Did Liverpool not want to sell Wilson permanently?
Yes, if someone had met their valuation but no such offers were forthcoming.
They rejected a bid of £12 million plus £3 million to potentially follow in add-ons from Burnley as they held out for £15 million guaranteed.
Initially, Liverpool wouldn’t consider a loan for Wilson but that stance changed once the early October transfer deadline passed which meant he couldn’t be sold to a Premier League club.
Liverpool came to the conclusion that both his development and his value would be enhanced by playing regularly in the Championship for the rest of this season rather than staying on the fringes of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Did Cardiff beat anyone else to his signature?
Liverpool were inundated with loan offers from Championship clubs, including Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Swansea City.
They held talks with Wilson and his agent to discuss them following his return from international duty on Thursday. Cardiff ultimately won the battle because they were able to meet Liverpool’s financial requirements and boss Neil Harris also did a great job in convincing Wilson to make the move.
How did Cardiff get him for so little?
Selling Wilson was never realistic once the initial window had closed because no Championship club was ever going to meet his valuation.
Liverpool’s motivation once they decided to loan him out was finding the right place for him to continue developing so they were happy to take a £1 million plus loan fee and have his wages covered.
Was he keen to drop down to the Championship?
Ideally, Wilson would have stayed in the Premier League. He proved during his loan at Bournemouth last season that he belongs at that level.
He was open to joining Burnley if a deal had been agreed between the clubs. But faced with spending the coming months having to settle for under-23s football at Liverpool, he was happy to drop down a level. He will be a massive asset for Cardiff and is keen to help spearhead their promotion push.
Is anyone else going to leave Anfield on deadline day?
Midfielder Herbie Kane is off to Barnsley in a deal worth £1.25 million.
The club have also negotiated a 15 per cent sell-on clause for the 21-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City. Barnsley beat off strong competition from Luton Town, alongside interest from Hull and Portsmouth.
Ben Woodburn (loan) and Nat Phillips (permanent) could also leave Liverpool prior to today’s domestic deadline.
(Photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
