyone saw it, I walked up and said ‘gaffer, I tried everything’ and he said sort of like I knew you did everything.

"That was tough for me making that decision and it wasn’t really a decision because I always try until I can’t."